Oh My God! (I'll take the time to write out OMG it is so important.) This script is a swiss cheese with so many holes and poor editing! The acting by Aubrey Plaza, Jake Johnson, Mark Duplass, Karan Soni, et al was delightful. But so much time is wasted in irrelevant and illogical scenes where more character relationships could have been inserted. Overall, the movie moves along nicely until speed-bumps jar your attention to the plot. For instance, in the beginning, the trio arrive at the inventor's doorstep and he isn't concerned how they discovered his residence although his want ad only referenced a P. O. box number. Then, the journalist's (Jeff's) real reason for going to the town was to reconnect with his old girlfriend. But by the end of the movie it fizzles in a final (and forced) breakup scene. Why include this waste of film time at all? They should have cut the girlfriend scenario and simply used the reason as to write a story. This may have given more development time to give weight to the FBI agents who seem superfluous in the film.
Near the end of the movie, Kenneth, the inventor, states that his old girlfriend being alive is proof his invention works. But if she was still alive, then he wouldn't have needed to invent the time machine. You can't have it both ways in time travel. Once something is changed, that time line prevails and you're on it.
Other illogical reactions slip in to the script that cause a double take which should have been corrected with reshoots or in editing. For instance, why was the time machine on a boat? When put into action the boat didn't move and simply disappeared. Did Derek Connolly (screenplay writer) think all time machines must move as in Back To The Furture? Why didn't the inventor simply build it in his shed?
In the climax of the film, the ending seemed abrupt with no gentle letdown or consequences. Everyone just stood around with their mouths open, go to black. Writing 101 states that endings should fade out gently with a moral, epilogue, or some tying-up-the-loose-ends scene.
Had the director, Colin Trevorrow spent a bit more time on his script and in final edits, he could have gotten better reviews. Yet, the movie is cute, touching, and moves along. But it could have been so much more.
Near the end of the movie, Kenneth, the inventor, states that his old girlfriend being alive is proof his invention works. But if she was still alive, then he wouldn't have needed to invent the time machine. You can't have it both ways in time travel. Once something is changed, that time line prevails and you're on it.
Other illogical reactions slip in to the script that cause a double take which should have been corrected with reshoots or in editing. For instance, why was the time machine on a boat? When put into action the boat didn't move and simply disappeared. Did Derek Connolly (screenplay writer) think all time machines must move as in Back To The Furture? Why didn't the inventor simply build it in his shed?
In the climax of the film, the ending seemed abrupt with no gentle letdown or consequences. Everyone just stood around with their mouths open, go to black. Writing 101 states that endings should fade out gently with a moral, epilogue, or some tying-up-the-loose-ends scene.
Had the director, Colin Trevorrow spent a bit more time on his script and in final edits, he could have gotten better reviews. Yet, the movie is cute, touching, and moves along. But it could have been so much more.