very competent B sci fi
Added 10/19/2006
since the other review is a little harsh I thought I would up its star rating. anyway I did like this a lot. It is one of the better examples of b sci fi and is something I will always try to keep a copy of. wish it was on dvd. the premise is somewhat similar to minority report (without all that big budget stuff). judgement for murder in the future is as follows: they go back in time and kill you before you even start committing crimes. I'm a sucker for time travel stuff. I didnt really like minority report much so I can honestly say I prefer this. the 5 stars? well, B sci fi doesnt get much better than this.
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POOR BASICS BRING EXPECTED RESULTS.
Added 10/30/2004
To be successful, science fiction and science fantasy must rely, in whichever modes they appear, upon creation of a sense of wonder parented by imagination, with cinematic examples being legion, from THINGS TO COME to BLADERUNNER, but unfortunately films of this genre are too often devoid of imaginative structure. Such is the case with this low budget effort shot in and about Vancouver (representing Seattle) and featuring Eric Roberts, who has referred to himself as "the king of B movies", an infirm distinction at best, and in the event here nothing of which to be proud, with his co-leads seemingly being stunt and demolition performers. A rather disjointed plot is set in a present visited by three individuals from a near future (2023) who move into their past to eliminate crime at its source by executing criminals-in-the-making, and while one is soon aware that time travel paradoxes are rife, they are sublimated by a glut of vehicle chases, explosions, and lengthy gun fights during which injuries are scarce. There are so-called "special effects" a-plenty, not very well done, and obviously a misplaced expenditure of future resources for the lone purpose of eradicating a small coterie of four teenagers who are engaged in selling weapons to other teens, but they do provide rationale for countermeasures utilized by Seattle P.D. detective Dylan Cutter (Roberts) who moves from one crime scene to another in his personal older Chevrolet Camaro ( equipped with red light, etc.), a particularly notable feat since the car is totaled early on in a collision with an oversized van. But then, such flaws in continuity and logic are fundamental when substitutes for imagination are wielded, as in this film that squanders talented performers such as Nick Mancuso and Saul Rubinek who are cast as two of the time travelers, along with a hearty effort by Laurie Holden, who plays Cutter's partner, to infuse her character with some depth, so that a viewer finally focuses upon the camerawork and lighting skills of cinematographer John Houtman as items of true imaginative quality.
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