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Clockstoppers
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Clockstoppers (Soundtrack)
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Wargames (1983) (see review below for reason of inclusion)
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Clock Stoppers  (Double Sided)
Clock Stoppers (Double Sided)
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Clockstoppers Review

Directed By: Jonathan Frakes.
Starring: Jesse Bradford, French Stewart, Paula Garcés, Michael Biehn, Robin Thomas, Linda Kim, Julia Sweeney.

Synopsis: When Zak discovers a high-tech watch that speeds up his body's molecules so that the rest of the world seems frozen in time, it's like having the ultimate super power - until he winds up in a true race against time!

Okay, going into an obvious family movie such as Clockstoppers one must throw away all preconceived notions of science. For example, if one were moving at such an accelerated rate of speed and even touched another human being moving at a much slower rate as shown in the film, the person touched would essentially explode from the force, as if being hit by a truck moving at 300 m.p.h.. So, again, throw away all logic when watching this movie...and still, be mildly disappointed.

Directed by Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation's Riker) we have a middle of the road, unoffensive little film that will really entertain the kids and keep the parents from nodding off. However, it could have been much more...it could have been a Back To The Future kind of film with twists and turns and comedy and excitement...or even a Wargames style movie. Both of which I saw as a kid...and Wargames is still a great little movie that while it never really had car chases or huge explosions, it also never talked down to me and really captured a good story that I still like to re-visit. I was 12 at the time.

I do hate it when I compare films to other films though so time to deal with the film at hand. Good cast...not great but likeable and both Jesse Bradford and Paula Garcés are quality enough for the leads and French Stewart makes for some mildly amusing moments (he's no Christopher Lloyd as Doc in Back To The Future though...oops, sorry, enough of that).

However, giving credit where credit is due...Clockstoppers has some nice effect work and if you totally turn off your analytical side to the story it has some fun moments...some cheap laughs and you could do worse...you could go see Time Machine. I just feel that the film could have had a better script, maybe even taken the story up a notch without resorting to some of the typical pitfalls of family films like the dark evil unknown bad guys who are out to stop the kid no matter what the costs.

I include Wargames for more than just a reference to a great film, it shares several similarities but avoids some of the same problems. Both of the main characters are slight screw-ups...misunderstood screw-ups who get in situations beyond their control. They both end up befriending a cute girl who ends up aiding in the out of control situation. Also, the reprecussions in both movies, if they get out of control, could mean the end of the way of life as we know it...though it is never made clear in Clockstoppers exactly what that might be...endless ideas abound...bombs, terrorism, etc. However, Clockstoppers has chosen to be a safer, less thught provoking and more light hearted film while Wargames dealt with the possibility of Global Thermonuclear War and computers inadvertantly getting out of control.

Sigh. I still give Clockstoppers 2 stars out of 5, it can't help having a less loftier goal than Wargames...let's just say I expect a very thorough DVD for me to resort to boosting the score higher. Oh, and check out Wargames again! A great movie worth re-visiting.

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Copyright© Written By: Rob Paul



DVD Information:

Special Features:
Behind-The-Scenes Featurette
Music Videos by: Smash Mouth - 'Holiday In My Head' and Lil'J - 'It's The Weekend'
Theatrical Trailer
4 Promotional Spots

The DVD Review:

Evil Ash

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