johnhsmith-00056

We have seen time travel stories before, Back to the Future, The Terminator, The Time Machine, etc. But this is different. This is low key and subtle to the extreme. The world isn't in peril or anything like that. This is simply a story about young love, with the twist that the older version of one young woman is able to give her advice 20 years in the past.

There are only two flaws with this film. One of that the two main actresses, Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza are playing younger and older versions of the same person, yet THEY LOOK NOTHING ALIKE!! They might have been better off putting aging makeup on Maisy Stella or using CGI to make Aubrey Plaza look younger. Or found two actresses that looked more alike. That shouldn't be a big deal but it was distracting.

Other problem is that so much is unanswered in this film. How did this mysterious connection happen? What happens next? Why can't the future be changed? Why can't we try? The older version of Elliot gives some horrible news about the future to the younger version, yet there isn't even an attempt to learn about it or avoid it.

Pretty standard Fantasy Island fare. Two feel good stories, one more humorous than the other, and rather low budget. Bad acting, corny dialog and some implausibilities round it out.

There's a small orphanage on Fantasy Island with all American kids roughly the same age? There are gangsters on the Island but no police? (we have seen Fantasy Island police in other episodes). A country music mogol flies to Fantasy Island of all places to meet new talent? A totally contrived storyline where Tattoo believes a new persons lies about Mr. Roarke? Someone who he has trusted for years?

Still fun to watch though, and Sony Bono is as likeable as ever.