Yet another "humans are cogs in a giant wheel" movie

Rating: Null/10 (26 May 2004)

Can the world stand one more of these movies? Whatever happened to the idea of free will, or that things happen by accident, or that you can never really plan anything--stuff just happens for no reason? Are we really living in a time where people are so scared of world events that they want to believe we are all part of some gigantic plan? Why are movies about predestination being made, the idea is as old and outdated as bloodletting, the miracle cure. Donnie Darko, Memento, and the Matrix were all the same way, shoving people into categories where their fate was predetermined; it is the ultimate fantasy for people who need explanations for life's travails, because it means that all of the bad things that happen to them are not their fault. People, there is no grand plan for each one of us. If there were, then why bother doing anything, your fate is already sealed.
That said, this movie is about as enjoyable as a root canal. Snarky, caustic teens sulk across the screen, looking curiously old. Movies come from artificiality and therefore strive to distance themselves from it, but this film seems to embrace it: every scene looks phony and staged, like the "fight" when they are booted off the plane. There is no life to any of the characters, they are like little plastic cows in a model train set, placed here and there for aesthetic reasons. At its core, this movie is thickheaded and hamhanded, lacking anything remotely resembling entertainment. I guess dull and stupid movies have their place; after all, it makes good movies look that much better.