Watch the trailer
Written by: BenDavid Grabinski
Directed by: BenDavid Grabinski
Starring: Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza González, Keith David, Jimmy Tatro, Stephen Root, Ben Schwartz
Rated: R
Plot
Two friends navigate the dangerous world of organized crime, testing their loyalty and survival skills as they get deeper into the criminal underworld.
Verdict
It's a great genre mashup, taking two well used premises and combining them to make this fun by providing a fresh idea. Either idea alone would be tedious. We've seen gangster movies where one friend has to protect another, and we've seen time travel movies where the protagonist must right a wrong. The combination makes this fun enough to be entertaining along with Vince Vaughn quipping his way through the movie. I just wish it had a stronger conclusion, instead of ending with a whimper.
It depends.
Review
Opening with some kind of scientist in a lab, soon this cuts to a party for what appears to be a gangster's son that just got out of jail. At this party is loan shark Nick (Vince Vaughn) and his wife Alice (Eiza González). Also there is Quick Draw Mike (James Marsden) who's having an affair with Alice.
Mike wants out of the organization, but Nick needs him for one last job that appears to be a kidnapping. Nick cautions him that no matter what he sees, he needs to chloroform the target. Mike's surprised when the target is Nick, but not the Nick in the car. How does that work?
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| Eiza González, James Marsden, Vince Vaughn, play Alice, Mike, Nick and Nick |
It's a fun premise as we begin to suspect the lab in the beginning may have had a time travel device. Future Nick wants to save Mike, and surprisingly both Nicks know about the affair. Nick's plan starts with the party, continuing through the after party and the after after party. Future Nick has to stop present Nick and save Mike in the process. Mike's been framed as a snitch and the cannibal assassin, "The Barron" is dispatched to take care of Mike.
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| Vince Vaughn plays Nick and Nick |
I disagree with the movie that there was a time 'before' Nick went back. If he went back, he always went back. It's a paradox. If Nick manages to keep Mike alive, he'll have no reason to go back other than try to maintain the new timeline. There should only be one timeline, and it's constant.
This has a fun discussion about Gilmore Girls that turns into an argument, but I wish the conclusion was stronger. The movie wrestles with common tropes, using humor as a shield. The finale is a non-ending. It's common for one of these genres, but it's not satisfying.
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| Opening Title Card |
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