Source Code (2011)

Summit Entertainment

Ever had a feeling of déjà vu where you’ve lived this same moment before? Now imagine that feeling over and over. Add onto that the fact that millions of lives hang in the balance if a bomb is detonated in downtown Chicago. That is the movie Source Code. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Capt. Colter Stevens who is sent into the body of a man aboard a train and his mission is to discover details about an explosion. The film has been compared to Groundhog Day, however I felt that it resembles one of my favorite 1990’s television shows- Quantum Leap. The main character travels back in time and enters the body of a person in order to "put right what once went wrong." I think referencing that series was intentional because they actually used the star of Quantum Leap as the voice of Stevens’ father.

Jake did a great job of being increasingly frustrated as he goes through the same 8 minutes only to “die” and then is told he must do it again. I felt that while he was fun to watch, most of the other actors weren’t much more than extras. The passengers on the train and the officers that give him his instructions felt like stereotypes: there was the angry guy on the train, the nerdy college kid, the jolly old train conductor and a scientist that conveniently refuses to give information. The writer was super creative and blended a lot of sci-fi concepts into an excellent plot but I think he forgot to add characters.

While seeing the same events over and over might grow tiring, the film throws in several turns and even a false ending. It raises the questions of alternate realities and asks if he can actually save the victims of the explosion. I enjoyed the blending of time loops and time traveling, so despite my minor gripe, Source Code is still a refreshing sci movie. The movie did what every good movie should and made me care about our hero.