Review: Source Code

Source Code is a fun and gripping ride that will throw some in the end but after some mulling over I think the film works in almost every capacity.

The film is a sci-fi picture that presupposes that the government has created a program, called source code, which will allow them to send someone into the last 8 minutes of the recently deceased life.  I am sure you could imagine a lot of scenarios they could use this for but the government is using it to attempt to stop terrorism.  A train has blown up on its way to Chicago and is a warning for a planned attack on the city as a whole.  The government uses source code to send in Captain Colter Stevens to attempt to find any clues that will allow them to find out who is behind the train and future terrorist attacks.  The catch is that Stevens is sent into the body of the person they are using the source code on and he must deal with anything going on surrounding him on the train.  In this instance it is a girl, Christina, who becomes both an obstacle and a distraction for Stevens as he tries to find the bomber.

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Now Playing Review – Source Code

For the second week in a row I find myself at a loss for words upon seeing the week’s big film.  The difference between this and Sucker Punch is that I had much more initial pleasantries to say about Source Code, albeit I was just as dumbfounded.  Looks like it’s another job for my thinking cap.

The film continues the wave of interesting concept films of Inception and The Adjustment Bureau, choosing to play with time and memories.  Jake Gyllenhaal plays Captain Colter Stevens, a soldier who wakes up in the body of another man seated on a doomed train.  As the train explodes his mind moves back to his body safely contained in a different location, where he is reminded of his mission.  Long story short it is his job to relive the last 8 minutes on the train prior to the explosion, hoping to find some clue that will prevent a second attack on the nearby city of Chicago. [Read more...]

Now Playing Review – Due Date

Road trips seem like a fun idea on paper because of all the excitement they promise.  There is the car crammed like a clown car full of duffle bags and people, mix tapes to sing joyously along to, snacks to munch on because restaurants are for the undedicated, etc.  But once you are actually in the car the excitement quickly wanes and before you know it half your friends are asleep and someone is doing their seated pee pee dance.  And just think, these are the car trips that we choose to take.  Due Date is a completely different story.

In order to get to why two very different individuals are stuck on a cross-country road trip together we have to take a few steps back.  When Peter Highman woke up this morning he thought his day was going to be pretty simple.  All he had to do was get on a plane and fly home, giving him more than enough of a cushion to wait out the rest of his wife’s pregnancy before the due date. [Read more...]

Review: Due Date

Due Date is the latest from Todd Phillips and he smartly lets his leads of Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis make the most of a good but far from great script/story.

Peter Highman (Downey Jr.) is a straight shooting architect, with occasional rage issues, that is on his way home to witness the birth of his first child.  His plans are delayed though when his path becomes intertwined with an odd wannabe actor with a dog, Ethan (Galifianakis), and the two end up on the no fly list and have to drive cross country to get home in time.  Of course shenanigans occur along the way and the two get into a lot of trouble as their trail gets weirder and wilder.

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Review: 'Eagle Eye'

The new film from D.J. Caruso is a solid action/spyish/thriller that would have done better service to itself if it had just been a bit more original.
Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) is a Copy Cabana employee, he is struggling to make rent, and he has just found out his twin brother has died. Rachel Hollman (Michelle Monaghan) is a divorced mom who has just sent her son on a school trip to play a show at the Library of Congress. The two have never met and have no relation but are about to spend the next 48 hours on the run for their lives, and the lives of others. Jerry becomes activated when he goes to the ATM to deposit a check from his parents only to find his bank account full of thousands of dollars. [Read more...]

Review: 'Made of Honor' on DVD

Patrick Dempsey stars in this romantic comedy that brings nothing new to the genre and is about as unoriginal as a romantic comedy can be; though the film still is at least entertaining.
Dempsey stars as Tom, a life long bachelor that is a millionaire after inventing the ‘coffee cruiser’, which has an amazing platonic friendship with Hannah (Michelle Monaghan), a girl he accidentally fell into friendship with. The two meet every Sunday to discuss their lives and while Tom has “relations” with many women, and never on back to back days to remain noncommittal, he has every other part of a relationship with Hannah as the two go together like peas and carrots. When Hannah leaves for Scotland for six weeks for work, Tom notices a void in his life and realizes sleeping around with as many women as possible isn’t necessarily the way to go. [Read more...]

Review: Gone Baby Gone

Another movie dealing with the loss of a child, this one excels on pretty much every level. Gone Baby Gone is an adaptation of the Dennis Lehane(Mystic River) novel by Ben Affleck in his directorial debut. I have always been a fan of Affleck and I am glad that he does a great job here which is supported by his great cast. [Read more...]