Looking both sleek and thought-provoking, the trailers for the new sci-fi thriller The Adjustment Bureau have me wondering if this is the next Inception. This Universal Pictures offering has the big budget, star power, and novel premise to be either a runaway hit or a giant disappointment.
This film has a number of things going for it. First, there’s the source material. It’s based roughly on a short story by Philip K. Dick called “Adjustment Team.” For those of you unfamiliar with Dick’s work, he was a very influential science fiction writer in the 60s. His books have been the inspiration for some great sci-fi films, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, Paycheck and A Scanner Darkly. He often dealt with the theme of personal reality; what constituted reality and what fantasy to the individual. With such great source material and written for the screen by director George Nolfi (Ocean’s 12), The Adjustment Bureau could be another Inception. And by that I mean an action movie for the intellectual. Something with a thrilling pace, lots of action, great acting, and a story that leaves you thinking.
I admit there’s an inherent danger in jumping to that comparison. While Inception was groundbreaking and thought-provoking, it set a high standard. The Adjustment Bureau most not just be visually stunning and intellectually stimulating, it must also have a compelling story that works. Good luck!
The film hits theatres on March 4th, 2011.