Oblivion (2013)

Well apparently 2013 is going to be a solid year for science fiction films.  Ever since Prometheus was released last year, it seems that a wave of science fiction films have been getting prepped for release.  Elysium, Ender’s Game, Pacific Rim, Star Trek Into Darkness, and a few others are all up for releases this year.  Oblivion was a movie whose trailer I saw only a few months ago and knew very little about.  Honestly, I thought it looked kind of a cash-in with some big names that would come and go without many lasting impressions.  Still, it looked better than some other films currently playing so I thought I would give it a go.  Sure enough, I’m more than happy that I did.

Oblivion is a fairly dense science fiction film starring Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, and Morgan Freeman.  The plot is simple enough: in the distant future after a nuclear war with a mysterious alien species, a man and woman are stationed in a certain area on Earth to make sure that defense drones are being kept operational so that they may protect a group of enormous machines that are processing the ocean’s water to energize mankind’s new home somewhere else in the solar system.  Some out of the ordinary things begin to occur and the overly curious Jack (Tom Cruise) begins to investigate to make sure he can do his job effectively.  I can’t say much more without giving anything away, just know a lot happens in the movie.

The big downfall about Oblivion is that seasoned science fiction fans may find Oblivion to be predictable.  I, for one, was never 100% positive on what was going to happen next, but I had a few things in mind that I’ve seen in other films before.  In a lot of ways, Oblivion is reminiscent of some science fiction films from the 1970s (which I will not name to avoid spoiling anything).  Director Joseph Kosinski has even stated in interviews that Oblivion was meant to be, in some ways, an homage to an older form of science fiction storytelling.  So for some people, Oblivion might seem unnecessarily long and predictable and may even seem like a glossy clone of better movies.  However, I found Oblivion to be a much more intriguing science fiction film than I had anticipated.  The backstory and sense of wonder and awe that the genre demands is fully present in this film, and that is a feeling I don’t get to experience enough.

Tom Cruise steals the show.  As expected, he seems to know exactly what is needed from his character and plays him with a charisma that gets you to root for him.  Morgan Freeman has a much more brief time on screen than I had imagined he would have, but his role is an important one.  Really, the only weak link where was Olga Kurylenko (who starred in To The Wonder).  She wasn’t bad in this movie, just a bit stale and distant.  There are a few scenes involving the developing relationships in this movie that felt a bit forced and unnatural as a result.  Still, this is not necessarily an actor’s film and doesn’t really suffer in the long run.

The most stunning and noteworthy elements of Oblivion come from the visuals and design concepts.  To make it simple, Oblivion is a visual dream.  The landscapes are believable and give a wonderful atmosphere that supports the post-apocalyptic elements of the story.  All of the technology is fully realized and designed in creative and interesting ways.  My inner geek was delighted at how much thought and time was put into nearly every visual.  Everything from Jack’s exploratory flying ship to the epic space-station called The Tet that orbits Earth looks stunning.  Oblivion is worth seeing for its visuals alone.

As a whole, Oblivion was a much better film than I thought it was going to be.  All of the actors are pretty familiar and do their part to make the characters come alive in a believable and exciting way.  The premise of Oblivion is ambitious and inspires that sense of science fiction wonder that doesn’t grace the screen often enough in modern times.  Unfortunately, many of the twists in the story do come off as predictable (especially if you are familiar with lots of science fiction from the past) and the film drags in a few parts.  Still, Oblivion had my attention and by the end I was very satisfied to have experienced such a fun science fiction world.

8/10

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Note:

Thanks for reading!  I was also able to see The Lords of Salem this week.  It is Rob Zombie’s newest film and I definitely has a couple things to mention and discuss about it.  I will be writing a review of The Lords of Salem tomorrow, so check back in! 

Thanks!

Ethan W.