Maybe it’s general boredom with movies about time travel.
Or perhaps there’s a mass distaste for Paul Walker prancing
around in medieval garb. Regardless, “Timeline” was not
a highly anticipated film. It may be, however, one of the more
surprisingly enjoyable hits of the season.

That’s not to say it’s great, but given the
expectations, it’s a pretty gratifying couple of hours.
Walker (“2 Fast 2 Furious”) stars as Chris Johnson, the
aimless son of Prof. Edward Johnson (Billy Connolly, “Head of
the Class”), a leading medieval historian and archaeologist.
Edward Johnson and his team, with Chris along for the ride, are
excavating the French site of Castlegard, a former stronghold that
fell in 1357. Their dig is abruptly halted, though, when the elder
Johnson disappears. Soon thereafter, the team receives a call and
is taken to the desert research facility of ITC, a technology
research firm that alleges to have found a wormhole leading back to
14th-century France. The workers at ITC tell the team that Edward
Johnson traveled through the wormhole and that only they, because
of their extensive cultural and historical knowledge, can return to
save him. They agree to go, and the journey ensues.

The introduction of the story and explanation of the wormhole
phenomenon are weak, fraught with seemingly oversimplified science
jargon and romanticized descriptions of the study of history. To be
sure, the introductory sequences and the entire concept of time
travel seem unnecessary once the jump to the 14th-century is
made.

That being said, “Timeline” operates most
effectively as a medieval action film, something that is seen all
too rarely these days. Epics from that epoch have become common
fare, but rarely do we see a strict action flick centered on those
years.

“Timeline” maintains remarkable tension throughout,
and the battle and chase sequences, especially those in the closing
minutes, are enjoyable and greatly anticipated. This anticipation
is nearly squelched, though, upon every return to the modern
landscape. The dialogue of the ITC officials and the debates
surrounding time travel are foolish and generally unbelievable.

The film ends with the culmination of several key themes
relating to time travel and history, namely a disappointing one
about one’s ability to write his own history. It’s good
for “Timeline,” though, that these thematic elements
don’t surface too often. If they did, this respectable
medieval action flick with easily neglected time-travel elements
could have ended up nothing more than a poorly scripted, sci-fi
mess.

Rating: 3 stars.