[xrr rating=3.5/5]
The sci-fi guy reviews the sci-fi thriller with Justin Timberlake at the helm.
Ask any of the great ones – Shallit, Ebert, Roeper – and all of them have had the same problem that I have run into tonight. I’ve seen three movies this week and and I can only review one.
This fork in the road is causing my dilemma: Should I go left and review “The Rum Diary,” starring the dreamy Johnny Depp? Or maybe I should take the middle road and review “Paranormal Activity 3,” starring a guy who looks like Gary “Baba Booey” Dell’abate from the Howard Stern show. Then there is the right road, a road with Justin Timberlake driving the vehicle, “In Time.”
Now, if I know my loyal fans well, (which I think I do) then they would want me to review “The Rum Diary”… So I will be reviewing “In Time.”
“In Time” is a futuristic, science-fiction thriller with a great premise, great promise, and a good young cast. But can it deliver where so many other sci-fi films have failed (see: BATTLEFIELD EARTH)? Well, read on and I’ll tell you.
The story takes place in a futuristic America where people mature to the age of 25, then they don’t get any older (physically). It’s something in their genetics or something. So, in essence, people can live forever.
What about overpopulation you ask? I asked myself the same question. Once you turn 25, you have one more year to live… unless, of course you can earn more time. You see, in this parallel universe, currency is NOT money, TIME is currency. People go to work to earn more “time” so they can keep on living. Basically, the rich get richer and the poor get deader… See? No overpopulation.
Like I said at the top of this review, this movie has a great premise and the story was good but I think it may have dragged on just a little bit. Oh no, its 9:58 on Thursday night, I gotta go watch an all new Beavis and Butt-head episode. I’ll be back in a half an hour…(insert elevator music here)…
Ok, I’m back. I’m sorry about that. That was immature of me but I’m a 41-year-old child who needs to watch his cartoons or I’ll have a hissy-fit (and it was a funny episode, so I suggest you watch it).
Now, where was I? Oh yeah, there were also some interesting scenarios in the film. Seeing that everyone on the planet stays the age of 25, if you’re a single man and out on the prowl, you don’t know if you’re hitting on a mother, the daughter, the grandmother or the mother-in-law! I found that somewhat funny and interesting. Also, I would have loved to be the director for that casting call. It probably read something like this: “Looking for gorgeous males and females, age 25, must be willing to work with other gorgeous males and females, and please, don’t be ugly. Matty W. Kelley, you need not apply.”
Seriously though, future America is looking very, very attractive.
The main actors in this film fit the role perfectly. Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried play a “Bonnie & Clyde” type couple, out robbing “time banks” and giving the stolen time to the poor, the weak and the ghetto folk, because, “Everybody deserves more time.”
Also in this film is Cillian Murphy, a solid actor who has been in some of my favorite movies lately. Red Eye, Batman Begins, and my favorite of 2010 – Inception, are just a few.
There is one scene in this movie that I found hilarious. Timberlake and Seyfried are driving a sportscar when all of a sudden it careens over a cement cliff. I kid you not, it looks like someone threw a Matchbox car over a wall and they filmed it. I looked around the theatre and I was like, “Really? Really! They didn’t edit that out? That looked so fake!!!” But I don’t judge… wait, I’m a movie reviewer, I DO judge! And that was terrible!
So, in closing, if somone held a gun to my head and said, “Should I see this movie or not?” I would have to tell them, “Um, I guess, OK, yes, but don’t expect to see any Oscars coming its way.” Then again, I loved the movie “Freejack,” and nobody liked that movie!
I am sorry to all my fans who were looking for my “The Rum Diary” or “Paranormal Activity 3” review. If you want my personal opinion on either of these films, you can call me at 617-293-6558 (not 555-FLIK, that’s Cosmo Kramer’s moviefone #). I’ll be glad to talk movies with you.
Live long and prosper,