Little questions lead to big ones. Why am I here? When will this stop?
A Sound of Thunder (2005)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:94
Fresh:7
Rotten:87
Average Rating:2.9/10
Consensus: Choppy logic and uneven performances are overshadowed by not-so-special effects that makes the suspension of disbelief a nearly impossible task.
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: In A SOUND OF THUNDER, based on a short story by Ray Bradbury, director Peter Hyams (END OF DAYS, TIMECOP) creates a world where time travel is possible and life as we know it is threatened. In the... In A SOUND OF THUNDER, based on a short story by Ray Bradbury, director Peter Hyams (END OF DAYS, TIMECOP) creates a world where time travel is possible and life as we know it is threatened. In the year 2055, Charles Hatton's (Ben Kingsley) company, Time Safari, will take anyone with a big enough wallet back 65 million years for the thrill of their lives: dinosaur hunting. Thanks to Tammy, a talking computer created by Dr. Sonia Rand (Catherine McCormack), the time-travel team returns with clients to a specific moment 65 million years ago, with explicit directions not to leave anything behind, change anything, or bring anything with them back to the future. Expedition leader Travis Ryer (Ed Burns) is certain that the protocol is flawless, but Dr. Rand isn't so sure. She knows that Hatton will cut any corners necessary to make bigger bucks, and she's waiting for the worst. Sure enough, a safari goes amiss when Ryer's gun malfunctions and he sends the clients scampering for cover from an irate dinosaur. The team returns to 2055 shaken but unscathed. The next day, all over Chicago, mysterious trees and vines begin springing up through sidewalks and out of walls. It seems that something went terribly wrong on the last jump, but no one can pinpoint just what it was. According to Rand, the problem will only worsen as "time waves" continue to sweep the planet, resulting in 65 million years of evolution and growth catching up with the present time. Soon, monstrous creatures--giant baboons with lizard-like features, bat-faced teradactyls, and huge sea serpents--abound, leaving Ryer and his team in constant danger as they fight the clock to determine what caused the anomaly and to save life as we know it. [More]
Starring: Edward Burns, Catherine McCormack, Ben Kingsley, Jemima Rooper
Starring: Edward Burns, Catherine McCormack, Ben Kingsley, Jemima Rooper, David Oyelowo, Joshua Oppenheimer
Director: Peter Hyams
Director: Peter Hyams
Screenwriter: Gregory Poirier
Story: Thomas Dean Donnelly
Producer: Moshe Diamant, Howard L. Baldwin, Karen Baldwin, Jan Fantl
Composer: Nick Glennie-Smith
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for A Sound of Thunder
Bradbury's classic 1952 short story is brilliant and thought-provoking; the movie isn't. On the bright side, it's bad in a campy, "ooh, it's on cable at 2am" kind of way.
On the evolutionary scale, this B-movie misfire hovers pretty close to amoeba status.
The Ed Burns time-travel flick A Sound of Thunder takes us back 65 million years, to approximately the last moment when anyone still thought Ed Burns was talented.
There may have been more ludicrous, preposterous movies sci-fi movies this summer. I just don't remember one. Pitiful and lame - it's a step backward.
As usual, a cool Ray Bradbury story has been translated into a horrifyingly bad film.
Caught awkwardly ... between massive scope and something more honed and finite...
In the future people are going to look at this with the same fascination that we reserve for movies like Plan 9 From Outer Space - yes, it's really that bad.
The special effects in this pic make Land of the Lost look like Jurassic Park.
It's the kind of bad movie that's so inoffensive and harmless that it almost seems unfair to point out how bad it is.
The kind of bad that can only be appreciated by those who have seen the “faithful” three-hour straight-to-video adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds
To describe what’s wrong with this perfectly serviceable pulp scenario requires only one word: everything.
D'oh! Wouldn't you know it, someone steps off the path, crushing a butterfly and sentencing us to true movie terror.
A Nifty Sci-fi Yarn Gone Terribly Wrong With Bizarre Technical Guffaws.
One wonders why Hollywood is so determined to churn out outlandish tales of manufactured peril when the real world is scary enough.
The performances are wooden and dull. The writing is weak and character development non-existent.
This picture achieves a level of badness that is its own form of sublimity.
A Sound of Thunder is worth noting, if only as a real contender for worst movie of the year.
The most remarkable special effect is Ben Kingsley's hair, a thick thatch so white it almost glows in the dark and a little white soul patch under his lip. Now that's scary.
As Ryer (Burns)...says, 'We have to make sure this never happens again.' We beg you.
Latest News for A Sound of Thunder
August 31, 2006:
Box Office Preview: "Crank" Closes Up Summer Movie Season
The summer movie season comes to an official end with the Labor Day holiday weekend unleashing three new releases plus the national expansion of a fourth. More...
March 28, 2006:
DVD Tuesday: Planet of the Ape
Movie geeks love Tuesdays, and here's why: It's DVD Day! With each new Tuesday comes the promise of varying DVD goodness, so I thought it might be fun to do a reminder-piece... More...
September 06, 2005:
"Transporter 2" Kicks Some Labor Day Box Office Butt
Jason Statham in "Transporter 2" was the go-to guy over the holiday weekend, hauling in an estimated $20.2 million from 3,300 screens. This is a marked improvement... More...
September 01, 2005:
Critical Consensus: "Gardener" Reaps Praise
This week we have a movie about international intrigue ("The Constant Gardener"), a mercenary ("The Transporter 2"), the problems of time travel ("A... More...
More DVDs
| 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 |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- A Sound of Thunder at Rotten Tomatoes
- A Sound of Thunder at IGN
- A Sound of Thunder at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

