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Clockstoppers (2002)
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Reviews Counted:19
Fresh:4
Rotten:15
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: A pleasant diversion for the young teens, but a waste of time for anyone older.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for action violence and mild language
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Mar 29, 2002 Wide
Box Office: $36,900,146
Synopsis: Zak Gibbs (Jesse Bradford) is a regular teenager who's only got girls and hot rods on his mind, but all that changes when he finds a watch developed by his scientist dad, Dr. George Gibbs (Robin... Zak Gibbs (Jesse Bradford) is a regular teenager who's only got girls and hot rods on his mind, but all that changes when he finds a watch developed by his scientist dad, Dr. George Gibbs (Robin Thomas). One day, while raking leaves with his friend Francesca (Paula Garces), he discovers the watch has special powers. It goes into "hypertime," speeding up the molecular structure of whoever's wearing it, so the rest of the world looks frozen, but is actually just moving much slower. At first Zak and Francesca have a lot of fun playing pranks on people while in hypertime, but soon they realize they are in grave danger. A corrupt corporate drone, Henry Gates (Michael Beihn), wants to use the watch for evil deeds and decides to kill Zak, his dad, and Francesca in the process. Gates kidnaps Dr. Gibbs and Zak and Francesca enlist the help of a kooky scientist, Dr. Earl Dopler (French Stewart, THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN). The rest is high action camp; it's like THE MATRIX for teens. All the action takes place to a pounding soundtrack that includes artists Smashmouth, Blink 182, Sugar Ray, and Kool Keith. [More]
Starring: Jesse Bradford, Paula Garces, Gariyaki Mutambirwa, Robin Thomas
Starring: Jesse Bradford, Paula Garces, Gariyaki Mutambirwa, Robin Thomas, French Stewart, Michael Biehn
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Screenwriter: Rob Hedden, J. David Stern, David N. Weiss
Producer: Gale Anne Hurd, Julia Pistor
Composer: Jamshied Sharifi
Studio: Paramount Pictures
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Reviews for Clockstoppers
Sci-fi hijinks and a government conspiracy serve merely as window dressing for a ham-fisted message about the importance of good parenting and owning a car in high school.
If I were 13, I might be sufficiently entranced by the movie's bicycle stunts ... and wouldn't be wondering why ideas for science fiction films haven't progressed very far from Star Trek's first seasons all those decades ago.
I thought my own watch had stopped keeping time as I slogged my way through Clockstoppers.
If the director had committed to one genre rather than dropping in on many, he might have been able to pull it off.
Time stands still in more ways that one in Clockstoppers, a sci-fi thriller as lazy as it is interminable.
The film doesn't have enough innovation or pizazz to attract teenagers, and it lacks the novel charm that made Spy Kids a surprising winner with both adults and younger audiences.
There's a scientific law to be discerned here that producers would be well to heed: Mediocre movies start to drag as soon as the action speeds up; when the explosions start, they fall to pieces.
Impressive sci-fi effects and cute actors can't save a trite, safe teen flick that should please Joe Lieberman.
The movie has been produced by Nickelodeon, and will no doubt satisfy its intended audience enormously ... Unlike Spy Kids or Big Fat Liar, it offers few consolations for parents and older brothers and sisters.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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