Product: Frequency (2000)
Rating: 2.0
An Unusual Twist on Cinematic Time Travel That Doesn't Seem to Understand Itself
An odd twist on time distortion in which, due to the inexplicable appearance of the aurora borealis over Queens, a New York cop is able to communicate via ham radio with his long-dead father thirty years in the past. Completely ignoring the warnings of Doc Brown and Marty McFly, he immediately spoils the upcoming World Series and dozens of important life moments for his father, before the two decide to pair up in search of an unresolved string of historical murders. The film can't decide if it wants to do the sappy paternal bonding thing or follow a more suspenseful path, and its main plot mechanism is clunky, under-explained and inconsistent. It's also routinely telegraphed from beginning to end, with a narrow scope limiting its potential escape routes and an overdose of father-son baseball allegories. Hackneyed, hammy and haphazard, it plays like a bloated sci-fi short story in desperate need of revision.