Sci-Fi Soup

Review: Oblivion

If Oblivion accomplishes very little at all, it will have at least provided further evidence that Tom Cruise (Minority Report) has discovered the cure for aging. Seriously, the guy looks the same as he did 20 years ago.

Fortunately, the merits of Oblivion go beyond its star's lack of wrinkles. Set in a distopic future still recovering from a repelled alien invasion, Cruise plays a drone repairman who begins to question everything he knows about his mission and himself after the appearance of a mysterious woman.

The film is visually stunning, from the smooth surfaces of advanced technology to the jagged locations on Earth. This should come as no surprise from director Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy), but is still one of the largest achievements of the film. The action occurring within these settings is likewise well-executed and incredibly precise.

Cruise continues to be one of my absolute favorite actors and does not fail to disappoint in Oblivion, delivering an exciting performance of a man earnestly seeking the truth. Cruise is joined by Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby), who is his usually entertaining and masterful self, as well as Andrea Riseborough (W.E.) and Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace), both of whom are more than serviceable in their roles.

Unfortunately, despite incredible visuals and effective performances, Oblivion struggles to develop a plot which can stand on its own, rather than leaning heavily on the premises of other science-fiction stories preceding it. To say Oblivion is "a

light sci-fi snack of gently pre-chewed elements from other, meatier futuristic movies" (Kurt Loder) would be a bit harsh, but the expressed sentiment is pretty much spot on, as it mines the idea fields of films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Moon.

This is not to say that the assembled amalgam of sci-fi motifs and cliches are not effective, in fact they work together to tell the story quite well, but the over-reliance on well-known concepts prevents Oblivion from being the smart, standout film it could have been. As it exists, the film exists among the ranks of its peers in some strange, murky area between being considered a classic and a mimicry.

That being said, Oblivion does take its themes and plot twists quite seriously and takes the time such devices deserve to unravel and display them. Even as we think we can guess the final outcome, the film refuses to patronize us, instead marching on to tell the story it means to tell in its own time, even up to the final minutes before the credits roll. In my mind, you have to respect such steadfastness, even when allied with overused tropes.

Overall, despite failing to truly break any new ground for its genre, Oblivion is still a very fun movie to watch for its visuals, its performances, and its commitment to telling an admittedly thinly scripted story.

The Final Word: 3/4 - Go buy a ticket.