In Time

Coming now, today, In Time is not just satisfying. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's important, because that would overstate it, but it certainly feels like part of the national conversation. It arrives in theaters at a time when people are camped out in New York saying the same things as the people in the movie. It's weird the way films often anticipate the near future.

It's a fascinating philosophical conceit delivered as a slick, hyper-stylized conspiracy yarn, juicy enough to deliver on both fronts, provided you don't ask too many questions.

I like a lot of the film despite its drawbacks; its violence isn't rote or numbing, and there's a simplicity and elegance to the digital-countdown effect.

It's a great idea that Niccol can't translate into a great movie.

Pretty cast. Potent premise. Piss-poor execution. And so dies In Time.

Niccol's attempts at satire are toothless.

Niccol fashioned an uninspired and downright dull sci-fi gimmick and doesn't even explain how it happened.

Film with a beautiful idea made even better. This film is one of the most underrated films that there are in my opinion because it is really good but it is still frowned upon by most.

In Time is a substandard move in most respects (acting, plot, effects) but still worth a view for sci-fi fans. A world is built around the concept (time is money) and the film takes us on a ride through it. Most times serious, sometimes comical, In Time is an interesting watch.

In Time focuses on the future, where the world has decided to remove the gene that causes people to age. As a means to control this, you stop aging at 25 years old and they you will leave one more year unless you earn more time. Time though is also the currency of this era buying things such as coffee, hotel rooms, and meals. Overall, I loved the concept of In Time and was intrigued from the very beginning. While the concept is very interesting, there are a number of flaws which while not a deal breaker, frustrated me as a viewer such as in a world trying to avoid anarchy, the simplicity of transferring time by touch seems a bit to...simple. Maybe that's just me though. In addition, a few questions are raised that are never answered, and secondary character development is lacking making what could have been a fantastic, robust and believable world a bit cold and confusing. With that said, I enjoyed the premise and the movie. I just wish that more time had been put into it's crafting to take full advantage of the great premise at hand. While the film suffered from a few issues, the technical aspects of the film were nice when presented on Blu-Ray. The movie's colors and representation of fleshtones, clarity, etc. were all spot on for the environments the characters were in. The night scenes featured a nice amount of detail on the buildings and in the shadows, lending to the believability of the film. The soundtrack, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, was nice and took advantage of all of the speakers. Great off camera cues, spatial dimension and subtle effects made this an overall involving audio mix. The film took advantage of the subwoofer occasionally to create solid, deep, and powerful bass. While much of the film did not require this, it was well done when used. The dialogue was solid and at a good volume in relation to the other effects. Parents, I would personally peg the movie for a 13 year old, depending on the family. There is some profanity (f word, some s words, etc.), some sexual content involving skinny dipping, There is also plenty of violence, some suicide, and more. While much of this is bloodless, it is something to consider if violence is a concern. There is also some drinking but there is not any use of drugs. Overall, I really enjoyed In Time. While it suffered from plot flaws and basic premise issues, the film was fun and brought a new concept forward that differed nicely from the average sci-fi film. I wish more time had been spent on this and developing the other characters, but all flaws considered, I would happily watch the movie again as I feel it plays a nice commentary on modern day america, the constant struggle for life, and the class structure. Personally, this wouldn't be a movie I would purchase though, instead I would recommend renting.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

An interesting concept that started well but quickly diminished into a muddle of unbelievable characters, plot holes and Deus ex Machina that left me feeling more than a little disappointed.