garyhbradley

First, yes, the script is rather illogical and weak. But secondly, the central messages of misogyny, academic snobbery and true love are clear and affecting and largely ignored by those who give this movie a low rating. This movie is not noteworthy in it's script development or direction, in fact it is rather immature and clunky. But the message it conveys is timely, important and necessary to hear. Dear reader, if you watch this movie just for time-travel thrills, you will be most disappointed.

If you can understand that time travel is merely a device within which to explore the change in attitudes, the opportunities for women (thought still not perfect!), and how many men still drag themselves into the past and sabotage their own happiness, then you will reflect much on this little gem.

To make this a plausible comedy it needs to create the belief that they are somehow plausible as spies. However from the start, the premise that these two are spies who have deliberately gone MIA is utterly prosperous. Not only did the writers not write good comic material but made a number of mistakes that rendered these spies as utterly implausible. For example, when Foxx deletes the video in the club he would have known to empty the recycle bin. They would know how restrict internet WiFi access to their son to stop him gaming at night. They got caught by their 14 year old daughter using binoculars to watch her. It could be argued this was a funny moment but it is another example of how the writers couldn't understand that comedy only works when the audience believe in the authenticity of the characters.

Then the children watch men being burned alive while Etta James sings 'At Last'?

This is a 12. The comedy is written for an eight year old and the killing scenes are for 15 year olds. How did it get a 12?

It's a shame because Foxx and Cameron clearly have chemistry, and the children are really good in this. The editing, pace, and the development of the story are well executed but the writing is atrocious.

Another missed opportunity which gets a resounding 4 stars. It could have been great.

The primise is two people sort of trained with a kind of background in something vaguely CIA/military-ish but sort of legal who are put together to do secret stuff. The first 30 minutes is an exercise in how to excrutiatingly draw out character reveals. I got the the part where she is in the theatre, supposedly on a stakeout. In a darkend, packed theatre, he is asking uttelry inconsequential questions and she is somehow, after being so guarded, tapping a story in text messages on her phone. No-one objects to the blue-white glare of the phone display or the clearly audible tapping of her nails. Nor does it make any sense that this easily identifies her in the auditorium to anyone who might just be the slightest bit interested in knowing if they were being followed.

It just doesn't make any sense, except if we assume that the producers clearly understand that the original premise was a successful movie screenplay that worked as a movie and they are milling it by turning it into a TV series. Except there's not enough plot to make it work. This is typical of the unimaginative, money grabbing, cowardly attitude of people who control profits over courage. I feel sorry for the actors who have to take these roles. Shameful exploitation.