Why is it that whenever one of these episodes deals with technological advances, there's always someone there to ruin the moment. In this case a young researcher, played by a really youthful Josh Brolin, discovers that while experiencing a virtual trip, using a device he has largely developed. The kicker is that while he is on this trip, he realizes he can see about six seconds into the future. To make it even more interesting, the future is mutable; in other words, he can change it. Enter the world renown CEO of a mega-research and development facility who has political aspirations. Once he knows about the virtual time travel, it becomes really important for him to step in on the research and expend big bucks, hiring the young man to work for him. The guy has a reputation as dishonest as nearly all prototypical big-business people are in fiction. Of course, what could be a boon for mankind (and womankind) becomes his pet means to move ahead political, seeing the future and then changing. Brolin doesn't listen to his young wife (a law student) because he knows the corporate world often plays hardball. Things heat up when it is realized that he needs to be stopped. Unfortunately, in addition to the obvious stereotypes, there are a lot of holes in the entire time continuum. Still, it's pretty entertaining.
3 Reviews
"You found the formula. Quadruple the power fed-in doubles the time traveled."
classicsoncall17 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Invariably, when a program like this offers a way back to the past, the ability to change an outcome in the future is generally shown to be impossible. But what about changing a future event that hasn't happened yet? That's the idea in this episode, as eager young scientist Jack Pierce (Josh Brolin) develops an 'optical neural net' that allows a few seconds glimpse into what's about to happen when he removes his virtual reality apparatus. Seeing as how the device might offer him an edge in an upcoming election, unscrupulous inventor and businessman Bill Trenton (David Warner) dons the virtual reality helmet himself, only to learn that he's destined to lose. With that knowledge, Trenton arranges the murder of his opponent, which sends up a big red flag to Jack that his work on the virtual reality invention has the potential to be used for even more nefarious means. Visualizing his own death at the hands of Trenton, Jack and wife Izzy (Kelly Rowan) race to outwit Trenton and destroy the device before it can cause any more damage. Because his 'death; hasn't happened yet, Izzy is able to intervene and make the save on Jack's life, although coming out of the story, I would have to question how Izzy avoids the legal entanglements for killing the highly regarded president of CTY Industries.
Waste of time
Bored_Dragon18 December 2018
Yesterday I watched "Jonah Hex" with Josh Brolin in the lead role. Today I continued where I left off with the series "The Outer Limits" and, coincidentally, in the first episode that I watched, there's Josh Brolin in the main role again. Here, he's fifteen years younger and less experienced, and I didn't even recognize him until I looked at credits. Josh plays Jack, a young scientist working on perfecting virtual reality. Accidentally, he finds out that the side effect of his research is the ability to cast a glimpse a few minutes into the future. This brings him a job in a serious computer company, that gives him all necessary means in order to concentrate on this aspect of his research, perfect it and deliver a practical application. But as it always happens, everything that has practical application can be abused, and there is always someone who does not stumble over anything to fulfill his own goals. When abuse begins to enter the extreme, Jack realizes that it is his responsibility to stop evil. The story is unoriginal, sloppily elaborated and executed in an unimpressive and uninteresting way. I wasn't bored, but it left me completely indifferent.
4/10
4/10
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