2 out of 5

Director: George Nolfi

Take one sci-fi plot, some slick-looking attire, and some overly likeable leads and spin it into an average everything… that dips below average ’cause it’s kinda dippy. I get it – we’re supposed to just root for love here, but even that falls short and feels a little silly. If ‘The Adjustment Bureau’ – which, yes, is based on a Philip K. Dick story and spins it into politician Matt Damon who discovers that the titular other-worldly bureau are controlling, essentially, everyone’s perceived fate – if the movie wanted to fight for emotions instead of science, then fine, go all ‘Eternal Sunshine’ with it and put some core logic behind your sci-fi but totally underline your lovey heart so that the audience feels it. Instead it’s 106 minutes of guys in hats looking at a repetitious (and cinematically boring) diagram of the path of one man’s life and dropping silly rules in to keep things moving. At this point perhaps I should step back and just take this as the pap it is, but then what’s the point? Damon works as the wholesome politician that you have no choice but to love but Emily Blunt just sort of flutters on screen as the “love her cause she’s so kooky!” love interest. And that spark never really smolders, and Terrence Stamp never scares, and consequences don’t seem like much. A solid concept, pulled off effectively but not interestingly, The Adjustment Bureau isn’t insulting by any means but from the first moment’s oddly underwhelming images and score you get the feeling that this is gonna be average fare and, yeah, it sure is.