“In Time”
1.5 out of 5 Pitchforks
20th Century Fox
Released: Oct. 28
I can only wonder what Marx would say about time literally being worth money in the new movie “In Time.” However, it’s fortunate he is not able to see it — and it would be more fortunate if no one else saw it either. Though the premise of the movie is intriguing, the poor development, inconsistent plot structure and trite characters prevent it from being successful.
In “In Time,” future scientists have found the way to keep people from aging, but to prevent overpopulation, people have to use their time as currency. The more time a person has, the wealthier he is, and the longer he can live. Impoverished Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) rarely has more than a day's amount of life on his time clock, but when he saves a wealthy man from time thieves, he is given a century-old gift. However, this wealth makes Will a target for the authorities and thieves, which forces him to go on the run. In order to protect himself, Will also has to take Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), an incredibly wealthy man’s daughter, hostage. Their fate becomes intertwined as they try to upend the corrupt economic system.
Many people can relate to the ideas presented in the film: time is money, the wealthy are unfairly rewarded and the poor struggle to stay alive. Directed by Andrew Niccol, the film brings a great idea to the screen, but unfortunately fails to follow through on it.
Timberlake and Seyfried put forth the effort needed for their roles, which is actually very little. The dramatic moments and tensions throughout the film seem manufactured, as does the characters’ chemistry. In one scene, the vigilante couple hold hands, but are then pointing guns at each other in the next. Though their interactions are meant to be sexy, they were really just unbelievable.
The other characters are never developed to their full potential, either. The supposed wealthy evil-doers are never that evil, and the good-doers are never that good. This wasn’t so much a twist as it was just confusing. Though the movie was littered with entertaining one-liners throughout, it wasn’t enough to sustain the dialogue.
Though it’s subpar in other areas, the movie does a nice job of showcasing aesthetic action scenes: the actors are beautiful, the car chases are fast, the crashes are big and there’s lots and lots of running.
By the end, I understood why the characters feel so embattled for their time. I felt like I lost two hours, as well. The makers of the film must have forgotten that their audience’s time is worth something, too.
Reach the reporter at mgrichar@asu.edu
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