Oblivion (C+ or 2/4 stars)
For a little over an hour, 'Oblivion' (directed by Joseph Kosinski, of 'Tron: Legacy') is a moody, visually mesmerizing movie that piques sci-fi curiosity. However, for the following 45 minutes or so, the early intrigue and novelty wears off. Sci-fi cliches enter the picture. Familar post-Apocalyptic mayhem ensues. And I started realizing that the film would be ending soon and that I didn't really care about what would happen to the characters. The film, based on Kosinski's own graphic novel, is set in the year 2077, 60 yrs. after Earth fought a war with aliens that left our planet a radioactive wasteland. Survivors relocated to a moon colony off of Saturn called Titan & rely on gigantic steam power generators that feed off the Earth's ocean.
But 2 humans remain behind: Jack & Victoria (Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough); who act as Earth-caretakers {think of Wall-E}. Their job is to keep Earth's electricity flowing, repair drones, & terminate Scavs; aliens who skulk around the ruins of old cities & look to cripple said drones. Jack & "Vic" live together as a 'sort of' romantic couple. With their memories wiped before the mission, neither have recollections of their days before inhabiting their gorgeous, floating, high-tech home. Vic has no interest in the past & wants to finish the mission, but Jack's been having dreams of a woman named Julia (Olga Kurylenko); dreams that feel more like ... memories. When he rescues a stranger from a downed spacecraft, he begins to question everything he knows. Inexplicable plot points ensue.
I'm a bit sad that I didn't like this film more. See, I always love watching Tom Cruise do his Tom Cruise thing onscreen. The man is a movie STAR; one of the few remaining, in my opinion. And at 51 yrs. old, it's as if he's found the fountain of youth. The look of the film is gorgeous (thanks to Oscar-winner Claudio Miranda's breathtaking cinematography, the otherwordly locales, & some unique production design). 'Oblivion' also features a thunderous electronic score that elevates the excitement of the action scenes. But the demands of sci-fi flicks are heavy. The action should be great (it's pretty good, here). And the premise/narrative/follow-through needs to be great for the movie to work - but unfortunately, there are too many narrative shortcomings.
As mentioned, the 1st Act brims with mercurial mystery, ambition, & beauty. My interest was sustained in the gentle-moving 1st hour. But the proverbial air starts leaking from the balloon with way too much of the story left to unfold. It's especially disappointing to see the film dissipate into prototype ideas & images from other sci-fi films -- there are strong vibes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Fight Club, The Matrix, Wall-E, Total Recall, Moon, & even Kosinki's last film, Tron: Legacy. Actors like Morgan Freeman & Melissa Leo take-on small roles that anyone could have done. There's literally nothing to them. I didn't even care for the wrapped-up-with-a-bow happy ending. It just felt cheap; like an easy way out of the confounding narrative so as to make this sci-fi film more accessible.
You know, on paper, 'Oblivion' seems to have it all; a twisty-turny story with a plentitude of sci-fi action & a provocative subext about what it means to be "human". With Cruise, Riseborough, & Kurylenko, the idea of the last love triangle left on Earth sounded quite interesting, as well. But that's alllllllll 'on paper'. And in the film medium, this moderately clever post-apocalyptic mindbender unfortunately leads to nowhere. I can't say that this film is awful. But the story is too dense, self-serious, ponderous, and I didn't have care/concern for the characters. The movie is cold.
But 2 humans remain behind: Jack & Victoria (Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough); who act as Earth-caretakers {think of Wall-E}. Their job is to keep Earth's electricity flowing, repair drones, & terminate Scavs; aliens who skulk around the ruins of old cities & look to cripple said drones. Jack & "Vic" live together as a 'sort of' romantic couple. With their memories wiped before the mission, neither have recollections of their days before inhabiting their gorgeous, floating, high-tech home. Vic has no interest in the past & wants to finish the mission, but Jack's been having dreams of a woman named Julia (Olga Kurylenko); dreams that feel more like ... memories. When he rescues a stranger from a downed spacecraft, he begins to question everything he knows. Inexplicable plot points ensue.
I'm a bit sad that I didn't like this film more. See, I always love watching Tom Cruise do his Tom Cruise thing onscreen. The man is a movie STAR; one of the few remaining, in my opinion. And at 51 yrs. old, it's as if he's found the fountain of youth. The look of the film is gorgeous (thanks to Oscar-winner Claudio Miranda's breathtaking cinematography, the otherwordly locales, & some unique production design). 'Oblivion' also features a thunderous electronic score that elevates the excitement of the action scenes. But the demands of sci-fi flicks are heavy. The action should be great (it's pretty good, here). And the premise/narrative/follow-through needs to be great for the movie to work - but unfortunately, there are too many narrative shortcomings.
As mentioned, the 1st Act brims with mercurial mystery, ambition, & beauty. My interest was sustained in the gentle-moving 1st hour. But the proverbial air starts leaking from the balloon with way too much of the story left to unfold. It's especially disappointing to see the film dissipate into prototype ideas & images from other sci-fi films -- there are strong vibes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Fight Club, The Matrix, Wall-E, Total Recall, Moon, & even Kosinki's last film, Tron: Legacy. Actors like Morgan Freeman & Melissa Leo take-on small roles that anyone could have done. There's literally nothing to them. I didn't even care for the wrapped-up-with-a-bow happy ending. It just felt cheap; like an easy way out of the confounding narrative so as to make this sci-fi film more accessible.
You know, on paper, 'Oblivion' seems to have it all; a twisty-turny story with a plentitude of sci-fi action & a provocative subext about what it means to be "human". With Cruise, Riseborough, & Kurylenko, the idea of the last love triangle left on Earth sounded quite interesting, as well. But that's alllllllll 'on paper'. And in the film medium, this moderately clever post-apocalyptic mindbender unfortunately leads to nowhere. I can't say that this film is awful. But the story is too dense, self-serious, ponderous, and I didn't have care/concern for the characters. The movie is cold.