The Movie
In the modern age of high-concept Hollywood, the premise alone is enough to sell a movie like In Time. As in Logan's Run, citizens in this not-so-utopian society are given a pre-determined number of years. They have been genetically engineered (by whom, exactly...?) to stop aging at 25, at which point a clock in their forearm starts counting down just one more year to live, unless they somehow acquire more time, by whatever means necessary.
Will (Justin Timberlake) is a chronic nice guy, a have-not living several "time zones" away from haves so flush that they can effectively live forever. But, as Highlander taught us, immortality is not all it's cracked up to be. Will has barely enough minutes to get through today and yet he doesn't mind sharing with those in need. And that's his problem: He's upsetting the status quo, endangering the lifestyle of the rich and exposing the truth about the poor working stiffs who have to die off lest the world overpopulate.
Suddenly gifted over a century by a rich stranger, Will embarks upon a mission to take down the system, pursued by single-minded timekeepers who want him out of the way. He doesn't really seem to have a plan, and so the movie loses its momentum in favor of endless social commentary, albeit quite relevant in these Occupy Wall Street days. The story also begins to lose its credibility fairly quickly: This technology offers the power of life and death, but there are no safeguards, not even a password? And one or two people with handguns can rob anyone or anything? And nobody has a cellphone?
Got a minute? Because Jim Dooley's review of In Time is definitely worth your while, too.
The Picture
Director Andrew Niccol (Gattaca) is a great visual stylist and in that regard In Time does not disappoint. Shot on digital video at 2.4:1, the movie is full of bold images often presented with a distinctive use of color. But for some noise on fine details and some very minor edge enhancement, the picture here is extremely clean and sharp, with a richness that extends to the blacks, which are always deep and natural-looking.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack displays restraint in the many smaller, one-on-one scenes, with a pleasing if infrequent use of discrete surrounds. The speakers really come to life during the occasional action sequences including a decent car chase, with a fair amount of directionality. Gunshots are sharp and powerful, and some solid bass reinforcement makes the most of these and some other, subtler dramatic touches.
The Extras
"The Minutes" is a faux documentary (16-and-a-half minutes) with the stars back in character, finally delving into some much-needed backstory about this dark future state. There are also ten deleted and/or extended scenes totaling 13 minutes. All of the above are in high-def. This platter is also BD-Live-enabled, with access to a couple of trailers and a sample clip from "The Minutes." It also provides Fox's Live Lookup feature, powered by IMDb.com, for up-to-date information about the stars and filmmakers while we watch.
Disc Two is a hybrid DVD carrying the movie in standard definition, plus a Digital Copy for iTunes or Android Market.
Final Thoughts
Unexpectedly nonsensical and meandering, yet well-intentioned as both entertainment and a political treatise, In Time is a sci-fi thriller with half-baked sci-fi and limited thrills. The bonus features do bring some welcome context, but the exceptional video quality alone might not be enough to stop our clocks.
Product Details
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