Preview: In Time

PG-13 for promise of immortality, promise of sexy old people, ever-so-faint hint of a metaphor

Release Date: October 28, 2011

The premise of In Time is simple: No one likes to look at old people onscreen.

No, I’m sorry. While it’s true that in the film, humans don’t age past 25, I’m sure that’s integral to the plot, and not just an excuse for casting Olivia Wilde as the mother.

You see, the premise of In Time is simple: There are no action heroes left in Hollywood.

Okay, so maybe that’s not it, but it has to be asked: Justin Timberlake is your action hero? The sad fact is that this casting decision isn’t as crazy as it sounds. The people I think of as action heroes – Bruce Willis, Denzel Washington, even Will Smith – are too old for a movie like this, and the rising generation has no action stars to offer, which is why you see Seth Rogen pressed into duty, Daniel Craig starring in like eleven movies this year, and Jeremy Renner earnestly suggested as the heir to Tom Cruise.

Anyway, like I was saying, the premise of In Time is simple: In a twisted future, the former N*SYNC frontman steals Pete Campbell‘s daughter and leads a revolution against the time-hoarding powers that be. Also, old people look sexy. Hey, it’s science fiction – anything goes.—Ben Orlin