Konterr Brilliant and touching

Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

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.

Mark I'd not seen this film for many decades. After watching Ray Kurzweil - The Singularity Is Near on YouTube, I remembered this movie and decided I should view it again, remarkable!In the 1960's I was young and remember thinking to myself how very silly and quaint Things to Come was. Let's face it, there was no "green screen" no CGI etc. But the issues are still very relevant. H.G. Wells had amazing and prophetic insights.Pre WWII but the directors and screenwriters were spot on as was Mr. Wells. Keep a close eye on the time lines. The correlations I found rather remarkable. WWII the cold war etc. The rise and fall of despots, those who wish to live in the past, the fear of the unknown, change and progress. At times the acting is very much over the top, but try to look beyond that, to themes, archetypes, and how we humans tend to repeat history. Overall, we progress, sometimes plotting along, other times through giant leaps. Always, and I mean ALWAYS through science and reaching out to our future as frighting as that might be.

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

wes-connors The British celebrate Christmas 1940 in London-like "Everytown" amid signs of wars and rumours of wars. Alas, the sights and sounds of "WAR!" overtake the merriment. Visionary businessman Raymond Massey (as John Cabal) is miffed. "If we don't end war, war will end us," he asserts. Decades of war follow. By 1966, "Everytown" is in ruins. A new Plague called "The Wandering Sickness" takes its toll on the population. Battling the new Dark Ages are Mr. Massey and handsome ally Maurice Braddell (as Edward Harding), a doctor. Unfortunately, brutal and boisterous Ralph Richardson (as Rudolf) rises to power. He likes to be called "Boss" and "Chief". After chewing acres of scenery, Mr. Richardson expires...Civilization gets another chance as we continue into the future, ending up in 2036 with Massey appearing as his young great-grandson. Other than the amusing clothing, these later, futuristic scenes are quite remarkable. William Cameron Menzies knows how to show spectacular set design, but the director hasn't a decent adaptation of writer H.G. Wells' book and the performances are consequently uninteresting. Wells gets no credit for predicting Paul McCartney's 1970s "Wings Over the World" concert program, but it's foreshadowed in the name of Massey's group. More obviously, "Things to Come" included a new World War and an attempt to land a man on Earth's Moon. War is always an easy and safe prediction.****** Things to Come (2/20/36) William Cameron Menzies ~ Raymond Massey, Edward Chapman, Ralph Richardson, Maurice Braddell