Time traveling might sound fun and rewarding, but it's actually sort of a grind. Sure, you can zip back to the past on occasion and briefly enjoy the company of long-gone relatives. But you complete the journey buck naked and physically depleted, and often, the whole experience ends with someone trying to arrest you or beat you up.

Such is the hectic existence of Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana), a Chicago librarian who finds himself jolted around in time against his will. His mother's accidental death kick-started Henry's time traveling as a child, and his condition leaves him isolated and lonely until a lovely young woman named Clare (Rachel McAdams) bumps into him in the library.

Adapted from what can only be labeled the fanatically beloved novel that became a book-club must read, "The Time Traveler's Wife" is a dizzying blend of romance and science fiction, with emphasis on the romance.

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, brief disturbing images, nudity and sexuality, "The Time Traveler's Wife" gets 3 STARTS out of 5.