Source Code

Dir. Duncan Jones
Starring. Jake Gyllenhaal, Vera Farmiga, Michelle Monaghan

We begin with a classic scenario. A man wakes up to find he doesn't know who he is, where he is, or how he got there. It's an excellent start to any story. Instantly we are interested. We are with this character 100%, trying to get answers. And it is in those first few minutes, that Source Code has us hooked. The problem then, is keeping us on the line.

Eventually we find out that Captain Colter Stevens, (Jake Gyllenhaal) has just woken up in another mans body on a train to Chicago, because he is part of a government experiment which allows him to relive the last 8 minutes of this man's life. After these 8 minutes, the train blows up. Stevens is continually sent back into this scenario, each time to make a different attempt at finding out who bombed the train, so that the terrorist can be caught and prevented from future bombings. He is working to protect the future, but he soon begins to wonder: can he also change the past?

As you can imagine, it doesn't make for the most original plot structure. It's a bit like Run Lola Run and Groundhog's Day had a baby with Quantum Leap. Fortunately the idea of the technology behind this time loop tale and the specifics of its behaviors are original enough to keep an audience interested. And just in case your mind does start to wander, there's a big explosion every 8 minutes. BAM! You're right back in it. It's a clever device that I wish I could use to keep audiences interested in my reviews.

BAM! Keep reading.

Director Duncan Jones, who previously proved his ability to master the Sci-fi genre with 'Moon,' seems to get caught up in the conventions of the blockbuster here. Or perhaps the difference is simply that he was the writer of 'Moon,' a credit which he does not claim with 'Source Code.' Either way, the story fails to take off or expand from its original idea, and by the end it all feels a bit too Hollywood cliche to warrant a 'must see' rating.

Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable action-packed movie that really grabs you from the start. It just has a bit of trouble holding on.