A strong but quirky action movie and an underappreciated TV series top this week’s DVD picks.
“Source Code”: Director Duncan Jones shows a movie can be a smart trek into the fantastic world of science fiction and still be grounded in a very human story.
The sci-fi part is a government program that allows one person to live the final eight minutes of another person’s life. Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) makes several such quantum leaps to search for clues to stop a terrorist attack.
As for the human element, Stevens falls for a young woman, played by always dependable Michelle Monaghan. Something’s so engaging about the young actress, it’s easy to believe someone could fall in love with her in eight minutes. Grade: B+
“The Unusuals: The Complete Series”: The short-lived ABC series stars Amber Tamblyn as a young police officer who gets transferred from vice to the NYPD’s homicide unit.
It’s a strange new world. Eric Delahoy (Adam Goldberg) is trying to get himself killed in the line of duty. Leo Banks (Harold Perrineau) refuses to remove his bulletproof vest. Religious detective Henry Cole (Josh Close) is trying to keep his secret past from his streetwise partner, Alison Beaumont (Monique Gabriela Curnen).
Tamblyn’s work with co-star Jeremy Renner is the strength of this series that ended way too early. Grade: B
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