[Jack_Burton]

Originally Posted by IslandNiles

KidMoe, I wasn't trying to imply that the ending didn't make sense. I just would have preferred for that element not to have been introduced at all. Spoilers follow!

Spoiler

I felt they cheated a bit at the end, that they broke the rules established throughout the film. Those people on the train were dead, they were beyond help. That was made abundantly clear, as was the nature of the source code. I know there was some doubt about what could be achieved, but that was only ever in Colter's mind. Everyone else was very clear about how it worked.

I thought it was a nice ending that he chose to live out his last eight minutes in the source code, and then Goodwin let him go. For me, the last few minutes just diluted it, and betrayed what had been established as the premise.

Actually, having re-read your post, there are elements I disagree with. Throughout the film, there was no evidence of:

Spoiler

A new reality being created each time. As far as I can remember, anyway. Nor did he ever live beyond Sean's death. He lived out the eight minutes and then his consciousness returned to reality, such as it was. Each time, Goodwin and co were getting more desperate, because time was passing and the dirty bomb was becoming more of a threat.

The last source code was the only time Sean was saved, as far as I remember. But you're right - in a previous loop he had lived slightly longer than the eight minutes, until he was hit by the express train. I did wonder what would happen if he hadn't been hit.

Spoiler

The ending didn't contradict the initial premise, it introduced a new one - that a new timeline, or parallel universe, was created each time "source code" was run - as alluded to by the message Stevens sent Goodwin when she arrived for work (and thus proving Dr. Rutledge's assertion that it is a mere simulation wrong). The screenplay niftily navigated that before the end since the 2 times Stevens/Fentress left the train he died anyway (incidentally rather than because the 8 mins were up). The implication though was that a new parallel universe was created the dozen or so previous times source code was run, and all the train passengers died in each of them! (Christina survived a couple of scenarios if I recall)

I agree with you that the multiverse ending is messy (not least that Fentress is effectively dead and Stevens has to spend the rest of his life pretending to be him) and it should have tied up at the freeze frame concluding the last source code run.