In Time, it Delivers

Rating: 8/10 (28 October 2011)

What you will be handed is: A fresh spin on a dystopian-bound future featuring the concept of time--literally prolonging the expiration date of your life--replacing the value of money.
A good serving of drama; they don't just go all adrenaline on this concept. They focus on the reality of human struggle how there's almost no hope for the future if you're living on the edge of paycheck to paycheck. Or, on the other hand...what does life feel like when you're earning and freely enjoying all the coveted time and wealth in the world that the whole world is suffering over? Some moments in this movie will punch you cold-blooded and it hurts.
Great life-or-death situations. Since the clock is always ticking in this movie, the suspense never dies when someone's life is on the line and the suspense has been some of the most unnervingly close calls I have seen in a while. The accompanying action is decent, but nothing too impressive or never-before-seen.
Okay acting. Cillian Murphy and Vincent Kartheiser really had the best performances, the two leads were just okay, yet fell flat on an often basis.
A plot that can be steadier. The pacing works well, though the tone doesn't maintain it's level all the way through, it does in the beginning, but not the middle and end. Some humor is thrown in but it doesn't work well. Some scenes try to have that fun, pump-up-the-music bad-boy action style and that has no flow or belonging either.
A guarantee that you will do some of the thinking and drawing some of your own conclusions. Some motives/outcomes feel under-explained though. But most importantly, the writers didn't go through the hassle of explaining how the clock and all the complimentary commodities work with your body, but I commend them for skipping out on it. Don't worry about the past calculations, worry about the present effect. Go in preparing to accept a challenging concept, this is one for the thinkers.
Overall, this was a pretty solid sci-fi movie. If you enjoyed Surrogates with Willis, you will most likely enjoy In Time.