Pulled from its original release date of last November because of the 9/11 tragedy, this much-hyped film finally hits the big screen this week. Wish I could say it was worth the wait. What begins as a well made fantasy piece quickly jumps ahead to an ending that seems tacked on.

The first half of the film is brilliantly done. When his fiancé is killed by muggers, a scientist (Pearce) invents a time machine so he can go back and avert the tragedy. However, he soon finds that he cannot change the past like he thought (I was instantly reminded of the "City on the Edge of Forever" episode of "Star Trek"). After playing around with his machine for a few minor journeys, he jumps ahead to the year 2030. There he ends up in the New York Public Library, which is no longer composed of books. Rather, holographic "librarians" assist you with your queries. Questioning one of the librarians (Jones) on time travel, he is given a quick history of "The Time Machine," from its origins as a book by H. G. Wells, a film by George Pal.......even a successful Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Offering to sing a selection from the score, Jones breaks into a song that is, indeed, quite reminiscent of Sir Andy's work. Going further in time, Pearce finds himself in a New York City that looks like a war zone. I won't give the reason why, but the moon has slowly begun to crumble and its effects on our planet are devastating. Apparently one of the reasons the film was delayed was that a sequence showing chunks of the moon slamming into, and destroying, the World Trade Center was the centerpiece of this section. As it is, the film only spends a few minutes in this time. In the aftermath of the destruction, Pearce is knocked unconscious and is carried 800,000 years into the future. There he encounters two very different races of creatures. One group, the Elois, live above ground in a kind of "Waterworld" type village high above the ground. The other group, the Morlocks, live below ground. It is here that the movie loses focus. What began as an excellent fantasy adventure becomes the typical "they took our people, let's get them back" story. If you recall the "save the children" portion of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," then you know what I mean. Also, I found the CGI Morlocks to be a little jumpy.........not as smooth as some of the creatures in "The Mummy Returns."

Pearce and Jones are quite good in their roles. Irons, who plays the leader of the Morlocks, does a credible job, but you know he has to wonder where he went wrong in Hollywood. Not too many Oscar winners find themselves in movies like "Dungeons and Dragons." Add to the fact that in this film he is the spitting image of 70's guitar icon Johnny Winters, and you know he needs to fire his agent. As a kind of "tribute," the film is directed by H.G.'s own great grandson, Simon. He does a good job in the early scenes but, like the film itself, seems to rush towards the end.

On a scale of four stars, I'll give this 2 1/2. I would recommend you see it, however I suggest if you have to go to the snack bar, you do it in the last 30 mins. That way you won't miss anything!