After seeing it, I don't really get the hype or the raving critic reviews. It was a decent film, but I didn't find it anything special. I think it's entertaining, it's got some genuinely funny moments, it's got a few touching moments, but as far as 'thinking' movies go, it's really not very deep.
I've heard comparisons to Inception which I can understand, but I think are misleading. People just lump any film that makes you think a little bit as all the same. Look, we know philosophically, Inception wasn't that deep, but it was a beautifully executed movie with absolutely stunning cinematography. Source Code on the other hand, has equally shallow philosophy, with lackluster cinematography. Mostly because trains and offices are boring. The film is marketed as a 'sci-fi thriller' and there is just no thrill to it. "Find the bomb before it goes off!" - uh yeah thanks for the plot to pretty much every other week on a typical crime-drama show. And that's the thing! It didn't feel like a film, it felt like a slightly extended episode of a "futuristic" crime-drama. Look I'm not looking for Michael Bay level of ridiculously overblown action sequences, but a little oomph in a film would be nice.
And don't you hate when people are like, "I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WASTE SO I WILL TELL YOU A HUNDRED REASONS WHY I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WASTE -continue for 10 mins and not explain s**t-" Yeah that happens so much in the film that I think the already short 1hr 30min film could be cut to 1hr if we just cut this bullshit out.
Also I thought the plot twists were incredibly obvious, so obvious that I thought the film must be exploiting some kind of dramatic irony. But no, apparently it was supposed to blow your mind in some way, even though I think people ought to be able to guess both the middle plot twist and the end one by the end of the first 8 minute sequence.
That criticism aside, there are some genuinely funny moments that are like little bright lights every 15 mins or so. And I dunno I think I just enjoy sequences where people beat the s**t out of each other and that happens a few times in Source Code. Actually there might be something wrong with me because I always find the 'horrifying' sequences rather funny. My friends next to me are gasping in horror and I'm laughing my head off. Hm.
tl;dr Watch Moon instead, it's a vastly superior film.
The Literate Spam Guild
The original literate chatterbox.