A surprisingly clever time travel movie. The time travel technology is never explained at all, but just enough of the effects are shown and explained in the movie that you can follow what is happening and why. What is missing is more explanation of the world, which doesn't seem to make much sense. Luckily, that is actually tangential to a movie that is really about two guys who will do anything to achieve their goals. The time travel is just a plot device to let present Joe and future Joe interact and fight it out.

The special effects are mostly OK. There is one scene near the start where things are obviously botched, but even that isn't huge. There are not a lot of special effects in general, the movie doesn't go for big flashy stuff, even the time travel is very subdued. The biggest weird bit in the movie is the TK. Why they interjected telekinetic powers in this movie I'm not sure. Neither Joe has any, so it is purely a plot device that could have been avoided. It is setup at the start of the movie and then brought up to drive some things later, but it could have been done a lot more low key other ways. It really stands out as an oddity in this movie.

The time travel loop is clever and well thought out. You can see where things are going from a pretty early point in the movie, but there are just enough twists and turns to keep things unpredictable and the ending throws a nifty curve ball. One of the things I like about this movie is that lack of a villain. No real heroes either in the plot full of short sighted selfish people, but none is really the villain. Everybody is trying to do what they think is right or helps themselves and everybody has a rational goal here.

The total sum is very nice. Low key, clever and more about good acting then special effects.