Tom Cruise is living in a squeaky clean apartment in the sky, doing the bidding of people living in space…
But enough about the man’s personal life, let’s talk about Oblivion, a new sci-fi movie starring everyone’s favorite psychopath. Here, it’s the future and, years after humanity has fought off an alien invasion which wrecked most of the planet’s surface, the humans are getting ready to leave for another hospitable planet, but before they can they have to suck up enough ocean water for fuel or drinking or something.
Tom Cruise plays Jack, a member of a two-person team, who are in charge of the great machines that transport up the seawater, but the problem is that alien insurgents stranded on the surface are sabotaging them which is putting the human exodus in jeopardy.
It doesn’t take a wild guess, however, to realize that there’s more going on than what appears and it’s Jack’s journey to discover those shocking answers which fuels Oblivion’s story.
Oblivion puts together an amazing sci-fi world full of astounding sets, imaginative vehicles, some great Life After People wastelands. What it puts into this world is a lot less astounding. Some dull plotting, some tired formulas, and some cookie cutter characters.
There’s really nothing surprising about the story of Oblivion which is odd given that it’s a story that thrives on twists and turns. The only problem is, all of the twists and turns in Oblivion are painfully obvious. The story, while it has a spit shine and a fresh coat of paint, feels old and rehashed.
Even the actors seem disconnected from the material. Even though I made fun of the guy, Tom Cruise is a pretty great actor but here, it’s as though he is just floating through the movie. Morgan Freeman as an Earth survivor doesn’t even seem to realize what movie he’s in. Plus, there is Andrea Riseborough who plays a female character who I really felt like desperately needed a punch in the face as she is one of the most irritating characters in a movie in a very long time. Imagine Candace from Phineas and Ferb and you pretty much have it.
Still, even with Oblivion’s multiple plot shortfalls, I don’t hate it. In fact, I would say that I am marginally recommending it for nothing more than its flashy design and look. I’m not kidding, children, it’s beautiful to look at and the story, while dull, really isn’t that bad.
I’m just so tired of movie makers creating amazing worlds and filling them with nothing. The look should come from the tale and not vice-versa. Even though I loved the look of this movie, I would gladly sacrifice it for paper mache masks and cardboard sets if it meant we could get an innovative story.
Jason Gaston 