Sometimes, reviewing a film is as simple as answering how the film dealt with the reviewer’s expectations.
If it exceeded expectations, the film is great. If it met them, the film is good.
Of course, if the film did not meet them at all, the film is bad.
Director Joseph Kosinski’s second film, the science-fiction “Oblivion”, is good.
It possesses the same flair for captivating special effects as Kosinski’s first film, “Tron: Legacy.” With striking visuals, solid work from the actors, especially Tom Cruise, and a decent plot, “Oblivion” will entertain from start to finish even if it will not break new cinematic ground.
Tom Cruise stars as Jack Harper, a technician who repairs and maintains automated drones on Earth.
The movie quickly explains the presence of drones, the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, and the lack of humans.
Aliens known as “scavs” or “scavengers” attacked Earth and destroyed its moon.
To defeat the scavs, humans used nuclear weapons. Humanity won, but the nuclear weapons and lack of moon rendered Earth inhospitable. Humans must live on Titan, the moon off of Saturn, and the space station, Tet.
One day after saving Julia (Olga Kurylenko) from a drone after her spaceship crashes, the scavs capture her and Jack.
The scavs are no longer aliens, but Malcolm Beech (Morgan Freeman) leads a human resistance disguised as aliens.
Their reason for rebelling is unclear in the beginning, but it becomes clear later.
Beech assures Jack that there are no more scavs before he releases him, and advises him to explore the forbidden, high radiation zones. Jack, whose memory was wiped before his job, leaves to find answers regarding his lingering memories of Julia.
After this, all is not what it seems, and the plot gets a lot more interesting.
The movie becomes a decent science-fiction, action flick.
It patiently sets up its world, which makes the second half of the story that much more interesting.
In “Oblivion” and other films, Tom Cruise has shown his versatility and devotion as an actor.
If he has proven anything in his “Mission Impossible” series, it is that he is very capable in action films.
He brings as much drama and gravitas to the role as the script and story permit.
The script holds him back sometimes, but the story gives him interesting outlets to make up for the script’s deficits.
The visuals are also dazzling.
From the post-apocalyptic Earth to the space scenes, Kosinski shows his massive visual creativity.
Even the maintenance ship leaving Jack’s mile-high work station is interesting.
The film naturally owes a debt to Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The spaceship with Julia that crashes on Earth is actually called Odyssey.
The film has many elements to compliment, but it does not do anything groundbreaking.
It is not great and historic, but no one expected or asked that it should be.
However, if they did expect to see a decent science-fiction/action movie, then this would be an appropriate selection.
To judge this film for its contribution to cinema would be wrong.
If judged on its own terms, it passes. It almost exceeded most expectations. “Oblivion” certainly has the action and science-fiction thrill that would be expected of a summer blockbuster. On the surface, it may seem average. However, if excitement and special effects are what audiences are looking for, then “Oblivion” does the trick.
