Back In Time

The new “Men In Black” sequel is upon us, reuniting Agents J and K as extraterrestrial cops.

In anticipation of the new movie’s time-travel wrinkle, let’s revisit some of my favorite time bending movies.

Beware, there be spoilers here…

BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)

Marty McFly is zapped in a plutonium-powered time machine from 1985 to 1955, where he must play matchmaker between his future mother (popular, pretty) and father (shy, dorky) to guarantee his own conception. Complications abound when mom gets the hots for Marty instead. 

M.O.: Fixing the past to preserve the future.

Method of Transport: Souped-up DeLorean.

Characteristic Paradox: As the likelihood of Marty’s parents’ courtship fades, so too does his image in a family photograph.

TWELVE MONKEYS (1995)

Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam’s bleak time-travel doomsday thriller is the filmmaker’s finest hour, and features Bruce Willis’ most vulnerable performance. Willis portrays James Cole, an inmate living underground in the aftermath of a global pandemic, sent by future scientists to the recent past to track the path of a virus that will wipe out, well, pretty much everyone.

M.O.: Observing the past to prevent the future.

Method of Transport: Scrappy and occasionally clunky time-catapult apparatus. (“Science ain’t an exact science.”)

Characteristic Paradox: A young lad is taken by his parents to the airport to look at the airplanes; when James Cole is gunned down in the terminal, we know the boy is young Cole and that he’s witnessing his own eventual death.

PRIMER (2004)

Abe and Aaron’s boxy garage invention turns out to be a time machine. In shuttling back and forth too many times to keep track of, their timelines multiply and mutate, defining at least nine “levels” of alternate realities for the characters (and viewers) to keep track of. You may get lost in the perpetual momentum techno jargon, but the linear (and non-linear) logic is surprisingly simple to comprehend. 
M.O.:  Abe and Aaron scheme to get rich by using their new invention to exploit ill-gotten foreknowledge of the stock market.

Method of Transport: A collapsible boxy cocoon. 

Characteristic Paradox:  Can you count how many Abe’s and how many Aaron’s exist in the story?

TIME BANDITS (1981)

More time-travel shenanigans from former Python Terry Gilliam, this one a wry comedy fantasy featuring a troupe of mischievous midgets exploiting time portals to steal fabulous treasures.

M.O.:  Plundering history to get stinking rich.

Method of Transport: A map stolen from the Supreme Being.
Characteristic
Paradox: The boys rob Napoleon blind, then escape trough a time portal to a period several centuries before he was even born.

SOMEWHERE IN TIME (1980)
Endearing if somewhat schmaltzy romance, immortalized by John Barry’s rapturous symphonic score. A young playwright (Christopher Reeve) in 1980 is smitten by the luminous portrait of an old-time stage actress (Jane Seymour). Through sheer hypnosis, he transports himself back to 1912 to woo her. Don’t try this while carrying modern-day pennies in your coin purse. 

M.O.: Visiting history to find true love.

Method of Transport: Will power, combined with vintage costumes.

Characteristic Paradox: See the bit about loose change in your pocket.