Movie Review - Source Code

Source Code (2011)

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, and Jeffrey Wright

Directed by Duncan Jones

Duncan Jones's previous directorial effort Moon was quite a mindgame and the bigger-budgeted Source Code attempts to be the same thing, but doesn't fare nearly as well.  For all intents and purposes, Source Code is trying to be suspenseful, but instead this 90-minute affair simply plodded along rather than keep me intrigued.

A commuter train headed into downtown Chicago blows up one morning in an act of terrorism killing every onboard.  The government has knowledge that another larger attack is imminent, so in order to try and prevent the second bombing, a new military program called Source Code is called into play.  Air Force pilot Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) is essentially placed in the body of a passenger on the train eight minutes prior to it blowing up.  Within those eight minutes (which can be looped over and over again ad infinitum), he must attempt to discover who planted the bomb.  While he can't change the past, he can possibly alter the future by helping the military nab the bomber to prevent the future attack.

The concept of seeing the same thing over and over again with minor changes just flat out bored me (unlike the more successful Groundhog Day which essentially plays up the same basic premise but with a comedic edge).  Dull is an apt word to describe my feelings towards Source Code.  From the direction to the performances to the premise -- all of it can be deemed "dull."  Tack on an ending that completely negates everything that's been told to the viewer throughout the whole film and I can't help but feel that I was somewhat tricked (even though the ending could be seen a mile away).

In the end, the praise and 91% Fresh rating heaped on this film by the Rotten Tomatoes critics is kind of astounding to me.  Yes, it's nice to have more adult-centric, smart films in the marketplace, but this one really lacked an iota of pizzazz needed to sustain my interest.

The RyMickey Rating:  D+