A fascinating concept that doesn’t live up to expectations

Before In Time hit theaters, director Andrew Niccol said this movie could be considered a spiritual successor to his influential sci-fi epic Gattaca.   And while both films do deal with questions of what it means to be human, if you’re going into In Time expecting another Gattaca, you could be severely disappointed.

>While In Time has an interesting hook and some fascinating implications, it’s not quite the success Gattaca was.

Of course, to be fair, few sci-fi films are.

In Time is more a descendant of the popular 70’s film Logan’s Run.

In the near future, humans have found a way to stop aging upon celebrating their 25th birthday.  To live beyond 25, you either have to earn more time from work or having someone give you time.  This time is kept via a digital display on each person’s arm.  Time has replaced money as the commodity in the society and there are the have’s and the have not’s.  There’s also a potential black market for trading and/or stealing time from others.

Will is a young worker in the ghetto, struggling to earn enough each day to keep on living and to pay for life’s necessities.  One night at a bar, a man walks in with one hundred years worth of time.  When Will helps him escape from a gang who would like to steal his time, the man rewards him by passing along his remaining years and then allowing his clock to expire.  Will is quickly suspected of killing the man for his time and pursued by the Timekeepers, a resident police force.  Along the way, Will works his way into high society and meets and falls in love with the daughter of one of the world’s wealthiest men.

As a concept, In Time has some lofty aspirations.  The notion of time replacing money as a commodity is an intriguing one and the implications of virtual immortality for the rich and struggling to make it through one more day for the poor poses some fascinating questions.  The big problem is that the film rarely stops or slows down long enough in the right spots to allow the audience to fully reflect on those implications.   Will and his girlfriend quickly turn into a Bonnie and Clyde of stealing time and creating a societal revoluation, all while trying to stay one step ahead of the Timekeeper who has become obsessed with bringing them to justice .

The cast is led by Justin Timberland and Amanda Seyfried as the Bonnie and Clyde style lovers, leading a crime wave and potential revolution.  Both turn in solid performances but they lack any real on-screen romantic chemistry, making much of the love story fall woefully flat.

And while the film may play better in home theaters, I don’t think it’s going to gain the type of reputation that Gattaca did thanks to home video.  It’s solid enough for a viewing or two, but I’m not sure it demands the repeat viewings that Gattaca does.

That’s not say this is a terrible film.  It’s a good one.  The problem is it has the potential to be great and falls just a bit short.

Actors: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy
Number of discs: 1
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Video
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Run Time: 109 minutes

Slice of SciFi Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0