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Aug 29, 2017Nursebob rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
A little bit of "Die Hard" and a whole lot of "Groundhog Day" make Duncan Jones’ second foray into science fiction (after the much lauded "Moon" with Sam Rockwell) a somewhat engaging Chinese puzzle of a film—how do you solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet when you have to re-live the same brief stretch of time repeatedly? But the techie explanations are shoddy at best rendering everything more fantasy than science and a repetitive love story (he only has eight minutes per mission to woo the doomed woman in the seat across from him) add an unnecessary chick flick element to what is ultimately a Search & Destroy thriller. And not a very good one at that. Gyllenhaal acts as if someone just woke him up from a deep sleep and object of desire Michelle Monaghan seems content to simply watch the passing scenery. Only Vera Farmiga, playing a mission controller with a conscience, adds a degree of credibility when her starched military demeanour gives way to compassionate concern but she isn’t given nearly enough lines. “Change The Past. Save The Future” reads the movie’s tagline—better to change your mind and save your money instead.