Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of a school teacher on a Chicago train.  He talks with a woman named Christina (Michelle Monaghan) who wants to go on a date with the guy.   In eight minutes, a bomb destroys the train and he wakes up in what Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), his window to the outside world, calls the Source Code.   The source Code allows Colter to live the last eight minutes of a dead train passenger as the military tries to find out who is the bomber and what is his next target.

SOURCE CODE uses the realm of quantum physics and multiple universes to create a mystery as Colter lives that eight minutes multiple times as he pieces together the suspects and find the dirty bomb the crazy bomber wants to detonate in Chicago.   Also Colter wants to know why he doesn't remember how he got into the Source Code and why his last memories are on duty in Afghanistan.   SOURCE CODE is a well cast mystery as the link between Colter and Goodwin engages me.  Michelle Monaghan is a cipher as Christina and I wish the story involved Christina more.   I do wonder if it would halt the momentum the movie has. It is a tight sci-fi mystery that is able to tell the same eight minutes in different ways and they always play out differently as Colter wants to save Christina and finds out the truth about the Source Code.

SOURCE CODE is an enjoyable 90 minute trip from director Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie).   SOURCE CODE may not be as amazing as MOON (Duncan's first film), but Jones is able to direct and cast a studio film with expert skill.   The script does have flaws, but the excellent direction and editing does help hold SOURCE CODE together.  I did guess early on who the bomber was and I was right.   The story does have typical Hollywood studio script logic and yet I really enjoyed this film.   SOURCE CODE is a trip worth taking once or even twice.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio commentary with Director Duncan Jones, Writer Ben Ripley, and Actor Jake Gyllenhaal.   It is an interesting commentary track that discusses the film and gets into the talk about multiple realities and quantum physics.

Optional "Did You Know" Trivia Track is a skip-it affair unless you want know about time travel films and background elements in the film.

CAST INSIGHTS are split up into 11 featurettes that contains interviews with cast and crew as they discuss their characters and the movie.  Play All option is included.

FOCAL POINTS is a series of animated prequel shorts that address time travel and other scientific stuff featured in the film.

FINAL ANALYSIS:   SOURCE CODE is better on a second view with implications about multiple universes that make you think of what the Source Code could cause if it really existed. 

this DVD review is (c)7-28-2011 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com