GOING BACK IN TIME! BY PHIL CONGLETON

As Phil Meets The Movies moves through each month of 2023, we will explore as many areas of film history as we can. Each month, we will pick a New movie, an Old movie, a Best movie (aka: Great movie), a Least movie (aka: a Bad movie), and a film I rated an "E for Effort". The movies highlighted in each article have certain connections or similarities to each other, resulting in a common theme or thread. At times, Phil Meets The Movies 2023, just like Digging Star Wars, will explore the films and the creators of those films, who eventually inspired the Star Wars saga. Half of the theme for each month is based on the New movie choice for the month and the other half of the theme is based on the Best movie choice for the month. The Best (Great), movie pick of the month comes from our Film366 film list. 

Phil's Film366 Film List for June on Letterboxd

This month we will explore the idea of time travel and the harmful consequences of using that kind of technology, as told through film. We will celebrate a modern classic and the latest from the DCEU. Also, we'll go back to 1980 for our old film pick for June. Lastly, there will be a few favorite characters and sea-changing actors, highlighted as well, as we take the month of June and go back in time.

Time travel, multi-verses, changing the past, and the moral implications of that. Let's get the month of June started. Let’s start things off with our old film choice for the month. Back in 1980.

Looking at it from today's perspective, time travel movies are relatively a new sub-genre to science fiction films. Sure, we can go back to the late-1950s and find plenty about time-traveling, plus H.G. Wells was writing about it back in 1895, so the concept has been around for over a century. 

However, not until we got into the 21st century did the concept of time travel really take off. What has fueled the time-traveling sub-genre are the new variations on the idea, as it is applied to new concepts, such as multi-verses, wormholes, and new thoughts on how changing the past will affect the future. The sub-genre may have been around since the 1950s, but it has gone through a steady amount of changes since then. In the 1980s a version of the time travel, sub-genre began to take shape in the guise of the "changing history" or "changing the future by fixing the past" concepts, that everyone has thought of. This film begins the change, that starts to happen to the sub-genre of time travel. The date, December 7th, 1941 is a date everyone knows. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a moment in history, that many have not forgotten, even over 80 years later. So, imagine if you had the opportunity to go back in time and stop one of the most pivotal moments in history. It is something the characters in our Old film choice for the month have to grapple with. We go back to 1980 and experience what it's like to, all of a sudden, find yourself in 1941, with the Japanese fleet heading straight towards you.

 

The Final Countdown (1980), is a pretty interesting film to see. It makes you continue to think about what will happen if these guys are successful in changing history. On the one hand, it is a great idea, but on the other, it could be a catastrophe. The amount of stress these characters must be feeling at this moment is felt in every scene. The cast in the film sells it well. The use of actual real aircraft for the aerial scenes, with very limited practical model effects, not to mention a real-life aircraft carrier, helps sell the believability factor. Roger Ebert called this film a Star Wars-like movie.    

Phil's Full Letterboxd Review of The Final Countdown (1980):

7.7 (B- MyGrade) = 8 IMDB, 4 Stars Letterboxd

We jump to 1985 and enjoy the celebration of our Best film choice for June. This film would eventually be the defining film to think of, when it comes to the concept of time travel and continued the trend that started with films, like The Final Countdown (1980) and Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982), starring Fred Ward. The idea of an aircraft carrier driving through a time storm in The Final Countdown (1980), is also hinted in Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982). In this case, Fred Ward accidentally drives his motorcycle through an experimental time-traveling test site and ends up in the wild west of 1875. 

Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982), Full Movie on YouTube:

On June 9th, 1961, Michael J. Fox was born. 24 years later, his greatest role in the movies debuted. Fox's character would become an iconic figure in pop-culture lore. This film would spawn two sequels. Oddly enough, Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982), also looks like a foreshadowing of events found in the third film in this series. Our new film choice for June is also our pick for Michael J. Fox's birthday. It is hailed as a modern classic. It is highly entertaining and helped to introduce a new direction for time-travel, science-fiction movies. The ability to change the future. Enter Marty McFly and Doc Brown.

We're going back in time. Back to the Future (1985), is still a hilarious, smart, adventure, fantasy film, that never seems to run out of energy. Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd were born to be Marty and Doc. The supporting cast in this film does an excellent job too. The trick to this film, which enhances the suspense, is the plot idea, that Marty must not do anything, that will affect the future. Of course, that is an impossible task, that makes this adventure, one of the most cherished films ever. It also has become a large part, of the conversation, about time travel, here in the 21st century.

Phil's Full Review of Back to the Future (1985), on Letterboxd

9.3 (A MyGrade) = 9 IMDB, 4 1/2 Stars Letterboxd

 The conversation, related to the different time-travel opinions, found in various sectors of the film world and in Back to the Future (1985), is highlighted even more when talking about our New film choice for June. However, we also need to stop in 2019, when the conversation first began in Avengers: Endgame (2019).

Time-Travel Scene & Trailer for Avengers: Endgame (2019), on YouTube:

Avengers: Endgame (2019), questions the concept of time travel, as found in Back to the Future (1985), while The Flash (2023), questions the opinions put forward by Avengers: Endgame (2019). Everybody has a pony in this race.

 

In The Flash (2023), we witness the end of the DC Extended Universe, as we know it. Those films in the DCEU now enter, into film history, as part of the era, that depicted the rise of the comic-book film, in the early part of the 21st century. Now, the next phase of DC's theatrical division moves onto its next incarnation, in the guise of James Gunn's new DCU, which should launch in 2025. The Flash (2023), ends a 13-film run by the DCEU, that began with the Man of Steel (2013). So, being a Flash film, you already know, that this will be a perfect moment to use the character, most pivotal, in all the stories DC has used during its history, to reboot its brand, either on film or in print. This is a perfect way to segue from the current universe to the next one coming. As seen in the trailers, you also know, that this is a time-traveling film. Barry Allen decides to go back in time and save his mother. It's the quintessential Flash story. Love them or hate them, whatever the total of all 13 parts were for you and film history, The Flash (2023), is strong enough to entertain and put a decent closing to this era of DC comics theatrical films.

Phil's Full Letterboxd Review of the Flash (2023)

7.2 (C MyGrade) = 7 IMDB, 3 1/2 Stars Letterboxd

The E For Effort film we picked for June isn't a time-travel film, but it does take place on an alternate-Earth, in the very near future. In high school, an E is worse than a D, but better than an F. An E is technically, also an F, but if you score an E, you were allowed to retake the class in summer school, to pass the year or graduate. If you got an F, you failed the class. So, I used this model, to come up with my E For Effort grade, when grading certain movies. I still recommend seeing these films, because a film might have the right idea, but the execution ends up being bad. They are films, that the filmmakers clearly showed to the audience, that they tried their best, but for some reason or another, the film fails in the end. Another thing that makes these movies recommendable, is the idea, that they usually have something interesting for film-buffs, have a historical significance (in film history or real-world history), or a technical gimmick, that still keeps these films as a "need to be seen", type-of film classification. It also could be, that they are films, that are just good enough, to be "middle of the road" (nothing great, but nothing terrible either). They are films, that have those, one or two blemishes, that if the filmmakers could fix them or re-shoot a scene, it would be the difference between a bad movie or a really good film. Our next film tackles the conspiracy theory, that the Moon is hollow and was created by space aliens. 

Moonfall (2022), has the ingredients to be a good movie. Actor John Bradley is set up as the comedy relief character in the movie, just like he was in Game of Thrones (2011-2019). It's the same kind of approach seen with Ezra Miller's Flash in The Justice League (2017) or Paul Rudd's Antman in the Avengers movies. Some of the dialogue in Moonfall (2022), is cheap and silly. The build-up for the film is slow and it's a little too long too. It's not a terrible film, nor is it good either. I think I'll give it an "E" for effort. It is a special effects spectacle seen on the big screen. There are, however, much better Roland Emmerich choices out there. Independence Day (1996), just happens to be a favorite of mine. 

Phil's Full Letterboxd Review of Moonfall (2022)

4.9 (E+ MyGrade) = 5 IMDB, 2 1/2 Stars Letterboxd

Bouncing off of the events seen in The Flash (2023) and continuing the theme of DC comics in this article, our Bad film choice for the month was a blockbuster film, that almost killed a franchise. Even the star of the movie thought he killed this franchise. This film would begin a ten-year, rocky road of successes and many failures, seen from the DC Comics theatrical world. What's even crazier is this film came from the same franchise and timeline, that was started with the Michael Keaton/Tim Burton Batman movies.    

 Trailer for Batman and Robin (1997), on YouTube:

I wanted to classify this film as an "Unwatchable" film, but I settled with an "F" (4 Stars). Even though the film is a failure and somewhat of an embarrassment to watch, you still need to see this film, because you have to see it to believe it. Even though the film is a mix of action-paced environments, that are quite colorful, there still are some sloppy moments (see Robin struggling against tentacled vines, that are trying to drown him). The film is worth a watch just to see Arnold Schwarzenegger's, highly-quotable, campy performance as Mr. Freeze. It is a delight to see. 

Phil's Full Letterboxd Review of Batman and Robin (1997)

3.5 (F MyGrade) = 4 IMDB, 2 Stars Letterboxd

I completely forgot to take a photo of me, visiting the movie theater, the day I saw The Flash (2023), so here is a fun photo, highlighting moments from this article. Remember, go to your movie theaters, as much as possible, in 2023.

About the Author

Phil Congleton is a lifelong film buff, who worked in television for 30 years and produced a few, small independent films in the 1990s. He is the co-creator of Film366 with Chris Mich and curator of Phil Meets the Movies. Now retired, Phil commits his time to promoting the movies and the art of film. You can read more about Phil's film reviews on Letterboxd.