Fast Five movie review

Whoever said "originality is dead" was spot on. It's a possibly true fact that 70% of movies released every year are sequels. At this rate there will cease to be a non-sequel movie in precisely one year. The hollywood machine keeps making these sequels because we keep giving them our cash. And I am to blame just as much as anyone else for this. I just wish I never had the curiosity to find out what happens with Neo after the first Matrix. I also regret praying that we'd see Spiderman finally take on Venom on the big screen. Yuck.

One thing the first Fast and the Furious movie never had going for it was quality or expectations(though I'm sure a large number of people would disagree with my correct judgment). So it's not as if I think any of the sequels have taken a large drop in quality. To be honest, they have been pretty consistent. But that is also saying that the last 5 Saw movies were pretty consistent. Consistent doesn't necessarily mean 'good.'

Fast Five once again brings back Vin "speech impediment" Diesel, Paul "cardboard acting" Walker, and other people from the entire series, including the Asian guy who died in Tokyo Drift. So it took 3 movies but Paul Walker has finally left the cop life behind and has joined up with Diesel for the full-on crime life in Rio. Basically they spend the whole movie planning a heist (apparently they are heist movies now) while they are being sought by murderous Brazilian thugs and Federal agents led by a goateed Rock.

The acting is terrible. Even the Rock who has more charisma than the entire cast combined delivers lines as if he was just making it up. And if you check out this Onion news story that may not be far off. I could not help but burst out laughing at the awful dialogue. The audience I saw it with felt the same up to a point, halfway through the movie they decided it was the greatest movie they have seen since the 4th Fast and Furious movie. There was cheering, uproarious laughter, hoots, hollers, and even head bobbing.

Everyone walked out of this movie loving life and probably driving home at least 10 mph faster. I honestly could not wipe the smile off of my face. It might be the funniest movie I've seen all year but for all the wrong reasons. This was definitely in the category of so terribly awful, that it is so terribly good. Fans will eat this up, and elitists such as myself should see it with these crowds. It just makes for a better experience. I'm saying 1 star, because it's a bad movie, but a good use of your time.

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Screaming Bloody Murder Sum41 Album Review

So I'm a little late on this review.  I know that many people like to give an album review the week it is released.  I listen and re-listen to a new album dozens of times in the first month or so...especially if it's good. (I've only played the new Radiohead a few times--sorry Thom--it's not that good)  Over the course of  this time, I may like some songs more or less than I first thought.  My first impression doesn't always hold.

I remember a decade ago when Sum41 first hit the scene.  This was in the heyday of young punkish bands flooding the market.  The Offspring, Blink182, and others Warped Tour-esque bands flooded the airwaves.  Sum41 only stuck out in my mind for their humorous videos.  I thought their popularity was fleeting.  Luckily, they proved me wrong.  I thought their funny videos were their gimmick.  Sum41 doesn't have a gimmick.  Their gimmick is that their music is just downright good.

Sum41's new offering is titled Screaming Bloody Murder.  This album comes after 2 solid showings in previous albums. (Chuck and Underclass Hero)  Chuck was like a breath of fresh air for me.  Sum41 waded further from their punk sound and ventured into riffs reminiscent of Metallica, harmonies like the Beatles, and drum work to make Neil Pert jealous.  Am I overstating this--probably.  But it one of my favorite true rock/metal albums of the last 10 years.

Underclass Hero slowed things down a bit, and brought back some punk feel.  It is a great album, but not in the class of Chuck. (IMHO)  Screaming Bloody Murder is much more "rock" than Underclass Hero.  It starts off with a couple great songs in Reason to Believe and the title track.  Screaming Bloody Murder is probably the best bet for broad appeal to play over the airwaves.

Sum41 does a great job of varying rhythms, melodies, and mixing up the feel within each sound.  They don't use an equation in each song. (verse1/chorus/verse2/chorus/bridge/chorus--fade to Hall and Oates in the shadows.)  They effectively use harmonies, and the talent is truly evident in all of the instruments.

Summary:

Rockability--Very high marks in this category.  I feel better about cranking this at a stoplight as opposed to Ben Folds. (I suppose a 35 year old Engineer with loads of kids doesn't need to be rocking out at stoplights)

Repeatability--Also a very high score.  The album is getting better with each listen.

Familiy-friendability--This scores on the lower end.  While it doesn't approach the offensive-ness of say Lisa Lampanelli, it does have a song title Skumf*k.

Affordability--It's only $5.99 as a digital download on Amazon.com.  What a freaking deal.  You can also listen for free on Sum41.com.

Lengthability--This is a good solid 14-song album. (unlike the recent Coldplay album.  On viva la vida loca, If you take away the intro and outro song  which are basically the same thing, you're left with 6-song single.  When you pay full price for a short album, you've just been coldplayed.)  Drop in the earbuds, and go mow the lawn.  You'll be listening the whole time.

Versatility--Also a high score.  This album could be played in most circumstances--exercise, in the car, during a slow church sermon, and would do well in some form of Rockband video game.

Sexuality--For those of you who listen to music during romantic episodes (whether that be with a partner or alone--I don't judge), this is probably not a good choice.  I suggest some lighter listening.

This is a very strong album that will be in my regular rotation.  I would rank it right alongside Underclass Hero, but a little short of Chuck.  4 rocking stars.

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Scream 4 Movie Review

I was 15 when the first Scream was released. I didn't see it in theaters but saw it on video. It was a great mix of satire and actual horror that mimicked and commented on all horror films released previously. The only reason I got the jokes is because my Grandma accidentally recorded the Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Halloween movies for me when I was 9. Great childhood, I know.

Now, 11 years after the third Scream, they have continued the story of victim/survivor Sidney Prescott, who just happens to be a death magnet. Everyone around her seems to be gutted by the Ghostface killer. I'm just saying that if I knew her, I would de-friend her on facebook. This movie has Sidney visiting her hometown and the scene of the original crimes. Deputy Dewey and Gail Weathers are now married and living the basic hum-drum life in Woodsboro. Though inevitably as Sidney returns the killings begin again.

Each Scream movie has always begun with a fantastic opening sequence and this one does not disappoint. Scream 4 is in on the excessive-sequel joke and also references the fact that there has been 7 Saw films in the past few years. Don't be late to the theater or you'll miss one of the best scenes of the movie.

Besides the original cast, the film focuses on a new cast of high school characters, the lead being Sidney's niece played by Emma Roberts. They give the audience the new perspective on how horror films have changed in the past ten years and give some good comic relief. I actually wish the film focused on the kids more and the new rules of horror.

I wouldn't say that slasher films are very viable in this age of iphones and social media, but fortunately this movie is able to tie in how media has changed and isn't hampered by the fact that the home phone line can't be cut anymore. I would say it's almost easier in this age for someone to be the ghostface killer. Oh, you want to be able to change your voice and ask "What's your favorite scary movie?" Then just download the ghostface app.

There are the typical dumb victim flaws and horror movie mistakes made, and the people you don't care about are the ones who are offed so it doesn't make this movie as dramatic or suspenseful. Though it does a great job of ripping on reboots and becoming a reboot itself. This is a fun movie that is worth watching with a lady friend. A good ride but also pretty forgettable.

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FightGear Safety Cage Headgear Review

When it comes to hobbies, I am fickle to say the least. I change hobbies like most people change spouses, every two years after an initial investment of roughly half my income. That being said, my latest passion is kickboxing/MMA fighting. Why you ask? Because I am 35 years old, working through my 2nd pre-midlife crisis and there is a terrific amount of satisfaction that can be gained by punching people in the face. It is also a great workout. I have been doing this for a little over a year (so it is almost time to switch to hockey) and it has been a rocky year at that. I have had my nose shattered twice, both requiring surgery, and have been casted with a broken foot. That was all in the same 3 month period. Now I am recovered and back to bangin’ but am taking way more precautions than before. First, I only fight people I know and trust won’t go crazy and try to kill me. Second, I gear up every time. That means I wrap my wrists, wear a cup, and got myself some decent headgear and wear it every time I spar.

So the headgear is what I would like to address here. I was at the point where I didn’t want my nose touched, at all, so I looked for the best possible protection I could find and ended up with what is basically a full on Hockey mask. New hockey, not Jason Vorhees hockey. It has a metal grill that completely covers your face and the construction is very heavy duty. This thing is going to last. When I put this on the first time, I was also delighted that I still had pretty good visibility, although it came down a little too far in front making looking up at taller targets difficult. Visibility in all other directions was as clear as a bell. It also absolutely protects the face, nobody is getting through that metal barrier, so I thought I was set.

Now comes the issue, I used this to fight several people and here is what I found. When you put on a full metal facemask in a kickboxing gym, you become the perceived invincible man. What I mean is, everyone thinks you are so protected that they can simply T-off on you every time you spar. I had more brutal head kicks with that gear on than ever before because nobody pulls their punches or kicks. They think you won’t feel a thing because you are all caged up. My face was protected, sure, but my brain was still sloshing around in my melon and my neck was getting worse whiplash than a driving instructor teaching a blond to drive stick. I think we have established that I am not skilled enough to either keep my guard up or dodge anything, (Hence the previous injuries) and this fact was greatly exacerbated by this headgear. That is, it is virtually impossible to slip a punch with this thing on your head. You basically have this huge bobble-head target that takes a full impact no matter how much you move or how little their glove connects, because it isn’t slippery..nothing slips. That cage grabs their fists like Velcro and transfers the whole impact to your brain.

After getting knocked around a lot, I shifted to a smaller leather headgear that has cheek protectors that extend pretty well on both sides of my nose. It still leaves the nose exposed to shots, but takes the brunt of the blast and is really the best a guy could hope for. I am also now able to slip and move as my new headgear is more a part of me rather than a cartoonish helmet. The jokes about how to get to the ice rink have also subsided since the change. I think this cage would be great for people sparing with weapons, and as for straight face protection for say… stealing golf balls from a driving range during business hours, there really isn’t anything better. It’s great, as long as you don’t use it for kickboxing or MMA or combat sport where mobility, balance, and agility are important. It looked like a great idea, just didn’t pan out for what I needed.

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Vaseline Men Fast Lotion Review

As a man...who is reviewing lotion...I will desparately try to steer clear of the most obvious line of humor on this subject, although I give no promises.


I am a fancy lad.  I enjoy hot baths, spendy hair care products, and most of all--lotion.  I'm not going to lie.  Hand lotion is a must-have for my dainty hands.

I also have a dire fear of contracting any and all viruses that come near my "personal space."  This causes me to wash my hands roughly 27 times per day.  The result of this is a leprosy-like dry skin phenomenon.  I can play bloody knuckles without a partner...i just form a fist.

The only relief from my digit scrubbing is lotion.  I've rated "rubbing in hand lotion after hand washing" in my "top 10 best things in the world," right below "wearing new socks" and just above "sleeping in freshly made sheets after a hot shower".  (I told you I was fancy lad-esque)

I've sampled the gamut of lotion throughout my life. (resisting the joke....so hard to resist)  Eucerin, Vaseline, Aloe, store brand, etc.  Some are good...some are bad.  Generally, I use whatever the wife has purchased. (And as her skin is silky smooth, I follow suit)

Recently, my brother-in-law was using a lotion that carried with it something more than the promise of healthy pores and a sheer glow.  It was a very pleasant man-scent.
I've generally been used to hints of lavender, lilac, or other plant that starts with L in my lotion.  It never struck me to get lotion that smells like "hot fireman" or "guy on the cover of Mens health."  After body wash, deodorant, and cologne, I would have thought that the musky scent potpourri would be overpowering.

In my attempts to appeal to my wife in any way possible, I purchased Vaseline lotion for Men. (Fast drying formula)  It smelled good on the shelf, and so I bought the "larger than life" size. (more resistance....leave the joke alone...)

I graded this lotion on 3 major categories:

Soothing--It works just as good as any Vaseline lotion.  No complaints here.
Oily--The lotion works into the skin well, and doesn't leave an oily residue.
Smell--At first, the smell is fairly pleasant.  If I had to describe it, I would call it "Josh Duhamel on a motorbike."  Unfortunately, this Duhamel-high only lasts about 5 seconds, as this lotion makes a sharp turn to rankness and depravity.  The scent morphs into an alcohol-like aroma mixed with latex gloves.  It is not only off-putting, but nauseating to the sinuses.  One might want to impress a woman with this scent, only to have her thinking of a colonoscopy.

I cannot overstate how disgusting this "after-scent" is.  I will no longer use this lotion.  It smells too terrible.  Bring on the hibiscus leaves and crushed apricot.  I relish the opportunity to go back to my fancy boy roots.  Musky man just doesn't suit me.

0 stinky stars out of 5.  I will forever regret this purchase as the smell reminds me of receiving the jelly finger.  The only reason to purchase this lotion is if you want to eternally associate this horrible smell with a bad "habit" that you are trying to break.

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Ehow.com Website Review

I'm proud to say that I've earned at least 2 dozen post-graduate degrees from my studies on the internet.  I don't generally like to brag, but I've achieved these degrees in lawn maintenence, wierd rash decoding, college football BCS standings complaining, smart-phone purchasing analysis, and writing poorly executed blogger code.

While this may sound ridiculous, it's more common than not.  How many of us spend 15 minutes on the internet researching a subject, and then become a self-proclaimed expert on the topic?  Anyone under 18 probably thinks that Wikipedia is the best place for facts on the Internet. (I don't trust anything that's monitored by guys who spend all their free time policing others' insertions while taking very short breaks for internet porn and cheeto binges.  Claiming to be in the "top 100" of wikipedia edits isn't a matter of pride...but of pity)

I've recently been doing a bunch of home improvement projects, and have found the internet to be a good source of just about every problem that arises.  The best results are usually message boards or videos on youtube.

Unfortunately, there is a group of terrible...and I mean TERRIBLE search results in Google when you are looking for instructions on how to do anything.  Millions of people around the world have also received their post-graduate internet degrees, and want to spew their knowledge around the interwebs more blatantly than Ariana Huffington.  Among these are ask.com, wiki.answers.com, and answers.yahoo.com.  But the grand-daddy of all is ehow.com.

Ehow.com is a site that churns out instructions, videos, and articles on how to do just about anything in this world.  They pay freelance writers to pump out content faster than Charlie Sheen gaffes.  Unfortunately, these articles by and large suck ass.  Is there a electrician monitoring the content given by an "electrician freelancer"?  No, or else this electrician could just write the article himself.  Do they have IT experts checking the facts on how to install a DSL modem? Nope.

This leads to articles being vague, poorly explained, and sometimes flat-out wrong.  Perhaps they need to screen their freelance authors a little more closely.

Even worse are the multiple articles by ehow that describe the same thing.  There are honestly a thousand articles on laying tile--none of which are over a few hundred words, and very few have videos.  Much like Glenn Beck, the site is full of useless information.

I put ehow to the test, and picked 3 items that should be something everybody should know, hopefully getting an explanation from ehow.com.

1--How do you wipe your butt.  NOTHING!!  Only references to butt acne. (I bookmarked it for later reference)

2--How to steal your neighbors cable.  Again, I was met by a blank look from ehow.

3--How to remove a website from Google search results.  Yet again ehow.com was stymied.  Luckily, Google didn't let me down.  Here is the skinny:

The next time you come across an ehow.com Google search result (inevitable), click it.  Then quickly click the "back" button, and an option below this search result should be there titled "Block all ehow.com results".  Thankfully click this link and be ehow free for all time and eternity. (Caveat--you must be logged into google)

3 strikes and ehow.com has struck out.  Pumping out innumerable crappy articles for the sole sake of generating traffic and revenue is reprehensible.  On a side note, Review Spew is now accepting articles written by freelancers reviewing any topic or item.  No skill besides an internet PHD is required.  Payment will be given with Dairy Queen coupons.

Ehow.com garners a big fat zero star rating for an utter fail.  Pwned.

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Three Little Pills Review

Maybe, just maybe it has everything to do with my weight. Perhaps it’s just genetics or a sign of old age. Then again maybe it’s the 2 open face Peanut Butter and Honey sandwiches I eat each night just before going to bed (my wife refers to these as colon-cloggers). Whatever the reason, I have problems with constipation.

I started taking fiber supplement tablets a few years ago after I went a solid month without pooping.
That was an extremely miserable experience of which I will spare you the details. I started out with what I knew from TV which was Fiber-Con brand fiber tablets. This got the ball or rather the poop rolling. Then I discovered that Costco had a Kirkland brand fiber tablet. Guess what? Not only were they cheaper but they actually worked better. I had never been so regular.

The true test of their effectiveness came about 6 months ago when I ran out and Costco seemed to be out of the Kirkland brand. I ended up trying Walgreens brand fiber tablets. Talk about bringing everything to a screeching halt. If I wanted to be that plugged up I would have….never mind. I returned to Costco where I was well pleased to learn they had restocked the Kirkland fiber tablets. I cannot recommend these enough and declare them a certified ReviewSpew All-Star!

Lately, I find myself increasingly unable to sleep at night. This is something I have never, ever, ever had problems with. They say the ability to quickly fall asleep and sleep soundly throughout the night is a sign of a clean conscience. “They” fail to realize that it could also be the sign of someone without a conscience. I bet Hitler slept just peachy fine most of the time and that Charles Manson has that permanent smile on his face even when sleeping.

Fully understanding that I do not have a clean conscience leads me to believe and accept the truth that I don’t have a conscience at all. Until lately. This is indeed unwanted and troubling and I really am working on ways to push the guilt and shame just as far down as possible to allow me to drift off and stay asleep. Until I figure that all out I have been taking Advil PM.


These little bad boys are amazing. You take two and lay down in bed and just about the time you convince yourself they aren’t working (typically 20-30 minutes) BAMM! You look at the clock and I kid you not a minimum of 6 hours has gone by without you even being aware. You close your eyes and marvel at this fact for what you think is a few minutes, then you look at the clock to make sure that it had really been 6 hours and BAMM another 2 hours has gone by. Your alarm clock goes off and here is the truly wonderful part…you are awake, rested and alert.

Ah but they do have 2 draw backs. One, despite anything the maker may claim, you do become dependent on them in order to fall asleep and two they stop working after about a week of taking them. This leads to a few days of pure psychotic behavior on your part as you are truly unable to sleep at all despite having 4 times the recommended dose of these things in your system. Something I am definitely not advising because it doesn’t work anyway, just makes you feel like there’s something crawling under your skin. You meth addicts know what I’m talking about. Anyway, for an occasional sleep aid, these things really are awesome. Because of all the other problems they bring I can only award 3 stars.

Remember way back when in the 80’s and there were those anti-teenage pregnancy billboards that showed a girl and a boy facing each other and both were pregnant and it said “When your girlfriend is pregnant so are you”? You remember don’t you? The ad that didn’t do a thing for teenage pregnancy but lead to an entire generation of boys claiming “That ain’t my baby”. I digress.

I said all that so I could tell you this: When you’re wife is menstruating so are you. Oh yes, she is going to make dang sure you are feeling her pain. I also have a teenage daughter and guess what? Their cycles really do synch-up. What cruel twist of fate dealt that reality to us poor unsuspecting men? Anyway, the cure is simple. First part is to track your wife’s cycles so you can prepare ahead of time for it. Next buy lots and lots of chocolate because it really does work. Order some flowers, sandbag at work for an entire week ahead of time so you suddenly “Have to work late the next few nights, so sorry honey”, and buy lots and lots and lots of Midol Maximum Strength Menstrual Complete.

The stuff works, simple as that. It does almost everything the box says it does. It relieves “Cramps; Bloating; Fatigue; Backache; Headache.” Where the box lies is when it says this: “Package Not Child-Resistant … EASY TO OPEN” and it says it just like that in all caps with yellow highlight. This review is about the box. It’s horrible. It’s evil. The pills come in these little cardboard squares which are many things but they definitely are not easy to open.

Fearing like hell that one of the women in my house might skip a dose I found myself frantically trying to open as many as these as I could and place them into one of lasts months empty bottles of Midol. It took damn near forever and by the time I was done I was cramping, bloated, fatigued, and had a backache and a headache. So I took 2 of the little suckers. Made my nipples sensitive, I cried during an episode of Glee, but my cramps and pains went away pretty quick. Always, always, always buy these in a bottle. The cardboard box sucks big time and scores a perfect zero stars.

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Night Terrors Review

I kind of thought that after my kids were out of the baby stage and were sleeping well, that I would also get back to a reasonable sleep schedule. Wow, was I wrong. The fact of the matter is, there are simply too few hours in the day to justify what most would call a reasonable amount of sleep. I don’t like to take time away from my wife and kids, so if I pursue hobbies or sports, I have to do it at times when they are sleeping or away. That leaves either late at night or early in the morning. Hence, to fight my fatty fatness, I get up before 5am every day for some exercise before work. I then work until 6pm and get home in time to eat dinner with the family and spend a little time with the kiddos before bedtime. After the kids go to bed, I spend time with the wife and handle all other household/civic/and/or personal duties and projects that are my responsibility. This puts me in bed around midnight every night. That’s just life, everyone does it, but I’ve noticed some strange complications as I reached the age of 35.

I’ve always claimed that people who say they “must have at least 8 hours of sleep or just can’t function” are whiners and “must” have it because they have the option of having it. “The body adapts“, has always been my motto. I’ve also always quietly despised anyone that says they just “can’t” get up early because they simply aren’t a morning person. When you have no choice, I guess you will get your lazy ass out of bed. I don’t think there was ever a farmer that let his cattle whither and die or their udders burst because he wasn’t a morning person and just “couldn‘t“ get up to milk or feed. Ok, enough with the soapbox, now to the sleep complications that I never expected.

1. It is now 50/50 whether I will choose sex or sleep. Most nights I go to sleep and just hope for a sex dream to kill two birds with one stone.

2. I’m borderline narcoleptic. I can be in full REM sleep within 10 min. anywhere, anytime. Watching movies at home is useless, no amount of skin or blood onscreen can keep me from snoozing.

3. Dull eyes. My eyes are now yellowish, bloodshot orbs that look dull and lifeless. At least now my yellow teeth don’t seem so out of place in my jaundiced melon.

4. Fat. I’m Fat and I know it has something to do with my sleep, and Cheetos.

5. Even when I do sleep, I am now plagued with Night Terrors. This is where you are either fully asleep or half asleep and basically get dismembered in your dreams. I wake up thrashing, screaming, or sprint to the kitchen out of a dead sleep with my heart pounding out of my chest. I’ve also had the partial dream experiences where I am looking around the room but am unable to move any part of my body, while drifting in and out of my nightmares. If you haven’t experienced this, no logic or rational helps. In those moments, you end up being a terrified pile of goo just wanting to be held by your mommy….or your naked wife. (For some reason the naked part helps.)

All of the other mentioned complications are things that I can deal with, but the last one is really freaking me out. So, with something this disruptive in my life, I went to the only reasonable source of knowledge around. I’ve searched the internet to look up reasons for my insanity, and here is what I found.

There does seem to be a link between mental disorders and sleep terrors in adults. Researchers have found that adults with night terrors may also have a medical history of one of the following mental disorders:

• Depression - Getting murdered in my sleep every night is starting to depress me.
• Anxiety - I’m a little anxious about getting murdered in my sleep.
• Bipolar disorder - I’m pretty much a prick all the time, so no real issues here, I‘m just polar, not bipolar.

Even if an adult with night terrors does not have a mental disorder, they are likely to have other sleep disorders, medical conditions and lifestyle issues such as:

Sleep disorders:

• Sleep deprivation - Yeah, but who with kids and a job doesn’t have this problem?
• Obstructive sleep apnea - Not yet, but another 10lbs and a little more on my 3rd chin and I am there.

Medical conditions:

• Hyperthyroidism (overproduction of thyroid hormones) - I only overproduce testosterone.
• Migraine headaches - Yes, did I mention the kids and job thing?
• Head injury - Do small doses via Kickboxing count?
• Encephalitis (brain swelling) - Do small doses via Kickboxing count?
• Stroke - Not yet, but my triglyceride levels say it is inevitable.
• Premenstrual period - My time of the month has more to do with a mortgage payment than physiology, but it carries similar results, and often a heavier flow.
• Bloated stomach - Hurtful! I’m working on it.
• Some types of medications - Real men don’t take medicine.

Lifestyle issues:

• Physical or emotional stress - Did I mention Kickboxing and the economy?
• Travel anxiety such as sleeping in unfamiliar surroundings - Sometimes, when I am getting killed in my sleep, I get confused as to the location of my attacker.
• Alcohol use and abuse - Not yet, but I may need a little something to help take the edge off and actually get some sleep.
• Noise or light - Umm…now I’m scared of the dark, cause of the whole violently dying in my dreams every night, so I like a light on.

I realize that I am completely bonkers and have just started the phase of my life where age plays the major role in every physical change I will experience. If I am fighting in my sleep every night at the age of 35, I can’t image what madness will ensue 10 years from now. Probably the same thing with less bladder control. Yup, this is going to get messy.

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Source Code review

Source Code may be one of the nerdiest movie titles in recent memory. I can just imagine a guy trying to take a girl to this movie.
Guy: "Do you want to go see Source Code this weekend?"
Girl: "I'd rather be dead than see another computer programming movie. What kind of reviews is it getting? C++?" (girls are not that clever)
Guy: "It has Jake Gyllenhaal in it."
Girl: "I'll get my coat."

Thankfully Source Code is not as boring as the name suggests. Gyllenhaal plays Colter Stevens, a military pilot involved in an experimental program that allows him to jump into the body of a stranger for 8 minutes at a time and find the bomber before the passenger train explodes. He fails many times and is always thrust back to reality to report back to his superiors.

This movie is able to be multi-layered but also easy enough to follow (unlike Sucker Punch). Even when you have to watch the 8 minutes on the train repeated times (ala Groundhog Day) it doesn't get tedious.

I believe this is Jake Gyllenhaal's best acting since 2001's Donnie Darko. You actually care for this guy and want him to discover his specific role in the movie's events. Vera Farmiga plays one of his superiors and does a fantastic job as a conflicted leader who questions the ethics of the experiment.

This movie is actually a fantastic 2 hour episode of Quantum Leap, rather than Groundhog Day. As a nerd service, Scott Bakula has a voiceover cameo and even gets to utter the timeless "Oh boy."

I highly recommend this movie. It's a great follow up for director Duncan Jones who also directed the fantastic "Moon." Source Code borders on a studio movie with its one-liner comedy at times but is a great thrill ride with heart.

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