No Logan's Run

Rating: Null/10 (29 October 2011)

Seeing the previews of this, I totally expected there to be comparisons to the 1976 Sci-Fi movie, Logan's Run. After all, when you see that people will die at age 25, you get the zing of "oh, I've heard that before". So going to see this allowed for time to see how different this movie would be. And it was. Then I realized that there's going to be a re-make of Logan's Run set to open in 2014. Why? Can't we get some creativity here Hollywood? In Time has similarities to Logan's Run though, such as the obvious: you die at age 25. In Logan's Run, you had some type of gem on your arm that turned red when you turned 25. Then it was time to go to "carousel" where your under 25 homies cheered you into oblivion. There's the futuristic city where the young are living a ruse that there can be no existence after age 25. But Logan is sent on a mission to catch a "runner". He and his buddy work as enforcers that track and kill runners (those who's gem has turned red, but didn't go to carousel). But, of course, Logan ends up being chased by his enforcer buddy, who thinks he's a runner. Along the way, Logan meets a girl and the two run off. Then they find that there is life after age 25. So what's different about In Time? Well, Timberlake's character, Will Salas is actually given a bunch of extra time by someone who had become disillusioned by society. This society has a caste system. Those who have (time) are the posh elite, and live in a different time zone. Those who have not, live in the ghetto. The have nots move fast. They run. Because they don't have a lot of time. They pay for food, drinks, transportation, everything, with minutes. Their time clock is on their arms. They can look at their arms to see how much time they have left. Then there's the timekeepers. Something like Logan's friend, who chase people whom they think have stolen time. But Salas was given the extra time. Doesn't matter. Timekeeper Leon thinks he has stolen it and so begins the running. Along the way, we get to see the posh society. Enter the girl, Sylvia Weis, played well by Amanda Seyfried. The two end up on the run. Weis' father, is like a master timekeeper. Seyfried adds some comic relief in this movie. As Sylvia, she finds a way to steal time from her father, and then Salas and Sylvia change society by giving the have nots some extra time. The have nots can actually slow down. There are themes that tell the audience that Leon knew Salas' father. He possibly tracked him for giving away time. Something Timberlake's character, Salas ends up doing. Leon seems to be a lot like Salas. There's even the feeling that he could have been his father. If you like the Hollywood happy ending, then you'll find Salas and Weis becoming more of a Bonnie and Cylde type couple who steal time from the haves in order to give it to the have nots. Would I buy this on DVD? No. It was an interesting journey. Wonder if the casting director consciously cast main actors with blue eyes. Also, the cars - were they fuel efficient in the future? They didn't have door handles. Yet there were today-like bridges and roads. And there was the convenience of someone leaving their door open during the action scenes that allowed for their car to be taken. The tick-tock of time can be felt in the movie. The wall sized maps showing time zones and the people whose purpose is to track time and keep it under control. If you want an action movie where you can root for the underdog, then you'd like this one. If you're a Timberlake, or Olivia Wilde fan, then you won't be disappointed.