SOURCE CODE

Science fiction thriller

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Jake Gyllenhaal: U.S. Army helicopter pilot Captain Colter Stevens
Michelle Monaghan: 28-year-old Christina Warren
Vera Farmiga: Air Force Capt. Colleen Goodwin
Jeffrey Wright: Source Code inventor Dr. Rutledge

REVIEW
Sci-fi fans will immediately recognize the time loop plot device in which time runs normally for a set period (in this case 8 minutes) then resets to the beginning and repeats as many times as required.

Couple that with the newest technology that allows the US military to use “time reassignment” that sends the subject to a place in time as someone other than himself and you have the makings of a very entertaining hour and a half.

There are some really good performances, the action is fast paced and the CGI quite good. My only one serious complaint is the fact the 8 minute sequences soon become a bit tiresome. Fewer sometimes is better.

CLASSIFICATION
for some violence including disturbing images, and for language.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
1. The Rotating product placement is one of my favourite nitpicks: from one shot to the next the item in question moves about without being touched so that the brand name is clearly seen. In this instance it is the Dunking Donuts bag on the seat beside Christina.
2. Colter gets off the Chicago-bound commuter train at the Glenbrooke station (the thinly disguised real Glenview station) and the platform clock behind him correctly shows the time to be 7:43 (the scheduled time for train #2116) the but the clock in the trackside station tower reads 4:10.
3. Colter passes by several bikes getting to the exit door; bikes are not permitted on this early morning train.
4. Given that the train is travelling north to south and he alights on the left hand side he would be in early morning shadow not bright sunlight.
5. The crane shot above the platform clearly shows downtown Chicago to be reasonably close; Glenbrooke station is a good 20 miles from the city.
6. Later with the train speeding towards its destination seeing Lake Erie on the right hand side means our point of view is from the East whereas train # 2116 is coming from the north.
7. Colter Is given a phone number to call beginning with 465. There is no such area code in the United States.

P.S.
Canadian comic Russell Peters plays it mostly straight but does have one stand-up routine worth a chuckle.