“Source Code” Movie Trailer Review

“Source Code”

Movie Trailer Review

By our guest blogger, Joe Oliveto

Jake Gyllenhaal is a fine actor, but have we ever been able to take him seriously as an action star? It’s good to see directors casting against type—it’s not the 80s anymore, and we’ve had enough muscle-bound, “I’ll just shrug off this bullet-wound” heroes for one generation—but maybe Gyllenhaal is a little too realistic. There’s Jason Bourne, and then there’s Average Joe. The star of “Source Code” might be the latter.

Either way, if we can learn to take him seriously in this kind of role, maybe this movie will be worth checking out, although it seems like the type of picture that relies too heavily on its high-concept storyline. “Blade Runner” was high-concept, but Ridley Scott knew that an interesting hook only gets you so far; he created an unforgettable cinematic world to turn his picture from “good sci-fi” to “classic science fiction.”

From what we can glean from the trailer, “Source Code” involves Gyllenhaal’s character being somehow sent back through time to inhabit the body of a passenger on a train that has already been destroyed by a bomb. His goal is to identify the bomber to prevent further attacks, but along the way, he meets Michelle Monaghan, and predictably falls for her. Apparently you can’t change the past enough to save her life, but Gyllenhaal’s character is still going to try.

Ok, well, it could be a fun way to spend a weekend. We doubt that this will go down in history as a landmark sci-fi film the way “Inception” surely will, but we’re willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. The concept is interesting enough.


View the trailer below. Thoughts?