Imagine what it would feel like to wake up in the middle of a train with an implanted bomb. Surely it sounds like a fantasy. To add to the dreamlike embrace, the same eight minutes would have to be constantly relived. Yet for protagonist Colter Stevens in The Source Code, it was a reality with several hundred lives hanging like a thin strand of thread on the edge of a time-crunching fire. Although Stevens is unable to change the past and thus not able to prevent the explosion from occurring, his true assignment is to properly identify the bomber before the culprit decides to place another bomb in a much more populated area, the city of Chicago.
This science-fiction film, released on April 1st, 2011, had an unusual plot that allowed it to be a unique movie. Anisa Azad (10) stated, “The unusual plot line that made The Source Code incredibly intense. Every time Stevens tried to stop the bomb from exploding, I was nearly going to flip because of the suspense.” With the combination of time traveling and parallel realities, piles of suspense were stacked on top of another.
Yet aside from the thrillers, the film is not only based on battles against time and constant explosions, but it also holds a hint of love. Interestingly, it is hard enough to develop a proper loving relationship, let alone accomplish the feat in eight minute intervals. Krista Kurisaki (11) stated, “It was really cool and amazing how the director played out the scenes. I never knew love can happen in such short times!” The romantic success was just the beginning of what made The Source Code a truly fascinating adventure.
The movie was very impressive from start to finish with an excellent cast. Kurisaki commented, “I believe that the selection of the characters and their dialogue was done really well. Although I rarely heard these actors before, this movie made me feel as if I followed them for most of my life.” What contributed to the visual story’s success was that it was filled with engaging characters with whom viewers became engrossed.
Some students were absolutely captivated by the brilliance of the film. Jason Ko (11) stated, “The entire movie was just a great piece of work. You don’t get bored at all and everything works together to the very end where [the movie] just blew my mind away.” Like any other magnificent production, The Source Code captured the audience’s attention with constant heart-racing thrills and intensity through every second while not letting go for a single moment.
However, despite the praises given it, there was a major flaw which hindered this movie from becoming more fascinating. There was a lack of depth in the explanation of how the time travel worked through the space continuum. Yet as Ko pointed out, “I don’t really think the creators meant to leave a crazy analysis. Rather, I think they wanted [viewers] to just sit back and enjoy.” Certainly Ko’s statement was what happened in the movie theaters as the action-packed film did not disappoint.
