# Good time travel movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 11, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882 "2003-09-11T01:17:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![7\_up\_yours](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/7/919ad9/32.png) [@7\_up\_yours](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/7_up_yours)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/1 "2003-09-11T01:17:51Z")
I’ve recently become obsessed with the concept of time travel. I’m planning to have a time travel movie marathon on Friday and I was wondering if anyone could give me any suggestions on good time travel movies. I have, of course, watched all three Back to the Future movies (although I’ll probably watch those again) and The Time Machine, but the one made in 2002 and the 70s (?). So, if anyone could suggest a time travel movie and a little description of what it’s about (without giving away the plot, of course) I’d greatly appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![KingLupid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/839c29/32.png) [@KingLupid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KingLupid)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/2 "2003-09-11T01:24:06Z")
**Donnie Darko** **Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure** **Bill & Ted’s Bogus Jorney** ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/3 "2003-09-11T01:32:25Z")
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Star Trek VIII: First Contact ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/4 "2003-09-11T01:38:02Z")
Errr… Dunno if this counts, since the concept of time travel spoils the ending: Both versions of Planet of the Apes ‘The Time Machine’. Both versions are rubbish, the latest moreso. ‘TimeCop’. Rubbish Sci-fi starring JCVD. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Meeh, ST fans only. Austin Powers 2: OK’ish. Really a comedy with time travel elements. **KingLupid** has already listed the best ones. ---
**Author:** ![Deep\_Throat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@Deep\_Throat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deep_Throat)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/5 "2003-09-11T01:42:02Z")
One of the Ray Bradbury cronicles has an excellent perspectiveon time travel and the reprocussions about what happens when you go back in time to hunt dinosaurs. Also, Southpark and the Simpsons had a time travel episode. And if you are really trying to fill up time, get old episodes of Sliders…although it’s more of adimensional thing than time thing. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/6 "2003-09-11T01:43:29Z")
Donnie Darko. Donnie Darko. Donnie Darko. Really, I can’t reinforce this enough. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/7 "2003-09-11T02:14:49Z")
**Time After Time** : Stars Malcolm McDowell, Mary Steenbergen, and David Warner. Jack the Ripper has stolen HG Wells’ time machine and transported himself to 1979 San Francisco. HG Wells goes after him and meets a bank clerk. Look for a very young Corey Feldmen. **Freejack** : A silly 1991 movie starring Mick Jagger, Emileo Estevez, Renee Russo and Anthony Hopkins. Takes place in the year 2009, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/8 "2003-09-11T03:08:46Z")
I read the title of the OP as " ‘good time’ travel movies," and was going to suggest The Muppet Movie as a travel movie full of good times. Oh well. The Terminator movies depend on time travel, but I don’t think they’d really count as being ‘about’ time travel. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/9 "2003-09-11T03:35:33Z")
Whenever I see a time travel thread I have to post a link to this [obsessive time travel site](http://www.timemachine.esmartweb.com/links.html). He lists nearly 100 time travel-related movies, most with some description. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/10 "2003-09-11T03:48:05Z")
I guess this doesn’t technically count as time travel, but as much as I dislike Brendan Fraser as an actor, I enjoyed Blast From The Past. ---
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/11 "2003-09-11T03:48:23Z")
12 Monkeys was excellent. It was kind of annoying at first after I saw it because it doesn’t follow the typical Hollywood Time Travel Physics, but that it’s a more accurate portrayal sunk in shortly after. The story itself is cool, too, and Brad Pitt gives a great performance. ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/12 "2003-09-11T04:24:21Z")
Get the Back to the Future DVD set, turn on the antecdote feature and watch them all again. You’ll get a whole new appreciation for the detailed work that went into them. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/13 "2003-09-11T05:25:59Z")
I want to 2nd **12 Monkeys**. A bit surreul, but quite interesting once you get into it. A must see for both time travel and Terry Gilliam fans. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/14 "2003-09-11T05:39:03Z")
Does _Groundhog Day_ count? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/15 "2003-09-11T06:11:54Z")
I can’t think of a good-time travel movie. _Travels With My Aunt_ maybe? ---
**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/16 "2003-09-11T11:31:39Z")
Timecop (OK, maybe not that good) The Final Countdown-That’s a really good one, it’s about a modren aircraft carrier that gets sucked back in time to a few days before Pearl Harbor. The Philidelphia Experment-Some WW2 soldiers travel to the 1980’s. ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/17 "2003-09-11T11:56:06Z")
_Time Bandits_ is pure genius. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/18 "2003-09-11T13:16:42Z")
I think Groundhog Day counts. I wholeheartedly agree about Donnie Darko. And let me add Frequency to the mix. ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/19 "2003-09-11T13:35:00Z")
12 Monkeys, definitely! Time Bandits was pure fun - great for a laugh. There was a version of “The Time Machine”, with HG Wells coming to the present day to chase Jack the Ripper - who remembers whether that was a TV movie or a big screen movie? I can’t remember. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882/20 "2003-09-11T13:43:00Z")
**Somewhere in Time** is a very romantic time travel movie. I’ll second **Time After Time** and throw in **The Navigator: A Journey Across Time**. The Navigator is an Aussie film, not a Disney film. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-time-travel-movies/200882.md?page=2)