Source Code (2011) [Blu-ray]
Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

When soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he didscovers he's aprt of an experimental government program called the Source Code that enables him to cross over into another man's indentity in the last 8 minutes of his life. Armed with the task of identifying the bomber of a Chicago commuter train, Colter must re-live in the incident over and over again, gathering clues until he can solve the mystery and prevent an even deadlier second terrorist attack.

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, July 6, 2011 -- What would you do if you knew you had less than a minute to live? --- Source Code plays like some mad scientist's amalgamation of several different films. Think, maybe, Déjà Vu meets Unstoppable meets Groundhog Day meets another classic Science Fiction movie, the name of which would instantly give away a critical plot point. Usually, movies that throw together elements of various other, established, well-received films don't work. The surprise here is that, to the contrary, Source Code is a good movie. It's certainly not the next great Science Fiction film, and don't expect it to be in the running for anything come awards season, but it's a smart and edgy thinking man's Thriller that takes its concept -- as much of a hodgepodge of other ideas as it might be -- and molds it into an entertaining and worthwhile picture that's equal parts action and drama. The film plays a little too fast and the resolution seems a bit more easy than it should be, but the saving grace is that there's more to Source Code than the general premise suggests. The film smartly incorporates a nice helping of human drama, allowing it to elevate above standard genre elements and shortcomings and build a more complete and satisfying experience.

Afghanistan war veteran Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) is surprised to find himself on a Chicago-bound train rather than with his unit in the war-torn nation halfway across the globe. He's downright shocked to learn that, in this place that might best be described as some parallel universe, he's not Colter Stevens but rather Sean Fentress, an acquaintance of his seat mate, a young woman he comes to know as Christina (Michelle Monaghan). His train is the unfortunate target of a terrorist attack, and after the explosion, he awakens in a dark, dingy facility where he's told that he's been chosen to participate in a radically advanced counterterrorism program that's capable of sending him back to the same eight minutes over and over before the train explodes. His task is to locate the bomb and the bomber onboard the train. But while he's reliving the same eight minutes over and over again, clocks continue to tick in the "real world" where the authorities believe that the train explosion was but a diversion for a plot to unleash a dirty bomb inside Chicago. As Colter -- or whoever he is -- races to identify the threat on the train, he also begins to piece together the circumstances that led him to serving in this capacity as he video-dialogues with both his military liaison Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) and one Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright), the designer of the "source code" technology that's allowing Colter to relive those same eight minutes over and over again.

For all the borrowed elements Source Code employs, the premise ultimately feels like something out of "Star Trek." Indeed, the film bears a resemblance to the episode "Cause and Effect" that sees the Enterprise destroyed time and again in a continuous loop. Source Code even employs some heavy-handed scientific mumbo-jumbo that's straight out of the "Trek" playbook, but the film proves significantly more chilling in that it's all happening in the here and now and in the midst of very real early 21st century domestic threats. The plot is way out there, but that it's worked into contemporary society in such a way that most everyone in the audience can easily relate to the dangers in and the circumstances surrounding the events depicted in the film is perhaps its greatest strength. The science appears well-conceived as it's described in layman's terms at one critical juncture, but the accuracies or inaccuracies that may or may not exist won't hinder one's ability to enjoy the movie. The story is nicely layered and steadily fans out from the central premise to engage in several areas of interest that aren't immediately evident as the film opens, and that it manages to encompass so many elements that all come back full circle proves the picture's value and the strength of the writing.

Source Code isn't on the same level as Director Duncan Jones's previous Science Fiction masterpiece, Moon, but it does show that Jones is primed to enjoy a lengthy career as more than a one-hit wonder. It's clear he's found his niche in building smart Science Fiction, and while Source Code doesn't resonate with quite the same "instant classic" awe that hangs over every frame of Moon, it does better many of its lesser contemporaries in terms of structure and smarts. If there's a primary fault, it's that the film moves along a little too fast; it could use a more solid foundation and a greater sense of purpose, but that must be balanced with the notion that Source Code is as much a Human Drama as it is a fast-paced Science Fiction/Action piece. The film maintains an honest and palpable but not quite on-pins-and-needles aura of mystery as not only the "bomb" plot is hashed out, but as arguably the more critical element of just who Colter Stevens is and what's happened to and become of him is slowly but surely brought to light. Jake Gyllenhaal is steadily strong throughout the film; he conveys a wide range of emotion as he deals with not only the rapid-fire repeating quest to find the bomb and the bomber, but fights to discover who he's become, where he is, and what his own future holds.

Source Code is an imperfect but nevertheless enthralling Science Fiction film that's more or less equal parts thinking man's picture and general crowd pleaser. Unlike Director Duncan Jones's Moon -- which was more of a straight psychological picture -- Source Code plays a bit more as big, sweeping, entertaining cinema, but Jones has done a fine job of molding the picture into one that's almost uniquely fit for all audiences. There's enough Action to satisfy those who wish to enjoy Source Code as more of a "leave the brain at the door" sort of experience, and there are plenty of layers and subtleties that are both peripheral and central to the plot to satisfy more demanding audiences. Source Code is a fine followup to Moon, and even if it often feels like any number of movies jumbled together as one, the end result is quite good and well worth a watch or two. Summit's Blu-ray release of Source Code yields, as expected, stellar video and audio, but fans might be slightly disappointed with the limited selection of extras. Still, this release earns a hearty recommendation.

[CSW] -3- The ending brings up more questions than answers and I'm a little uncomfortable with that. The main concept almost made me snap my suspension of disbelief also but everything was right at the cliff's edge without going over it. The acting and directing was well done and if at the end I could have bought the plotline completely this would have gotten a -4-. The story line keeps you on the edge of your seat so I have to recommend it but for me, once is enough.
[V4.5-A4.0] MPEG-4 AVC - D-Box 8.7/10.

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