When Time Expires

I'll be honest: I chose When Time Expires to watch next because I also have a blog about Mark Hamill and I figured I could double up on my "homework".  I'm not actually a big sci fi fan, which creates a bit of a challenge for me in much of my research. I'm more interested in characters than complicated weaponry or learning to pronounce inter-galactic names.

I kind of enjoyed this movie, though. It opens amusingly, with Richard suddenly appearing naked in the middle of the desert. Though it's wide open spaces for miles around, the female lead (played by Cynthia Geary from Northern Exposure) is naturally present to witness his arrival.

She responds as any red-blooded American woman would if Richard Grieco suddenly materialized in front of her (naked) and pretty soon they're in his hotel room...except the whole inter-galactic dating thing turns out to be a little complicated.

The fact that Grieco's mission on earth turns on putting a quarter into a specific parking meter at exactly the right moment also adds a humorous touch, particularly when he and Hamill gather around the parking meter to consider it. It's pretty much like every other parking meter in the United States.

When Time Expires Pictures

Of course, there are additional complications involving assassins and the risk of altering the future and a double-cross or two and even one moment that took me by surprise. All in all, the plot was pretty predictable (for an intergalactic story about a parking meter), but that wasn't fatal. This wasn't a bad way to pass 93 minutes.

Reviews were mixed and the weighted average rating on IMDB came in at 4.7.  Once again, middle-aged women gave this film the highest ratings, followed very closely by both men and women aged 18-29.