Smartest Time Travel Film of All Time

Rating: 9/10 (11 January 2002)

I must confess I have never been a Terry Gilliam fan -- wasn't one before I saw this movie, and haven't one been afterwards either -- BUT, with that said, for the two hours I sat in that theater (and the several repeat viewings at home since that time), I was very much a Gilliam fan.
Simply put, this is one of the smartest sci-fi films ever made. Weird at times, yes, slow-moving and at times confusing, yes, depressing as hell, yes...but always smart, smart, smart. And even the weirdness, which I often find off-putting in Gilliam's other films, here generally serves to draw the audience into the same nightmare in which the protagonist finds himself. And the last thirty minutes of the movie are just classic. There have been few movies that have excited me as much as the last half hour of this film -- I recall actually pumping my fist as one by one every mind-blowing loose end in the film was pulled together and tied up in time for an absolutely perfect ending -- just brilliant work.
This is not an uplifting film, nor is it an action flick. If you are looking for something to make you feel good, or for a quick action fix, this is NOT the film for you. But if you are in the mood to use that round thi ng perched up on top of your shoulders, I highly recommend this movie. 9/10