Monday , March 18 2024
Same Boat

Film Review: ‘Same Boat’: ‘Terminator’ Meets ‘The Love Boat’ in Time-Travel Rom-Com

If I could time travel, I’d arrange to have Austin’s annual SXSW Conferences start a month earlier this year. Or, maybe not, as messing with the past doesn’t always turn out the way you imagine. That’s one of the morals of Same Boat, which will become available in the future – April 7, on demand.

Same Boat takes viewers along with James, a time traveling assassin from the 28th century. His masters send him back in time to “fix things.”

The filmmakers promote the movie as a “sci-fi rom-com.” Not a common genre. Although many sci-fi films have romantic sub-plots or elements, few really follow a rom-com formula. Same Boat does and does it well. Besides good writing, credit for making this an enjoyable film also goes to the cast’s excellent performances.

I’ll Be Funny

Like the Terminator, James, played by Chris Roberti who also directed, is an assassin from the future. The humor ranges from social satire to slapstick. The following is a spoiler, but the filmmakers give it away in the trailer, too. Viewers first meet James and his partner Mot, played by newcomer Julia Schonberg, on an assignment back to 1998. Their mission: kill the people who invented reality TV. Hard to argue with that one.

James, however, is a lot more personable than the Terminator. So personable that when he and his partner get an assignment placing them aboard a cruise ship, he makes a couple of friends and falls in love with his target, Lilly.

The Love Boat

Same Boat
Lilly, played by Tonya Glanz, is James target in more ways than one

James has never been on a cruise before. He meets Lilly, played by Tonya Glanz, who introduces him to ice cream. His mission is delayed because his partner gets a mega-case of sea sickness. During the delay, James meets Rob, played by Evan Kaufman, Lilly’s ex-boyfriend whom she dumped after the cruise began. Things get complicated.

Funny performances are also given by actors playing the ship’s crew members.

Music and Magic

Music adds to the film’s fun. For instance, when James begins to discover what makes cruises so popular, from drinks to ice cream to waterslides to giant chess boards, it is practically a music video.

'Same Boat' pits a 28th-century time-traveling assassin against ice cream, water slides, and a target with whom he falls in love. Something has to give.
James’ attempt at karaoke sends Lilly into spasms of laughter

James also befriends a crew member, who besides unplugging toilets, does magic. His magic helps bring James and Lilly together.

You’re Terminated

Does James carry out his mission to off Lilly? You’ll have to see the film to find out. There are also further rom-com complications between crew members and James and Mot. You might say, they all find themselves in the same boat and at least once, the same bed.

Like all good time travel movies, the story will keep you guessing all the way into the final titles, and beyond. The final scene, after the titles, is either an alternate ending or an outtake. I couldn’t figure it out. Time travel is like that.

You can find out more about the film and sign up for updates at its website and watch the trailer posted below.

(Photos courtesy of the film)

About Leo Sopicki

Writer, photographer, graphic artist and technologist. I focus my creative efforts on celebrating the American virtues of self-reliance, individual initiative, volunteerism, tolerance and a healthy suspicion of power and authority.

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