Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Predestination isn't just the best sci-fi of the year, it's one of the best sci-fi's I've seen since Minority Report or Gattaca. It's one of the best films of the year, period. It's one of the most thought-provoking, mind-bending, sharply written, fiercely original, technically adept, emotionally moving, and powerfully acted science fiction films I've ever seen. Is it "Great great" - like Inception/Gattaca great? Only time will tell, so I'll leave that up to you. Based on Robert Heinlein's short story All You Zombies, a mind-bending, time-travelling, paradoxical look at causality and paradoxes, Predestination is the next film from the Spierig Brothers, two batty German geeks who might just end up taking a shot at sci-fi royalty (or at the very least, sci-fi nobility) if things keep going the way they are. The film stars Ethan Hawke as a mysterious character known only as The Bartender, a genial man hiding dark secrets, who also happens to be a Temporal Agent. Yeah, that's a time traveller, for those of us who don't speak nerd. Aussie newcomer Sarah Snook stars as The Unmarried Mother, a world-weary man (You read that right. And believe it or not, that is the LEAST strange thing you will find in this movie) with hurt in his past. The plot jumps backwards and forwards from its heart in the early 1970's, through flashbacks, flashforwards, and a whole lot of time-travelling. Without giving much away, it revolves around the hunt for the Fizzle Bomber, a ruthless and unpredictable terrorist whose next attack will make 9/11 look like a playground scrap. The film starts on a snappy pace, and never lets up. This ain't a movie for the casual viewer. This is a marathon for your brain - its ruthless and hard to follow, and you'll emerge dripping with sweat and beaming with pride. Predestination isn't confusing, but it is hard to understand. Time travel, paradoxes, time-loops, alternate realities, and causality are words that make all but the staunchest sci-fi fans quiver (if I told you I understood it 100%, I'd be lying). When you throw in sex changes, facial reconstructions, and more than a twinge of uncomfortable...um, personal...relationships (you'll see what I mean), you have a mature and thoroughly different science fiction. But what takes Predestination from a neat story with a cool script, to being genuinely compelling story-telling, is the acting. Let's talk about the cast. I've always liked Ethan Hawke. His performances have no guile or artificiality to them; he throws himself into every character with gusto and skill (kind of like a less hammy, more choosy Nic Cage). But this was the first time when I sat up and said, "Woah. This dude has got ACTING chops." Chops that stand up there with the greats, in what might be his best performance in years. But Hawke's fine chops aren't even the highpoint of the film. Neither is the subtle, scheming and unforgettable Noah Taylor as head of the CIA's time travel agency. The highpoint of the movie is a left-field punch to the gut called Sarah Snook. Remember (and chortle at) this name, because this girl is going places. Playing the tricky character of both a woman AND a man, both with electrifying aplomb and finely-honed skill, this is Snook's film to carry, and carry it she does. Adding to the incredible script and acting is some classy, almost retro cinematography and a damn good score, making Predestination a brain-warping and unforgettable experience for the true science fiction fan. Casual viewers may be put off by the strange themes, uncomfortable insinuations, and cortex-crunching paradoxes of the movie. But for thinking fans of science fiction, psychological thrillers, or just good ol'fashioned thrilling and smart cinema, Predestination will deliver a kick in the pants that will be sure to have you thinking and massaging your aching cranium for days. This movie is NOT to be missed. As for my rating, ever since I saw it, I knew it was predestined to get 5 stars (see what I did there, eh?). P.S. Was this review helpful to you? Then please give it a like, and thank you.