CLOCKSTOPPER! =D

Cast: Jesse Bradford, French Stewart, Paula Garcés, Michael Biehn, Robin Thomas, Jason Winston George, Linda Kim, Julia Sweeney
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Producers: Gale Anne Hurd, Julia Pistor
Screenplay: Rob Hedden and J. David Stem & David N. Weiss
Cinematography: Tim Suhrstedt
Music: Jamshied Sharifi
U.S. Distributor: Paramount Pictures

                 There probably isn't a child alive who hasn't, at one time or another, dreamt of what it would be like to freeze time and live outside of it. Clockstoppers, the new science fiction family adventure film from director Jonathan Frakes, illustrates that some fantasies are best left in the mind. Fantasies typically ignore logic and often make no sense, and, at least in this case, that results in a suspension of disbelief curve that is too steep. I'm sure children will have no problem with this, butClockstoppers definitely isn't for adults. When gaps in consistency and logic are small, it's possible to ignore them. But when they form the foundation of a plot, it isn't.
Dr. Earl Dopler (French Stewart) has made an amazing scientific breakthrough. While working for a secret government think-tank run by the humorless Henry Gates (Michael Biehn), Dopler has figured out how to enter the state of "hyper-time", where an individual moves so fast that time appears to have stopped. Unfortunately, Dopler has not figured out how to suspend the rapid aging that accompanies prolonged periods in hyper-time. Gates has given him an ultimatum, and Dopler, uncertain whether he can solve the riddle himself, sends a hyper-time device (they look like watches) to his mentor, Dr. George Gibbs (Robin Thomas). Gibbs' son, Zak (Jesse Bradford), accidentally gets his hands on it, and, when he discovers what it does, uses it to impress his girlfriend, Francesca (Paula Garcés). Meanwhile, Gates finds out that one of his watches is missing, and, accompanied by a group of hyper-time heavies, goes after it.
Clockstoppers doesn't just have holes big enough to drive a truck through; it has holes big enough to engulf an ocean liner. Even a moment's rational thought will have a viewer scratching his or her head. The question I kept asking was why the bad guys didn't go into hyper-time and stay there until they had retrieved the watch. They keep popping in and out for no apparent reason. Once Zak is out of hyper-time, they have a clear advantage, but they never press it. This is obviously a case in which the villains have been lobotomized to even the odds.
Frakes, who is best known for playing the role of Will Riker in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" TV series and movies (two of which, First Contact andInsurrection, he directed), should know the pitfalls associated with playing with time. In his defense, most of Clockstoppers' problems result from a half-baked screenplay that should have gone through at least one additional re-write. This is a prime example of a movie that is convinced that a little action, a pair of good-looking protagonists, and an intriguing concept will result in a box office success.
Winning performances by Jesse Bradford and Paula Garcés go a long way towards making Clockstoppers watchable. As Zak and Francesca, these two bring a lighthearted good-humor to their roles, and the chemistry between them is perfect for a frothy, PG-rated romance. Robin Thomas is convincing as Zak's preoccupied father and Michael Biehn does an adequate job in a part that doesn't require a moment's originality (I remember when Biehn used to play good guys). As Dopler, the fatuous French Stewart is mildly irritating, but no more so than Julia Sweeney as Zak's mother.
Clockstoppers is obviously intended for the audience that enjoyed Spy Kids, but, despite some superficial similarities, this one lacks much of the charm, wit, and intelligence that marked Robert Rodriguez's first foray into family filmmaking. And, despite a few nifty special effects (I especially liked the sprinkler scene), the production values seem better aligned for a TV project than a theatrical endeavor. This is one occasion when parents are encouraged to drop off any children who are inclined to see the movie. Anyone over the age of 12 watching Clockstoppers will come to understand Berardinelli's theory of relativity, which has something to do with the way in which time slows down during certain movies. 


© 2002 James Berardinelli