(25 May 2012)

Play it again, Colleen!

Good sci-fi thriller about rewinding and doing it again...Military hero finds himself in a strange mission in Chicago .. When he thought he was actually fighting in Afghanistan. Now he finds himself in somebody else's body, on a train, with a pretty girl that he never saw in his life. While he still struggles to figure it out, the train blows up in a fire ball.Rewind. Do it again. Captain Goodwin, Colleen, tells our hero, Captain Stevens, Colter, who is in some kind of capsule, via a screen, that he has 8 minutes to find the bomb and to figure out who is the bomber. And back to square 1. More than once. Some progress each time.I liked it, I am usually fascinated by time travel stories. Going back and changing the past looks like a pretty good idea to me. Never mind the complications.If you think of figuring out the holes in the plot, be my guest.

gregmalone1 (25 May 2012)

Lots of promise -- weak weak delivery

Despite the generally rave reviews Source Code has gotten, I found itto be far less than I was expecting and wanting. To get to the point, though I am a lifelong lover of science fiction, Itend to be put off by science fiction films where the "science" comesacross as something conceived and explained by a poorly educatednon-scientist grabbing buzz words out of thin air. Source Code fallsapart in the "science coherence" realm for me, and thus I find the filmfundamentally flawed. A side note to that, I had had the impressionthat Source Code was a 'time travel' story, but no, they put that hopedfor idea to rest quickly by the lead "scientist" mumbling somethingabout this *not* being time-travel but rather he gives amumbo-jumbo-buzz-words-what- did-he-say lame and confusing explanation.Then the film suffers from a terrible supporting cast. The cardboardcutout characters that communicate with the main character have as muchdepth and value as... cardboard. The lead scientist is a stereotype guyrummaging around in his lab coat being indifferent to his 'subject',while the military liaison that is the prime communicator with the maincharacter is dealt a very poor script and no depth. By the time shedoes her "save-the-hero" act near the end, who cares.... there's beenno establishment of character other than a face on a video monitor withno backstory (except a crumb near the end).Don't get me started on the CGI... the train explosions and othereffects --- which were minimal. A trained eye will quickly identify theCGI effects as being... budget oriented. Nuff said.Honestly, I'd save my $15 that it'll cost at the theater and wait forDVD or Netflix. Despite a good performance by Jake G., Source Code is alame film, poorly written and directed without inspiration.

PARTH V (23 May 2012)

Way better than expected

I went in expecting to walk out in 30minutes- but it was too compelling a story and acting. Jake G does a great job(Jake G was never on my radar as an action star till now) and this a new twist on an old theme, but its an original twist. Must watch.

Elvis Mitchell (23 May 2012)

Saddled with CG effects that will only be passable on your smart phone, or from the back seat of a minivan, it's as if the looniness of the Code plot is out to undermine the highly wound, tightly cut beginning -- the camera shakes from too much adrenaline.

Simak Zahmat (23 May 2012)

Relive the last 8 minutes and make it count!

Imagine you've 8 minutes to save the world. Imagine waking up in atrain, inside a stranger's body, sitting opposite a beautiful woman,and still having 8 minutes before the train explodes. And now imaginebeing able to relive these 8 final minutes over and over… until youfigure out who's the bomber and how to stop him. That's basically the whole story of Source Code. But of course it takesmore time to show the audience these trials. The story is puzzling,certainly in the beginning and gives your brain a nice exercise. Andalthough somewhat predictable, it's still good entertainment value andis recommended!R: PG-13 or 12 (NL)

Hassan Ilahi (22 May 2012)

Pure entertainment with a punch of humanism inside.

Over the years, Science-fiction thrillers have either proved to bereally good (District 9) or completely rubbish (Skyline)...There reallyhaven't proved to be so many excellent films, but District 9,Inception, and Matrix are my faves. Director Duncan Jones has trulydazzled me with Moon, but that's really it. Jake Gyllenhaal also hasn'tproved that he's a well-known actor 'over-the-world'. This film,however, proves me wrong.'Source Code' is a fresh and highly original thriller that exceeds froma visual view, as well as a visceral one. A smart piece of writing andjust the right amount of humanism is put in.Performances don't tick so much in these kind of thrillers butGyllenhaal gives his best. He literally carries the film with his lighthands and guides it in the right way. His worthy acting is to watch outfor. Even though the other performances weren't paid much attentiontoo, they were at least decent. Monaghan is O.K.; playing her characterwith simpleness. Vera Farmiga is the same, but slightly better. Rest ofcast is natural and fits in.Thrills in this film are highly praise. I was hooked onto the film assoon as it started. Slightly surprising? Well-done transition from thetrain to the 'pitch-black' hole is shown. Visual Effects have to be oneof the year's best...Overall, what can I say...Source Code is definitely worth watching overand over again. Its mind-bending, thought-provoking, and verywell-crafted. It also has to be one of the best films I've seen thisyear, as well in the Sci-fi category. Wow, forget about everything andgo see this film!

kluseba (21 May 2012)

Where Avatar meets Inception meets the Green Zone

I was really intrigued by the trailer of this movie and decided to goto the cinema for the first time for a pretty while. The film is veryworthwhile and touching with a great main actor, an interesting plot, alot of suspense and action, a twisted part towards the last third ofthe movie and a happy ending with a philosophical focus.The only problem is that we have recently had movies such as"Inception" or Avatar where people are getting transfered to differentplace and sometimes in the body of different persons in order to savethe world or where they fall in love with a stranger. The conspiracystory surrounding this movie makes me rather think of "The Green Zone"."Source Code" is surely an entertaining and intriguing movie but itsomewhat lacks of originality. A good twist, some emotional anddramatic touches and a very good acting still make this movie stand outand pardon for a rather mediocre script that also has a plot holeconcerning the explosion of the two trains that works well timed eventhough the villain isn't able to observe the right place and time tocommit his attack while the first train is also too late and shouldindeed have meet the other train a couple of minutes earlier than wesee. Another thing that I must criticize is the weak villain that isnot charismatic enough and I didn't like the rather superficial reasonsand motivations for his devastating acts.Finally, "Source Code" is a very entertaining and worthwhile movie butslightly overrated and not as stunning, innovating or gripping as onemight think. It's worth to be watched at the cinemas because of thevisual and sound effects but a part of that, I would rather suggest towait and loan this flick later.

brando647 (21 May 2012)

An Exciting Thriller with Bits of Science Fiction

We need more filmmakers like Duncan Jones with a passion for greatscience fiction. His first film, MOON in 2009, was one of the best inyears and his second while his second, SOURCE CODE, isn't asthought-provoking, it's still better than the majority of recentscience fiction. SOURCE CODE feels a bit more mainstream than MOON, butit still focuses on an interesting story without relying on action tokeep the viewer engaged. Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) is ahelicopter pilot for the US military who unknowingly becomes a part ofan experimental program called Source Code. He awakens on a Chicagocommuter train with no memory of how he arrived, and he soon discoversthat he's inhabiting the body and mind of a school teacher. Eightminutes later, the train explodes and Stevens is informed of hismission. The train had exploded in Chicago earlier that morning as awarning of future attacks to come and Stevens has been given the chanceto relive the final eight minutes leading up to the attack and discoverthe identity of the bomber before he can strike again. Still, hiscommanding officers are being sketchy with the details of the projectand Stevens begins to suspect there's something they're not tellinghim...Modern science fiction in the mainstream is pretty much limited tocomic book movies and big-budget blockbuster fare (e.g. Abrams' STARTREK reboot or Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS series). Every so often, ashining gem emerges that reminds us that science fiction was once agreat genre used as a means of getting the audience contemplatingmankind's flaws and where they might lead us. In recent years, DISTRICT9 reminded us of the horrors of apartheid and applied them to our firstcontact with an alien species. Jones' own MOON contemplated how humanrights might (or might not) apply to clones. SOURCE CODE doesn't focusas much on big questions, though it does pose the moral question as towhether it was all right to force one man's constant suffering/repeateddeath if it means saving millions more. The movie does touch onStevens' predicament and whether the program is justifiable but itfocuses more on the mystery element as Stevens is given multiplechances to try and identify the train bomber. You would think watchinghim relive the same eight minutes over and over again would becomedull, but Jones and writer Ben Ripley keep it fresh each time with newinformation and new strategies.Jones is displaying a knack for great casting. Gyllenhaal does anexcellent job here as Stevens. He's confused, frightened, and droppedinto the middle of a situation where he has no control. He skillfullyrelates with the audience, and it was the little things that hit me ashis best moments. I loved his reaction to the news of his fate from thelast mission he remember in Afghanistan. Little bits like that and hisdedication to saving a woman he's been repeatedly reminded alreadydied. Michelle Monaghan is adorable as Stevens' only "friend" on thetrain and growing love interest, and Vera Farmiga was a great choice ashis military point-of-contact Goodwin. Honestly, I envy Stevens in asense. Who wouldn't want to spend the rest of their lives withFarmiga's beautiful face staring down. Jeffrey Wright is the project'screator and an antagonist in his own way, valuing his project overStevens life and rights.It doesn't feel as rich in content as MOON, but SOURCE CODE is still astrong second film for director Duncan Jones. It's enough to place himamong the new era of emerging directors that I'm excited to see whatthey do next.

(20 May 2012)

An intense, surprisingly moving, sci-fi thriller

Source Code is a suspenseful, surprisingly intelligent, occasionally touching, movie that's far better than I'd expected it to be. With tight pacing, great editing, good acting and fine directing by Duncan Jones, best known for Moon, it's a very good sci-fi action film released outside the usual summertime area for such movies.The film tells the tale of a man (Jake Gyllenhall), who wakes up on a train. He has no idea why he's there or who the woman across from him is. As he's trying to get things sorted out, an explosion goes off, killing everyone. He then comes to inside a capsule where it's explained to him that the train was blown up in a terrorist bombing. The terrorist was kind enough to do a practice run and apparently plans to detonate a dirty bomb in Chicago. Due to some sort of "quantum" effect he can "leap" into the body of a man who died on the train and live out his last eight minutes of life. Doing that will, with luck, enable him to find the bomber.If it's a premise that sounds familiar, that's because it is. It's perhaps no surprise that Scott Bakula's voice turns up in a cameo during the movie, since it clearly owes a lot to his most famous work. In fact, it's basically Quantum Leap mashed-up with Groundhog Day while managing to be better than the first and at least as engaging as the second.There was really nothing I disliked about this film. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's the best film I've seen so far this year, and, sadly, will likely be the best science fiction film for quite some time.

David Stratton (19 May 2012)

Source Code is the second feature directed by David Bowie's son, Duncan Jones, after the excellent Moon a couple of years ago, and it confirms him as an astute and talented director of mysterious science fiction.

(19 May 2012)

wasn't bad

I thought it would be better but it wasnt that bad. I wouldnt BUY it, but i wouldnt mind seeing it again. I think they could have made the time traveling experience MORE intriguing but the way they portrayed it, with out giving away too much, didnt really capture my interest as much as other time travel movies.

Phil Villarreal (18 May 2012)

Director Duncan Jones, whose last effort was the equally confounding Moon, just has a knack for this kind of cinematic mindgame.

TheMaskedMovieMan (17 May 2012)

Source Code - 'or should that be Object Code'

For a while now, sci-fi has been home to films about faceless alieninvasions and empty space battles. "Why is it so bad?" I hear youscream. Surely the rich volume of scientific knowledge available (thatwould be the 'sci' part of the film type) and the ease at which thiscould be blended into a fictitious event (need I say 'fi') should makethe genre an interesting and entertaining library of films. However,where many fail is in the fact that they seem to think that theaudience demands special effects and burning cities, in which doing soloses most of a film's charm and half the story, unless you have WillSmith to battle those bad-ass aliens! I guess what I'm trying to get atis that it is the people themselves in the story that provide the bestentertainment and emotional connection.A director who has been able to bring us out of this rut and backtowards the light is Duncan Jones. In 2009, he gave us his directorialdebut, 'Moon.' A brilliantly eerie look at a a lonely man's life inisolation on a moon base. Now, two years later, 2011, and Jones is backwith 'Source Code,' his next film.Source code opens with Shaun (Jake Gyllenhaal) jolting awake on a busycommuter train heading towards Chicago. He has no idea where he is, oreven who he is, with the woman sitting opposite him, Christina(Michelle Monaghan), calling him Shaun, although he doesn't seem toknow who Shaun is. He tells her his name is Captain Colter Stevens andthat he has no idea who she or Shaun is. Even stranger is that the lastColter/Shaun remembers is that he was on a flying mission in Iraq.Finding himself seemingly trapped within another person's life, Colterbarely has enough time to gather his wits before the train explodes,killing everyone on board.Where Source Code gets far more interesting than just an explodingtrain is that Colter wakes after the explosion. He isn't dead, insteadfinding himself confined to a seat inside an isolation chamber, wearinghis flight military uniform. Still having no idea what is going on, heis contacted through a television screen by the mission controller,Carol Goodwin (Vera Farmiga.) It turns out that Colter is part of ascience experiment in which he is able to re-live the last eightminutes of someone else's life. The train attack happened previouslythat morning and using the last eight minutes of Shaun's memory, Colterneeds to find out who bombed the train so that they can prevent afuture attack.What follows for the next twenty minutes is Groundhog Day on anexploding train but seemingly different in that each time Colter goesback something is different, leading him to believe he can change thecourse of events. We learn the parameters of the 'Source Code'technology, where Colter is in fact being contained before each eight-minute burst and more about the passengers on the train. However, whereSource Code truly becomes something special is in the second half ofthe film. A huge plot twist leaves you feeling as if the film has givenits best too soon. Although as Jones showed in Moon, even once the truesituation is revealed, what happens afterwards is far more intriguingand leaves the story open to pave its own way.The acting is terrific on all fronts and the shots and dialogue flowwithout anything feeling clunky, creating a film in which its pacenever slacks and its scenes never feel irrelevant or boring. To me, italmost felt like one of those films that could have been filmed in anafternoon, which I see as being a success when it comes down to makeup, continuity and tone. There is a Moon reference that some will appreciate in the form ofChristina's mobile ringtone, and a splash of humour throughout preventsthose not able to follow the science mumbo-jumbo to still enjoy theshow. So, without giving any spoilers away, it is quite hard to examinethe rest of the film apart from the ending, as much of a contradictionas those words might seem. This is because I always find that mostfilms seem to get a bit strange towards the end. Either the writers ranout of coffee/money and feel as though things need wrapping up fast orit drags on too long because nobody wants to commit to ending the filmon one particular note. However, Source Code, in my opinion, had agreat ending in comparison to a lot of films. Not only does it hit onan emotional level but it also demonstrates how involved the viewer hasbecome with the story, which is something that is always hard toachieve, especially in action. The finale is then topped off with aclever and stylish closing scene in which all the answers are in yourhands… only you get to spend the journey home thinking it throughbefore it all connects. My only gripe would be with the film title, though it is a bitpedantic. It should be noted that 'Source Code' is the writtenprogramming code, whilst 'Object Code' is the compiled output, readyfor execution. Though, seriously, would you have ever taken a filmcalled 'Object Code' seriously?Re-cap: one of the best sci-fi films I've recently seen; ignore yourBattle L.As and Skylines, old-school sci-fi is back and expect bigthings from Duncan Jones in the future.www.maskedmoveman.blogspot.com

Mike Ward (17 May 2012)

They might as well have set Source Code at Gobbler's Knob and queued up I Got You Babe every 10 minutes.

Geraldo Luiz (17 May 2012)

Interesting movie, bad happy ending

I love SF movies. In this one, the premise of projecting someone'sconsciousness into a past event is interesting. They made clear in thebeginning that the movie was not about time travel nor alternativereality, and all those people are really dead and nothing he does wouldchange that. As an example, in one iteration, he took "his" girlfriendout of the train and even so she was dead at the end of the 8 minuteperiod. So, what happened happened and there's no way to change it. OK,that's clear to me and then they've changed that.The movie should have ended when the life support was turned off (well,but wasn't he dead already?) and everybody on the train has frozen inthe last iteration. But no, they have to put a happy ending even if itdoesn't make any sense at all. So, they come up with a alternativereality or something like that. I just can't buy it.It's not about two realities but there is only one in which everybodyin that train was dead. Jake's "reality" was just a projection, asimulation made by a software (hence the name source code, I guess)that is driving his mind (his brain waves) to that train. Everythinghappened inside Jake's mind. So, I don't see how he could've survivedafter the plug has been pulled. The only explanation is that theyneeded a happy ending badly and didn't care if it would make sense ornot.Too bad, because without this nonsense ending the movie would be somuch better.

Ethan Alter (16 May 2012)

A well-told sci-fi yarn.

Leigh Paatsch (16 May 2012)

Do not miss Source Code if you can at all help it. As a modern motion picture, this really is the complete package.

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat (15 May 2012)

A tepid sci-fi thriller.

tamilselvanvalar (15 May 2012)

Source Code - Parallel Universe : Mind-Boggling

Source Code saw the movie with expectations got it 100% . After longtime Quantum physics comes back with a novel approach . In the line ofMatrix , Avatar and Inception . Source Code can also be added if thethriller was maintained throughout the film . Story started revealingafter 45 minutes until it was edge of the seat thriller . But climaxwas with a surprise element . Duncan Jones embedded a beautiful love story within this sciencefiction , Jake and Michelle was perfect . Script is fantastic withtwist elements . Photography long shots covering Chicago downtown wasbeautiful . Train sequences are taken wonderfully with differentvariations .Story is here : Jake is a pilot struck inside a capsule , he was giveninstruction by Vera to find out the bomber in virtual reality withoutbriefing . After couple of iterations Jake came to know about his deathwhich has happened two months before and he is being used as simulationwith the source code( memory pattern of another person in train whichmatches his brain synaptic circuits). His mission is here to find outthe name of bomber which has happened in morning and his subsequentbombings plan in Chicago.Logic in virtual reality of source code ismemory pattern of train passenger can be hold for last 8 minutes of hislife and Jake brain circuit is embedded with matched train passenger ).Short term memory can store only last 8 minutes ,matched trainpassenger happens to be teacher and commuter sits opposite to him , whoseems have to have crush with the teacher . Jake fell in love aftermany iterations (8 minutes) to find the bomber . At last Jake find outsthe bomber and stops the subsequent mission , but bombing happened inthe train cannot be averted as it is happened . But Jake believes thathe save the life of people with the source code and live in paralleluniverse . With the help of operator Jake gets back to final iterationand wants to end his life ( memory pattern termination ) after 8minutes . Michelle and passengers were saved by Jake by diffusing thebomb and after 8 minutes a pause happens as expected since the file isfor only 8 minutes . But there is good end here watch it . A Must watch for intellectual experience . 10/10

alantas (14 May 2012)

Serve in death

This film could had been great. I think the story is decent, the plotwell crafted (just don't think about it too much :)) and it relies moreon acting and human interaction, than mindless action. It has it'sflaws, but they are not as nearly irritating as the "war on terrorism"and Afghanistan war hero BS. It feels like the government and it'sagencies own Hollywood. You know what? If you are a true Americansoldier, you will serve your country after you die... If you block thispart out of your mind, you may enjoy this film. If they were conductingthe source code experiment at a university and they used a man, wholet's say offered his body for scientific purposes, I would give thisfilm a 7. But I can't overlook the annoying propaganda, so it's a 5.