Mega Time Squad

A solid candidate for the midnight film festival circuit, this imaginative New Zealand crime comedy finds the dim-witted John (Anton Tennet), a flunky thug for less-than-impressive crime boss Shelton (Jonny Brugh), deciding with his pal Gaz (Arlo Gibson) to steal money from a gang-connected Chinese collectibles shop. John’s spark of independence angers Shelton, putting John on the run, but the latter has a secret weapon: a bracelet from the Chinese shop that permits its wearer to roll back time a few seconds. That power helps John elude Shelton, but each instance of time travel results in the creation of another John, until there are four of them. Writer-director Tim van Dammen and his special effects team do a fine job of creating seamless images of multiple Johns in the same frame, walking behind one another and arguing with each other. Droll but surprising and playful, Mega Time Squad also benefits from a strong supporting cast, especially Hetty Gaskell-Hahn as John’s bomb-making love interest. Recommended. (T. Keogh)