What a creepy soundtrack. Bringing chills to the spine even before the movie even starts. It is like unveiling an evil piece of art. Despite this there is a mysterious tone fitting perfect to the movie.
Anyway this is not a music blog. When we do not see the naked bottom of the young Bruce Willis in the role of James Cole, we see great acting from all the main characters. Excitement, troubling behaviour, psychological issues, time-travel confusion and straight-up craziness are some of the emotions and situations that the actors nail.
Let us talk about the scenario. In the present day, only a few people survive underground due to a deadly virus which unleashed some years ago. Our protagonist is sent to the past to track down the virus and return to the present and help scientists cure the virus. Of course there are some problem. First of all none believes our hero claiming to be a time-traveler. Also he was sent in the wrong year several times and returned to the present. And finally there is a huge spaghetti like story to unravel in order to find the original creators of the virus.
However, I do not think that it is exaggeration to say the movie starts very confusing. Especially if you are not carefully enough. How did our protagonist end up in jail? Well he did not enter one but why is he a criminal? After the time travel why did he end up in a psychiatric institute? Also if you are a random doctor like the lovely psychiatrist of James Cole, why would you risk everything to help him, spend a ton of money for him, leave your job and destroy your career even if you believed that he is a time-traveler?
In conclusion, combining the scenario, acting, general movie theme and all those nice details, it is a really great movie. Maybe a little heavy to digest but you are rewarded with excitement, critical thinking and time-travel paradoxes as well as hidden messages throughout the movie.
Favourite quotes:
“Jeffrey Goines : There’s no right, there’s no wrong, there’s only popular opinion.”
“James Cole : Look at them. They’re just asking for it. Maybe the human race deserves to be wiped out.”