Hey gang, Valkor here. When it comes to time travel films, to me, it can be a serious hit or miss. One of my favorites is, of course, the “Back to the Future” trilogy (yep, I even enjoyed part 3). And then you get into the more complex, time-loop stuff like “Edge of Tomorrow”. But suddenly Collider walked into my life. Going in, I wasn’t sure about what to expect with this one, but I watched it nonetheless simply because its sci-fi and those types of films are usually tough for me to turn down. And in a way, I kind of wish I had taken a pass; it’s not that Collider is a bad film, but… what was the point of it all? Major spoilers ahead!
Collider kicks thing off in the year 2033 and centers on a young woman named Samantha (Christine Mascolo), who has spent much of her life in an orphanage. One day a mysterious man comes banging on her door, asks for her help, and then attempts to shoot her, only to be taken out by an armed guard. This causes Samantha to realize that there’s something more to the story of her life than meets the eye. She confides the details to a janitor/friend named John (Michael Vasicek), who drops some knowledge about this company called C.I.D., time travel, and how they're the ones who police it. Using a makeshift device of his creation, and against C.I.D. rules about unauthorized time travel, John sends Samantha back to 2016, where she is given one day to figure out why this man tried to kill her and to find her family. Her first trip back was unsuccessful, so she decides to traveler back a few extra days, giving herself more time and going against her promise she made to John. Unfortunately for John, C.I.D. finds his location, wrecks his machine and takes him captive, leaving Samantha stuck in the past. Now with C.I.D. hot on her trail, Samantha has to find her family and figure out how to change her future before it’s too late.
Reading over my synopsis of the story, I think I made it sound way more intense than the actual film. Sadly, it’s anything but that. But if you’re a fan of films about time travel, I guess there’s one thing you’ll want to know – is this film worth the “time”? And you’ll find that answer in the TOV Breakdown.
The Good:
Collider isn’t a terrible film, as it has a pretty intriguing plot - at least from the summary. But how it all plays out is a different story for another section. The thing is, Collider is a watchable film. But by the end of it all, it’ll probably leave you with more questions than anything else.
The Bad:
The main question that needs an answer is: what was the point of it all? Samantha goes back to the past to save her family and her future, only to be captured by C.I.D. She’s then released in hopes that maybe she can change the past to fix the future? We don’t know what goes down afterward because that’s where the film ends. To me, it just seems like the journey to the past was a complete waste of time. It was nice to see Samantha connect with her family, but to have it all ripped right out from under her with no real resolve? Wasted. Finally, I’m not a fan of Samantha’s mode of time travel; I love the clock idea (which acts as the remote for the actual time machine), but the whole inflicting harm just to power it up is just stupid. I get it that it’s supposed to bring her to a certain place, but… no. And that’s just part of the equation! The other half is sitting underwater for however long of a time until you’re suddenly where you need to be. Who thought this stuff up?
The Ugly:
N/A
Collider is available now on DVD and digital formats such as Amazon Instant. I’m just gonna come right out and say that I’m not a fan of this one. I wanted to like it given the sci-fi aspect of the film. But ultimately I walked away disappointed and confused. So, out of TOV 5 stars, I’m giving Collider a 1.5.
