SOURCE CODE (Rated PG-13)

Recall, if you will, “Groundhog Day” in which Bill Murray was forced to relive the same day over and over again until he got it right. That film is one of the classics of American comedy.

The same will never be said for “Source Code,” which relies on a person repeating, ad nauseam, the same activity on a morning commute to Chicago.

For one thing, “Source Code,” as a sci-fi thriller, is deadly serious and far too repetitive to sustain a sense of foreboding. Besides, Jake Gyllenhaal, whose character is doomed to recurring time travel, is too one-dimensional and has no deft comic touch.

Decorated U.S. Army Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man on a commuter train heading to Chicago.

His last memory is that of being shot down in Afghanistan. Now he’s seated across from pretty Christina (Michelle Monaghan) who keeps calling him Sean.

Disoriented and dressed like the teacher he is now supposed to be, Colter heads to the bathroom and discovers his reflection is the face of another man. Before he can figure out what is happening, the train blows up and he is hurtled back into a contraption that looks like a space capsule.

Locked into a confined space, Colter discovers he’s on a special mission and is debriefed by his handlers, Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) and the mysterious Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright).

Colter finds out that he’s been drafted into an experimental program to time travel as a passenger on the train in order to uncover the terrorist plot that involves more than just blowing up a commuter train. His mission is to find the bomb and unmask the perpetrators.

“Source Code” may feel a bit claustrophobic because almost all action takes place on a train headed for Chicago filled with commuters who make this daily trip.

The government experiment called the “Source Code” enables Colter to cross over into another man’s identity in the last eight minutes of his life. Since he’s catapulted from the future, Colter gets to relive the incident on a continuous loop, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack.

Naturally, Colter stumbles on plenty of false leads. What’s up with the surly commuter who may be moonlighting as a stand-up comedian? The kid with a backpack spends too much time on his cell phone. Is he communicating with fellow plotters?

The guy with a swarthy complexion and carrying a briefcase is acting oddly and even his sweating suggests nervous behavior of one up to no good. The tough guy with a laptop seems too preoccupied.

Of course, there are seemingly endless red herrings, otherwise the train wouldn’t blow up every eight minutes, over and over again.

After awhile, it appears that Colter may not mind so much the endless replay since a budding romance develops with Christina. The astute observer will note that any potential relationship is doomed from a practical standpoint, but this, being a Hollywood movie, demands a more satisfying ending.

Racing against the clock should offer an abundance of suspense and thrills. To some extent, the obstacles placed in Colter’s way often result in unexpected excitement.

In the end, however, “Source Code” is too mechanical and repetitive in arriving at a conclusion that is predictable and bordering on the slightly monotonous.

The film also lacks conviction and credibility in settling upon the identity of the guilty party. I’ll hold back from saying more about this for fear of spoiling any surprises.

TELEVISION UPDATE

On the occasion of a trip last December to visit family in New York City, I happened to catch the one-man Broadway show of veteran comedian and actor Colin Quinn.

He’s been a regular on the comedy show circuit, and his Comedy Central series “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn” allowed his comedic rants to shine.

“Colin Quinn Long Story Short,” taped before a live audience for airing on HBO, showcases the comedian’s keen observations in an uproarious history of the world, juxtaposing modern-day human behavior with the rise and fall of empires.

From his personification of Caesar as the original Italian mobster to his complaints about ancient Greece and Antigone giving way to Costco and Snooki, Quinn is at his satirical best, taking on the attitudes, appetites and bad habits that have toppled the world’s most powerful nations.

Only someone like Quinn can contrast grocery shopping with territorial disputes and Plato’s cave allegory with the World Economic Forum. This is a program not to be missed.

“Colin Quinn Long Story Short” premieres on HBO in April.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.