A brilliant boy discovers that he can manipulate time using a family heirloom. He soon teams up with his siblings in returning to the time of their parents' separation, with hopes of changin... Read allA brilliant boy discovers that he can manipulate time using a family heirloom. He soon teams up with his siblings in returning to the time of their parents' separation, with hopes of changing the outcome.A brilliant boy discovers that he can manipulate time using a family heirloom. He soon teams up with his siblings in returning to the time of their parents' separation, with hopes of changing the outcome.
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There's something quite engaging about Easton Rocket Sweda's "Taylor" character in this quite enjoyable and fast-moving family fantasy. He is a young man who loathes being touched and who communicates via an audio-board or by using an Etch-a-Sketch. Indulged? Well that was my first thought, then we meet the family and maybe the kid has the right idea. Anyway, his grandfather's bust old clock arrives and it's put in his basement where he tinkers around with it and gets it, somewhat miraculously, to work. His parents (solid efforts from Isla Blair and Greg Kinnear) have summonsed the family to a dinner that evening to announce their trial separation, but "Taylor" has discovered that the now repaired timepiece allows him to manipulate time - within a twenty four hour period. He reckons that he can change the circumstances of his mum and dad's struggling marriage - but every time he thinks he's on the cusp of averting familial disaster, well we are soon back to square one. He decides to enlist the help of his loved-up sister "Emma" (Shay Rudolph) the then finally their brother "Max" (Mason Shea Joyce - wasn't he in "McFly"?). The more they meddle, though, the messier things get as the grown ups all lurch from one near miss to an other. Old Father Time is starting to get a bit bored with the repetitive nature of this story (not just him) and when the kids realise that they can't keep doing this indefinitely, things have to come to an head. It works quite well for about an hour with quite a quirky storyline and the five main characters having some fun with almonds, a shiny red sports car and some fake snow but thereafter the story starts to recycle itself once too often as we head to what was always a fairly predictable conclusion. It's an easy film to watch, but not one you will remember and probably not one that needs to be seen in a cinema.
Not every plot twist will make sense in this family version of Groundhog Day. So the basic premise is not original. I've learned long ago that originality is not all that important. What matters is the fact that we've got very good roles written down for a cast who knows how to deliver when they have a very good role written for them. And it works - we quickly learn to care for this dysfunctional family, and since we care we stay through to the end. Pacing is just quick enough so we don't notice the bits that make less sense, and if we do notice, as I already said - it doesn't really matter.
It's not a masterpiece, it doesn't pretend it is. It's what my title said - a well-done fun movie. If that's what you're looking for, you'll get it here.
It's not a masterpiece, it doesn't pretend it is. It's what my title said - a well-done fun movie. If that's what you're looking for, you'll get it here.
A brilliant but mute boy (Easton Rocket Sweda) discovers that he can manipulate time using a family heirloom. He soon teams up with his siblings in returning to the time of their parents' separation, with hopes of changing the outcome.
The idea isn't new, but it's still an enticing idea: being able to control time to affect an outcome. The story has a sweet and wholesome intent, to get the warring parents back together so the family remains whole. Greg Kinnear is as good as you would expect as the father, the rest of the performances aren't bad, but they're pretty meh.
The film itself is slightly annoying in that going back in time is one thing, doing it repeatedly so many times is quite tedious and boring. We got the idea early on so the manic repetitive i think was filling in for a story that could so easily have been a short film. Also silly camera tricks that have proven to universally not be liked at all, such as spinning around a group of people in circles, made me almost motion sick and I had to fast forward through some parts. There were some quite childish scenes too so I wonder if the makers meant this film to be aimed at younger children whose parents were thinking of divorce?
It wasn't awful, but it wasn't great, I gave it a 5.
The idea isn't new, but it's still an enticing idea: being able to control time to affect an outcome. The story has a sweet and wholesome intent, to get the warring parents back together so the family remains whole. Greg Kinnear is as good as you would expect as the father, the rest of the performances aren't bad, but they're pretty meh.
The film itself is slightly annoying in that going back in time is one thing, doing it repeatedly so many times is quite tedious and boring. We got the idea early on so the manic repetitive i think was filling in for a story that could so easily have been a short film. Also silly camera tricks that have proven to universally not be liked at all, such as spinning around a group of people in circles, made me almost motion sick and I had to fast forward through some parts. There were some quite childish scenes too so I wonder if the makers meant this film to be aimed at younger children whose parents were thinking of divorce?
It wasn't awful, but it wasn't great, I gave it a 5.
It's really sad how critics wrote this Christian Ditter film off. It's actually a pretty great family comedy, aimed at younger children, propulsive and colorful with a great message placed safely within a very mischievous faux-SF plot.
This science fiction aspect of the film is actually the easiest one to get out of the way. It's a gateway movie when it comes to science fiction and it's a nice introduction to chronomotion and stuff like Groundhog Day and maybe even Back to the Future. Of course, the real deal works are better and obviously the best version of this plot device but as an interpretation for kids, Jay Martel and Christian Ditter deliver a proper version.
So, any unfavorable comparison to science fiction classics of cinema aimed at older audiences are literally moronic. This film is actually doing a favor to the genre.
However the fundamental element of this film is not chronomotion. It's family values and the ability of family members to actually heal it and fix its issues. It's inspired by Parent Trap alright but it's an archetypal thing and Isla Fisher & Greg Kinnear play the main characters as a couple worth keeping together.
Kids are also pretty great in leading roles and Christian Ditter brings great proficiency to staging which is pacy and imaginative.
Mayve, the film fell victim to its perceived lack of Wokeness, even though there are elements of inclusion. But if you are on the lookout (no pun intended to Fisher's film Lookout) for quality family fare, check this out,
This science fiction aspect of the film is actually the easiest one to get out of the way. It's a gateway movie when it comes to science fiction and it's a nice introduction to chronomotion and stuff like Groundhog Day and maybe even Back to the Future. Of course, the real deal works are better and obviously the best version of this plot device but as an interpretation for kids, Jay Martel and Christian Ditter deliver a proper version.
So, any unfavorable comparison to science fiction classics of cinema aimed at older audiences are literally moronic. This film is actually doing a favor to the genre.
However the fundamental element of this film is not chronomotion. It's family values and the ability of family members to actually heal it and fix its issues. It's inspired by Parent Trap alright but it's an archetypal thing and Isla Fisher & Greg Kinnear play the main characters as a couple worth keeping together.
Kids are also pretty great in leading roles and Christian Ditter brings great proficiency to staging which is pacy and imaginative.
Mayve, the film fell victim to its perceived lack of Wokeness, even though there are elements of inclusion. But if you are on the lookout (no pun intended to Fisher's film Lookout) for quality family fare, check this out,
The present is a comedy and family movie. There is nothing bad in it and I think its a good movie for a bank holiday weekend. Greg kinnear and isla fisher in my opinion work as a couple. They are both fun actors and im glad they were chosen here. But there is a problem. Jen and eric are getting D. I. V. O. R. C. E. D AND want to tell their children. Theres a grandfather clock that appears for some unknown reason and son tyler thinks he can fix the thing. With the help of his each a sketch he finds it helps him travel through time and with that knowlarge he tries to stop it happening.siblings emma and max also get ropped in and the threesome do their best to make everything turn out well. This movie was a lot of fun . The cast chemistry worked well and its a family movie that was just a nice watch.
Did you know
- TriviaEaston Rocket Sweda is the son of 80s rocker/guitarist Mick Sweda of BulletBoys and King Kobra.
- GoofsWhen the car window gets smashed, the glass breaks like regular glass. Most cars have tempered glass for their windows, and tempered glass shatters entirely into tiny pieces when it gets broken.
- How long is The Present?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Un regalo para papá y mamá
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $8,254
- Runtime1 hour 26 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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