Review: Source Code (2011) - Duncan Jones

"Source Code is not time travel. Rather, Source Code is time re-assignment. It gives us access to a parallel reality."

          This was a film I’d heard a lot about when it came out in the cinema, and really wanted to check it out unfortunately I never got around to it, so I thought I’d rectify that. The premise of this movie is really interesting and is full of the kind of twists that M. Night Shyamalan is best known for having in his films, but that’s getting a bit ahead of myself. So the basic plot of the movie is, a US soldier (Captain Colter Stevens played by Jake Gyllenhaal) using an experimental device called the “Source Code” is able to relive the last eight minutes of someone’s life, in this case the man in question is Sean Fentress, a school teacher who died on a train bombing that took place before the films story starts. The majority of the film takes place during those eight minutes before the train explodes, with Stevens  trying to find out who and what caused the explosion as the man responsible claims that the train bombing was a precursor to a larger dirty bomb that he will detonated in downtown Chicago.

          It was really interesting to see Stevens try a variety of different methods to identify the bomber and locate the bomb to identify characteristics which may help identify the bomber; it’s also funny to see him avoid pitfalls he previously encountered and solve problems from experience. The whole movie on the train feels like a puzzle and you feel invested in the solving the problems and feel invested when it’s solved. However not all of the film takes place on the train. Stevens is supported by a team of scientists and army personal; it’s in these scenes we feel unease and that there might be something more going on that they’re not telling both us the audience and Stevens, as they are very unwilling to answer his questions each time he returns to his cockpit after each eight minute segment. Eventually Captain Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) explains to Stevens that his body is on life support and that his mind is connected to the Source Code machine and that the cockpit he’s been returning to after each mission is just a figment of his imagination, this angers Stevens and he demands that he be allowed to die. They deny his request and send him back into the Source Code, where eventually Stevens’s identity’s the bomber as Derek Frost (Michael Arden), who the army track down and arrest.

          Stevens then asks if he can be returned to the Source Code one last time to try and save the people on the train and then have his life support switched off, which Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright), the boss of Source Code initially agrees to, but reveals he was only lying to Stevens and orders Goodwin to wipe his memory and prepare him for the next mission. Goodwin instead decided to honour Stevens wishes and sends him back into the Source Code where he successfully catches the bomber and emails Goodwin thanking her for what she did for him, he then disarms the bomb and even has the whole train carriage he was on laughing as he kisses Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan) the pretty girl who was sitting opposite him on the train as the timer runs out on the eight minutes. Goodwin then pulls Stevens life support and we see him die.

          The movie then flashes to the earlier that morning where Goodwin receives an email from Stevens thanking her for what she has done and telling her that the Source Code works better that they could ever have expected, the date is then revealed to be that of the day of the train bombing, which now never took place. The next scene is of Stevens now permanently in Sean Fentress body going on a date with Christina Warren.

          I really had no idea what to expect from this film when I watch it, other that knowing the basic plot. I was blown away by how engaging the story was and how little the eight minute train segments over lapped and in no way were boring or repetitive. I would highly recommend this film and I’d give it a 8/10. Well worth checking out if you haven’t seen it already.

Review: Looper (2012) - Rian Johnson

"I work as a specialized assassin, in an outfit called the Loopers. When my organization from the future wants someone to die, they zap them back to me and I eliminate the target from the future. The only rule is: never let your target escape... even if your target is you."

          Hello new favourite film. To say this movie has a simple premise is too vastly under sell the story and idea’s that went into creating this movie, putting it simply this is a film that demands your attention and rewards you for it.

          The film starts by introducing you to the world of Looper (basically it’s the near future 2044, and time travel hasn’t yet been invented, but it is in the year 2074 and is outlawed soon after, however criminal gangs use it to get rid of people they want killed by sending them into the past, it also mentions about 10% of the population develop psychic abilities due to a mutation) and explains what a looper is (a hitman in the present (2044) who kills people from the future (2074), sent back in time by gangs in the future as its impossible to dispose of a body due to over population) and the current state of the world (over populated and struggling to provide for people in major towns and cities).

          Ok, if you’re still with me, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe in 2044, and has prosthetics and make up to look like Bruce Willis who also plays Joe in 2074 and is sent back in time to 2044 to be killed by his younger self, known as closing your loop, which frees you from your contract and seems strange but that’s the rules. The premise of the film is then how your younger selves actions can affect and alter your older selves memories and impact on their life, which makes for some interesting scenes and idea’s but can get very confusing. The movie has a very Terminator-esque feel to it and they do share some similar treads with the older Joe (Willis), having to carry out a mission that in his own mind would undo the reasons for him getting sent back in time. I don’t want to mention any more of the plot but if you like the sound of it so far I’d highly recommend checking it out.

          How would I rate this movie, I’d give it an 9/10, it blew me away with its premise and visuals and the make-up that Joseph Gordon-Levitt looks amazing, he’s really convincing as a younger Bruce Willis, so go check it out.

Review: Star Trek (2009) - J. J. Abrams

A legend is retold and improved.

"Your father was captain of a starship for twelve minutes. He saved eight hundred lives, including your mother's and yours. I dare you to do better."

          I'm ashamed to admit that last night was my first time seeing this movie, as a huge Sci-Fi fan I've been meaning to check it out for ages but kept putting it off. I should also let you know I am not a Star Trek fan, not because I don't like the series, I just never got drawn it to it, but I will be the first to admit that this film was amazing. As a Star Wars fan I'm extremely jealous that this was the reboot to your series and how it kept the humour and feel of the original TV and Film series. The catalyst for finally watching this movie was the fantastic trailer for the sequel to this film Star Trek: Into Darkness, which looks amazing so I knew I had to see this film and it's a great jumping on point for anyone who doesn't want to track down and go through the original film and TV series, but still wants to see what the big fuss is with Star Trek and unlike most reboots it doesn't completely throw away the history long time fans have come to know.

          Well to get on with the review proper. The plot of this film is basically a retelling of the origin story of the original (USS) Enterprise crew and how them meet and their interactions with each other and how they rise to their positions, the but that makes this unique though is that this is an alternative reality caused by time travelling Romulan's hell bent on exacting their revenge on Vulcan for the loss of their homeworld by the actions of Spock in the original series timeline/reality. It's not as confusing as it sounds, but like I said it allows everything that happened before to be canon and yet still allow the creative crew behind the film to take liberties and change certain events for the purpose of their story and to surprise both Trekkies and new fans alike. The film opens with the USS Kelvin being attacked by the time-travelling Romulan ship, with the unborn (Captain) James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) on board and the death of his father George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) as he rams the Romulan ship with the USS Kelvin, in order to allow the escape shuttles to get away.

          Twenty five years later we then see the cocky James Kirk training with the rest of the Enterprise crew, some of whom don't get on with him especially Spock (Zachary Quinto). A similar electrical storm in space takes place where the USS Kelvin was attacked and then Vulcan, Spock's home-planet is attacked by the time-travelling Romulan ship, which wasn't seen since the original attack. The cadets are mobilised to help the Vulcan homeworld, the ships are overwhelmed by the advanced Romulan ship which is drilling into the core of the plan to create a blackhole in the centre of the planet and destroy it. The crew are too late to stop the destruction of the planet but do manage to rescue the Vulcan high council. Spock was promoted to captain and orders that they return back to earth and regroup with the rest of Starfleet, Kirk disagrees and is ejected onto a near by planet, where he meets the original or older Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Old Spock tells Kirk about there friendship and how he was too late to save the Romulan homeworld and how this is an alternate reality to the one he had come from originally, they also come up with a plan to get (young) Spock to show his emotions and therefore have to resign as captain so as Kirk can become captain of the USS Enterprise and basically save the day. Scotty and Kirk beam to the ship and then as Captain, Kirk stops the Romulan's destroying Earth and destroys their ship in a blackhole, and returns to earth where he is promoted to Captain of the Enterprise and starts to become friends with Spock.

          What can I say about this film? Visually it's stunning, the cast are amazing and the story is simple and yet effective. I highly recommend this film if you love good action and sci-fi movies and for me anyway it's a 9/10. Well worth checking out especially if the trailer for the sequel excites you.