Customer Reviews

Time Changer

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Time Changer is a movie about a man who travels through time and discovers how a lack of sound Bible teaching causes chaos as future generations entirely reject the Gospel message.

It's a good but not great movie but worth watching. Another Christian story that handles time travel is 'Godstone - The Kairos Boxes' by G.A Williams:

Godstone - The Kairos Boxes

Time Changer gives some good insights on the problems that face modern American society from a evengelical Christian perspective. Although it is not a top notch Christian Movie, Hal Linden and Gavin McLeod bring quality acting to this flick. This movie challenges the beliefs of Christians and Non-Christians.

At a time when so many people recoil, like vampires from garlic, at the mere mention of Christ or church, this movie does deserve credit for being so boldly and openly Christian. And it makes its message clear: Morality erodes when people rely on their own diverse and shifting attitudes rather than maintaining the central authority of Christ - in other words, when they divorce the message from its messenger. It shows how even a slight shift in direction can impact over time. It accomplishes this by having a 19th century man, who believes himself and his writing to be morally sound, travel forward in time to the 21st century. Here, he sees the results of the attitude shifts espoused by the book he was about to have published - one that minimizes the importance of an open affiliation with Jesus for morality or redemption. It is well-intentioned, and it might even be right; but I doubt that this movie will win many converts. It's dull. It's predictable. The pace is slow. There is a lot of repititious talk. Much of the dialogue sounds scripted and stilted. Viewers who are as blase about 21st century morality as are the 21st century characters in the movie, aren't likely to empathize with this time traveler's shock. Good message or not, it just isn't delivered very well.

I have to confess that I didn't have high expectations for this film. Past experience with explicitly Christian films had led me to expect bad writing, "preachy" dialogue, violation of character, wooden acting, and shoddy production.

In fact, Time Changer has almost none of those elements. Yes, okay, it does get "preachy", but, for a change, it seems to be aimed at a Christian target audience, rather than attempting to convert non-Christians who would likely never go to see it. Therefore, the preachiness, while still somewhat heavy-handed, would not necessarily turn off the intended audience. Then, too, the message is more subtle than one would expect, and does invite some reflection on the way Christians interact with the rest of the world. Instead of lamenting the low level of morality in the present, as compared to the past, the message is about the effect of preaching Christian morality without Christ. Thus, it is not a polemic against licentiousness, as one might expect, but rather against legalism. (Or, if you will, against preaching law without grace.)

More obviously, the acting is considerably better than in most Christian films I've seen. The key characters are all played by well-known Hollywood actors, and they turn in excellent performances here. D. David Morin, who plays Russell Carlisle, the protagonist, delivers a marvellous performance, nicely balanced between comedy (as he shows the likely impact of 21st century culture on a 19th century character) and drama (as he shows that character having to revise his deeply cherished beliefs in light of his experiences.) If the quality of the acting drops off once you get past the central characters, well, that is standard in all but the very best that Hollywood has to offer.

The production values, too, were a pleasant surprise. With the lamentable exception of the time machine itself, the sets were quite well done, the lighting was better than similar productions, and even the soundtrack is a noticeable improvement. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this film, and while it's almost certainly too preachy to inflict upon your non-Christian friends, it is entertaining and thought-provoking, and worth checking out.

ONE MAN WILL! Ok this is such a baptist movie. All it is is watching a rule loving freak geting offended by everything in the future. I think this movie is funny, but I still hate it. If you watch this movie and enjoy it...FORSHAME!

This movie is bad. Almost bad beyond belief.

It's not a science-fiction movie, for those of you who were led to believe it is. It has sci-fi-elements but that's not the point of the movie. This is a Christian propaganda movie. It tells us that the reason there is so much bad morals in today's society is because we have separated Jesus from the morals and therefore don't know why we should act morally. It also tells us that we're living in the last days of the world.

The movie is extremely moralizing and preachy. One of the most (unintentionally) funny lines in the movie is "I believe that secular entertainment is one of the biggest tools that Satan uses to mislead people". Some of the supporting actors are decent, Jennifer O'Neal for example, but D David Morin who plays the lead part is unbelievably bad, but in a funny way. But then, I don't think any actor could play his part and say his lines and make it believable.

If you think this sounds like a good movie, you might enjoy this it. I guess this was made by, and for, Christian fundamentalist. Others, like me, might get some laughs out of it, but nothing more (except realizing the sad fact that there are people out there who make movies like these, and those who honestly thing they're good).

It seems like the Christians in America have millions to spend, making dozens of movies like this. I guess that's why they ask for donations all the time.

Not only is Time Changer one of the best christian movies I've seen, it's one of the best movies I've ever seen. Great story, wonderful screenplay and a strong message.

Time Changer is about a 1800's preacher who travels through time to today and is amazed by the lack of morality. With today's reality tv polluting our screens and total disregard for God and morality, this is an important film.

Thanks for reading and please buy this and show it to your friends.

Want to know what Christianity offers? Watch! Great witness.

This movie was very entertaining and true. It IS true that we are straying away from the church and all of the godly principles that we built this nation on. This is not a joke movie, and a movie that really everyone should see. It is a good movie, and has some funny moments. You see, the main character has traveled from 1890, and over 100 years later and he doesn't know what a remote control, computer, etc. etc. is. Whenever someone mentions one of those items, he will say, "Computer." "Remote control." It is a really good movie and a great buy! It is very true that we have fallen away from God, by not going to church, not reading the Bible, not going by the principles of the Bible. This movie is definitely a good flick, one that you will need to see more than one time and is a very good film. It is put together very well, and the special effects are very cool! The cast is great, the message is great, well...I think you get the picture...the movie is great! I definitely recommend this movie if you want a good movie without so much trash and junk blaring through the screen.

It's about time someone made a movie like this. A Christian film that is not ashamed to be a Christian film, but boldly holds forth its message of strong faith. It is time for Christians to stop being fair-weather believers and be all-weather believers, and this movie truly drives this point home.

The plot:
A seminary professor, Russell Carlisle from the 1890s, played by D. David Morin, has written a book entitled, "The Changing Times." The college board members (the dean, by the way, is played very well by Hal Linden) are on their way to approving it, except that Dr. Norris Anderson (played by Gavin MacLeod) raises objections. How can Christian morals be promoted, he asks, without Christ behind the morals? His words are only too true, though Carlisle is very offended. Teaching morals without Christ raises children who become what Christ Himself referred to as "whitewashed sepulchres." That is to say, tombs that are beautiful to behold on the outside, but within are filled with rottenness and decay. These are the Taj Mahals works without faith create, and this movie is not ashamed of this fact.

At any rate, Carlisle and Anderson have a strong disagreement about Carlisle's book, and the only way they can settle it is for Anderson to send Carlisle forward in time, to see the results of his teaching. Of course, we know that no time machine has been invented, but that does not signify. We can use our imaginations, and open our minds to this impossibility that the strong message can be spoken. This movie is not intended to be accurate about scientific advances, it is intended to make one think. And what could be so bad about thinking?

In the future, 2002, Carlisle discovers how "white washed" the world has become. He sees that the 5% divorce rate of 1890 has become the 50% divorce rate of 2002. He sees people everywhere who are "good people," who trust works rather than faith. He sees that Christ is no longer allowed in the schools. He sees the immorality of the young people, and the unblushing immorality on the movie screen, which is tolerated willingly by Christians. He sees that there is no future like the present - and that the present is dangerously wrong.

The experience changes his perspective, and on his return to his own time, he is no longer the same person, and thus changes the title of his book to, "The Time Changer."

At the end of the movie, Gavin MacLeod leaves us thinking, as he experiments with his machine to see how far into the future he can send a Bible. He starts with 2100, and the Bible will not leave - for by then the world had ended. He keeps working closer and closer to our own time, though we do not see where he ends. But it makes you think - the time is short, and Christians need to do something about it!

My only objections to the movie:
1. Yes, some of the acting was stiff. I thought it was particularly stiff in the beginning, where Morin did not seem quite comfortable in his character of a compromising professor, and several of the board members were rather stiff, as well. There was also far too much laughing at puns that were less than hilarious. I thought Morin's acting improved as the movie went on, though he did still have some stiff moments. Some of his stiffness could, of course, be attributed to his character being an uptight, proper 1890s gentleman, a bit of a "stick-in-the-mud." But some of his stiffness was, indeed, too much.

There were several moments in the movie that seemed "hokey," and some puns that were rather weak, i.e., "When did you live, the 1890s or something?" (No one specifies the '90s as specifically as being distinctive from any other 19th century decade. They'd more likely ask if he were from the 19th century, just as a generality, and this would have done just as well.)

There are generally funny moments as Carlisle is exploring the wonders of the modern world, and here Morin's facial expressions are very good.

All in all, this is a fabulous Christian movie. No, not perfect, but since when was perfection a requirement? Nobody's perfect. The message is very strong, and very timely, and I believe all Christians would do well to watch it. Open your mind, set aside million-dollar expectations, and prepare to be impacted. The world is straying from Christ, and Christians are relinquishing their position. This is the future. The time is now.