Stuart Fisher I've watched more time travel movies than I can remember. They've all been interesting but this one sticks in my mind as the one I like the most.I think it's because James Belushi's character is completely unpredictable and Kylie Travis' character becomes increasingly desperate as a result. I guess it's also because I like the idea that even if you have the ability to travel in time, that doesn't mean you'll automatically be able to change the outcome.I guess I also like the idea of having female lead characters in science fiction movies. Alien, for example, works well for me for that reason too.

bowmanblue 'Retroactive.' What's it all about? Who's it aimed at? Um, hard to say really. At a push I'd have to guess 'men.' And probably men who don't mind daft, vaguely sci-fi B-movies. Any film that includes a situation where a day/event repeats itself over and over again will always be likened to 'Groundhog Day.' Retroactive isn't really like that at all, but it does borrow the idea of an event happening again and again.A woman, on her way through the deserts of Texas, breaks down. And, if that isn't bad enough, the only person willing to pick her up is James Belushi. And he's a complete psychopath. Naturally, it doesn't take long for things to go bad and gunplay and shootouts ensue. However, it's not so simple as our heroine simply having to survive the chase. She only goes and stumbles on one of those shady government labs that seem to exist in 'film-world.' There, she discovers that the lone scientist (don't high level scientific experiments normally require huge teams of people to run them? Oh well, never mind...) can transport her twenty minutes back in time.The good news is that she's no longer pursued by James Belushi. The bad news – it doesn't take long before it all starts to go wrong again. Rinse and repeat. So, time and time again, she has to figure out the best way to stop his violent rampage while getting as few people shot by him as possible.Kylie Travis plays our heroine. And she does it competently enough. She's feisty and does the job. You'll certainly root for her throughout what she has to go through. However, it's James Belushi who stands out. He's larger than life in the most bonkers way possible. He's clearly loving being completely off his head and delights in playing the nut-job – he does tend to steal most scenes, but, ultimately, it's Kylie we'll care about when all's said and done.Basically, it's a 'one on one' chase sort of film. And, like with many similar films, it can be a little bit hard to maintain the premise. The shift of power continually shifts between 'hunter' and 'prey' and there are more than a few times where one could blatantly execute the other there and then. Naturally, they don't. If they did, the film would only be about twenty-five minutes long.So, if you can suspend your disbelief long enough to get over than minor gripe, you'll actually find a solid enough little action movie. It's nothing new and it would probably never make your top ten films of all time, but it'll certainly fill just under an hour and a half of your time if you're looking for some sci-fi action fun in the desert.

bregund I loved the whole idea of the stranded motorist being picked up by a crazy guy, and the dynamic among the characters as the story rolls out. There are themes of unresolvable domestic disputes between Frank and Rayanne, the instinct to start off this story with this basic idea is a good one, we can identify with the characters. The viewer is grounded in the ugly reality of an increasingly tenuous situation, and we can see it coming. I love how Frank keeps needling Karen about what it's like to be a woman, I love how they show the villain trying to get inside her head. One of the most interesting effects is how Karen is forced to become increasingly violent with each iteration, as repeated time travel slowly turns her into a gun-toting thug.I love Karen's attempts to fix things as she keeps going back, and she discovers news things every time she does, and more and more people die in more spectacular ways, it's almost comical because you know she'll just go back and try again. There are some deep existential themes hinted at in the plot, for example one person can go back and it resets everyone else's life, but when two people go back, does it reset just their lives or everyone else's? Would have been nice to see these themes explored in more detail, for example it is the ultimate conceit to think that one person can change the entire world, but that's exactly what's happening here.The film falls apart with basic believablity issues: James Belushi is terribly miscast, he's not scary, he's just John's brother who happens to have become an actor over the years. He is a serviceable doofus in the film, but rises above his mediocrity in a memorable scene where he realizes the significance of the machine, and in a bit of psychopathic inspiration, says to Karen and Brian that he is going to repeatedly go back in time every ten minutes and kill them over and over again.The gigantic research center is staffed by just one guy? I know the film has a budget, but they could have explained this away somehow, for example maybe he was working on the weekend or something. The see-saw between the person holding the gun, the other person knocks it out of their hand and picks it up and now they're in control, goes on back and forth so many times that it's laughable. There are lots of explosions to keep men watching the film, but there's no way a Cadillac has that much gasoline in it. There was no reason to destroy the machine, even though Karen insisted on it. Brian had a 20-minute limit on the machine, but at the end he miraculously pushes it to 60 minutes...how? This is never explained. And it bothers me that she would leave her car in the middle of the road for someone to crash into, this from a woman who was conscientious enough to go back and fix everyone's lives.All in all, an interesting film and it kept me watching to the very end.

merklekranz Ever find yourself watching a really bad movie with no script or character development, that deteriorates to nothing more than shootings, car chases and explosions? That is "Retroactive" only much worse, because the viewer is forced to endure the same shootings, car chases, and explosions, over and over. If you enjoy sci-fi, avoid this for sure. If you enjoy interesting characters and a clever plot, avoid this for sure. If you don't like wasting an hour and a half of your time, avoid this for sure. If on the other hand you like endless shootings, car chases, and explosions, then "Retroactive" is your movie. All others should avoid "Retroactive" like you would a rabid dog. - MERK