This post is part of my movie-a-day challenge in which I will watch a film every day for 365 days. Today is Day 218! You can see all the posts for this challenge HERE. To see the original Movie-a-Day Challenge post, click HERE.
Hey friends!
Have you ever wanted to just hit pause on life and have the world stop around you? Well, that’s pretty much the entire premise of the 2002 flick “Clockstoppers.” Directed by Jonathan Frakes (yes, that’s Commander Riker from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” 🖖), this movie is like a wild sci-fi ride through the dream of every procrastinator out there.
So, the story kicks off with this teenager, Zak Gibbs, played by Jesse Bradford. He’s your typical high schooler with a major crush on the new girl, Francesca (Paula Garcés). Their chemistry is super cute and awkward in the best way possible. Zak’s dad, Dr. Gibbs (Robin Thomas), is this mega brainy scientist who’s always too busy tinkering with gadgets to pay much attention to Zak.
Enter the super cool, time-bending watch. This thing doesn’t just tell time; it manipulates it. Dr. Gibbs accidentally gets involved in some shady government project, and before you know it, Zak ends up with the watch. One day, Zak and Francesca start messing around with it, and they discover that it can speed them up so fast that everything else seems frozen. They call this state “hypertime.” Imagine being able to finish all your homework while everyone else is stuck in time – sounds like a dream, right?
But, of course, there’s a catch. There are always those pesky government villains, led by the menacing Henry Gates (Michael Biehn). This guy is so serious about his evil plans, it’s almost cartoonish. He wants the watch for his nefarious purposes, and he’s not too happy about Zak and Francesca stumbling into hypertime. So Zach and Francesca get caught up in this wild adventure involving government agents, a shady corporation, and a mad scientist.
What’s really fun is watching Zak and Francesca figure out how to use the watch. There are these hilarious scenes where they prank people by moving things around while everyone else is frozen. I mean, who wouldn’t want to mess around like that?
Jesse Bradford is okay as the lead, but the real star of the show is French Stewart (from “3rd Rock from the Sun”) as the villain, Earl Dopler. He’s over-the-top and hilarious, chewing the scenery like it’s bubble gum.
The visual effects, considering it’s 2002, are pretty decent. The whole world-freezing thing looks surprisingly cool, and you can’t help but get drawn into their little time-freezing escapades. The soundtrack is also full of early 2000s gems, which is a nostalgic treat if you’re into that era’s music.
And the acting is quite decent. Jesse Bradford is okay as the lead, but the real star of the show is French Stewart (from “3rd Rock from the Sun”) as the semi-villain, Earl Dopler. He’s over-the-top and hilarious, chewing the scenery like it’s bubble gum.
Now, “Clockstoppers” isn’t some deep, philosophical masterpiece. It’s more of a light-hearted adventure that’s perfect for a lazy afternoon when you’re in the mood for some nostalgia and quirky sci-fi fun. It’s got that early 2000s charm, with cheesy dialogue and all. But sometimes, that’s exactly what you need. Plus, it makes you think – what would you do if you had all the time in the world? 🕰️
Until tomorrow amigos!
Roger