The Present

Not every plot twist will make sense in this family version of Groundhog Day. So the basic premise is not original. I've learned long ago that originality is not all that important. What matters is the fact that we've got very good roles written down for a cast who knows how to deliver when they have a very good role written for them. And it works - we quickly learn to care for this dysfunctional family, and since we care we stay through to the end. Pacing is just quick enough so we don't notice the bits that make less sense, and if we do notice, as I already said - it doesn't really matter.

It's not a masterpiece, it doesn't pretend it is. It's what my title said - a well-done fun movie. If that's what you're looking for, you'll get it here.

The main issue with this movie is how the movie cant seem to decide which demographic its for. Is this a kids movie? Definitely not. Theres sex jokes, condom jokes, implied sex, and tons of other stuff that would lead to you having some really awkward conversations with your kids afterwards ("mommy, what did that guy mean when he said that the girl was a 'virgin'?") is this a movie for adults? Ummm... nope. The tone and premise is just way too childish and silly for that either.. so who is this movie for?

Its also got plenty of other problems under the surface as well. The actor playing the therapist was just annoying, the middle child max is just an extra in the first 2 thirds of the movie before suddenly deciding he wants to be an actual character in the final act. Also some of the sources of conflict were just dumb, like oh no, the dad is renting out a bathelor pad for when he moves out? Thats terrible for... some reason. I will say though that i did like it how whenever the movie relived a day it didnt re-show everything beat for beat, it only showed the stuff that changed from the previous day, that definitely saved a lot of filler.

Its just... meh. It just feels like a movie that came out a couple decades too late, it literally feels like a movie from the 80s or 90s. Its not terrible, but its just not completely compatible with any specific demographic.

This is a comedic family drama fantasy about a couple with 3 kids who are on the verge of their separation. With the help of the old magical grandfather clock, their kids trying to stop their parents from separating. The movie showed the story from many points of view. Every time they rewind the day, it started from somebody else's point of view. And it gave the audience a chance to understand and relate to all of the family members. This is a funny, touching and beautiful family movie. I recommend this one to watch with your family. The acting is decent, the story is good, and it has a decent ending.

A brilliant but mute boy (Easton Rocket Sweda) discovers that he can manipulate time using a family heirloom. He soon teams up with his siblings in returning to the time of their parents' separation, with hopes of changing the outcome.

The idea isn't new, but it's still an enticing idea: being able to control time to affect an outcome. The story has a sweet and wholesome intent, to get the warring parents back together so the family remains whole. Greg Kinnear is as good as you would expect as the father, the rest of the performances aren't bad, but they're pretty meh.

The film itself is slightly annoying in that going back in time is one thing, doing it repeatedly so many times is quite tedious and boring. We got the idea early on so the manic repetitive i think was filling in for a story that could so easily have been a short film. Also silly camera tricks that have proven to universally not be liked at all, such as spinning around a group of people in circles, made me almost motion sick and I had to fast forward through some parts. There were some quite childish scenes too so I wonder if the makers meant this film to be aimed at younger children whose parents were thinking of divorce?

It wasn't awful, but it wasn't great, I gave it a 5.

This reviewer has a weakness for time travel story arcs. Oddly, even now, the Gold Standard for TT movies remains Groundhog Day; and, for series, the Janeway Trekkie episodes. As consumers of entertainment, we as a culture have now come to the point where a time travel story has to be 'different' to get attention. At that, THE PRESENT 2024 delivers. It is very clever. It all takes place in the present but, paradoxically, the present keeps getting altered in subtle ways. Up to you to spot that. The script and direction are ... sharp. There is no pandering of any kind to the audience. In fact, the viewer is actually expected to approach the movie like an interactive crossword puzzle, and puzzle it out dynamically. As the story unfolds. The characters are interesting, and the actors deliver. Upbeat tone. Pleasant ending. In other words -- yet another paradox. This is the kind of light and fluffy movie they used to make ... before anyone ever heard of Time Travel movies. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))