LastingAware The greatest movie ever!

SincereFinest disgusting, overrated, pointless

Infamousta brilliant actors, brilliant editing

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

nyarlath Opinions come and go about this film. Still it moves me. It's easy to criticize the historical inaccuracy or the stilted dialog. Over time I've heard attacks on the scientific optimism of Cabal's final speech as a call to fascism! But that sentiment seems to go hand in hand with the Luddite reaction clearly illustrated at the end of the film. So far there's been no alternate vision to human progress that has actually worked. Most people don't realize how close we have come to war caused impoverishment and devastation much like that shown in the movie. Nerve gas and anthrax use was seriously contemplated during WWII. And many battles could have by chance gone differently than they did extending a 5 year war into a ruinous 10, 20 year horror that might have reduced us to what we see in the middle of the film. And lets not even talk about the nuclear genie that got us real close several times.

capone666 Things to ComeThe first thing to do in a post-apocalyptic world is execute all the psychics for not warning us ahead of time.Thankfully, the citizens in this sci-fi movie received many declarations of war.An air raid on Everytown from an unknown adversary sets off a global conflict that finds resident John Cabal (Raymond Massey) enlisting as an airman.Decades later, the war-torn town is devoid of technology as society has deteriorated into a dystopian wasteland controlled by warlords.But engineers have created an advanced civilization in the desert that will lead humanity into a new technological age.Exploring the evolution of humanity through the ashes of war and regenerative powers of progress, this 1936 adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel may suffer from longwinded diatribes but its unique narrative and stylized set designs are worth it.Moreover, dystopian futures are the reason the sewer housing market is so hot right now.Yellow Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

Python Hyena Things to Come (1936): Dir: William Cameron Menzies / Cast: Raymond Massey, Edward Chapman, Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Richardson, Margaretta Scott: Early science fiction film with a title that refers to our unpredictable future and dire uncertainty but the film's structure is completely predictable. A strange being lands on earth with a message. He doesn't tell us to give up smoking or use a particular brand of deodorant. No, he tells us everything that we do not want to hear because there isn't a soul in the film who listens to him anyway. He shows up wearing a helmet big enough for ten heads. Not exactly original and mainly serves as a showcase for special effects that render the film worthwhile. Well directed by William Cameron Menzies but painfully corny at times. It taps into one's imagination when it comes to our expectations to the unknown. Raymond Massey does well as this ominous figure whom transcends much turmoil and observes mankind's faults. The only interesting supporting role is Ralph Richardson as a warlord advocating destruction and the manufacturing of biplanes. As the ending indicates, this sort of ruling often goes down with the planes. Many of the performances are either flat or over the top. Among them are Edward Chapman and Cedric Hardwicke. The film was an attempt to push special effects further to greater things to come. Score: 6 / 10

LeonLouisRicci Didactic and Philosophically laden, this is a Grandiose Vision of Civilization and its Place in the Animal Kingdom. H.G.Wells, a Proud Socialist and Pacifist, Thought (erroneously) that He was on His Game here and Demanded Command on the Set, and in No Uncertain Terms unleashed a Dictate on the "Sign of the Times" and the "Things to Come".It is Clear that this is Wells (who was involved and dictatorial during production) Heavy Handed Verbiage Intruding when the Shakespearean Overacting begins to enter this Visually Vibrant and Awe Inspiring Film. The Actors do their Best to Upstage the Breathtaking Backgrounds, and are a Poor Contrast.This is a One of Kind Movie and does not lend itself to Comparison as it is a Stand Alone Compilation of Fact and Fiction, Art and Literature.Only Metropolis (1927) can offer such Stimulation of Cinematic Brush Work. It has such a Sensation of Art-Deco Beauty for the Expressionistic design and it makes the Industrial Revolution Look Attractive.It is Overwritten and there is very Little Subtlety. There is one Scene of Understatement and Poignancy, where two Aviators are brought together After a Crash. There is also one Shot of a Child's Death complete with Blood dripping from the little one's Face. This is a Powerful Anti-War Statement that does more than Projecting Dialog and Flailing Arms.It is Wells' Ideas that are brought to the Screen with Pictures that end up Ironically the Best. The Pompous, Thoughtful, and Noble Prose is so Overwrought that it Distracts and is Detrimental.Simply the Author's Words and Ideas were Not Transmutable to the Medium of Film in this Way and in this Case.