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Oblivion

Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, and Melissa Leo
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Screenplay by: Joseph Kosinski and Karl Gajdusek

     I don't think I've seen more trailers for a single movie than for Oblivion.  I've seen a trailer for it before almost every movie I've seen for the last six months.  Now that the movie's been released, how does it stack up to the hype?
     Earth, 2077:  The entire planet lay in ruins and is almost entirely uninhabitable, 60 years after a war with an alien race that destroyed the entire world and forced humans to leave the planet.  Jack (Tom Cruise) and Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) are part of the mop up crew.  Their job is to extract any resources still available on Earth for the off world colony of survivors, and to repair any of the drones or sea water collection rigs that have problems.  It's only two weeks before Jack and Victoria are to go to the colony themselves, but Jack is starting to wonder about what his mission really is.  What will happen to him if he starts asking too many questions?  How will it impact the mission?
     This story is pretty clear and easy to follow.  It has its twists and turns, but they're not quite as dramatic as I had hoped they would be.  This is perhaps where the trailers have failed.  They spoil about two-thirds of the whole movie.  And all throughout the film, you can see the twists coming, and you might be left wondering when they will happen instead of wondering what will happen next.  While there aren't any plot holes in the film, there isn't a whole lot of truly original content.  It's a hodgepodge of a million other ideas from sci-fi movies we've seen in the past, but when it's all put together, it feels like it's original content.
     For those of you who are unfamiliar with the director, Joseph Kosinski, this is his second feature film.  Yes, he's only done two films.  The other being TRON: Legacy.  And just like in TRON: Legacy, the visual effects are stunning.  The clouds and the sky look incredibly realistic.  My favorite effects are the drones.  These drones seem like bigger, meaner, and more intelligent versions of R2D2 that can fly.  These visual effects truly create a desolate wasteland, a world that you could easily say you don't want to live in.  Very rarely do I see films in IMAX, but I thought I would take a chance with this film.  Oblivion is absolutely made for IMAX viewing.  If you're planning to see this film, I strongly recommend spending the extra money for the IMAX showing.  A movie this visually beautiful should be seen in IMAX.
     Tom Cruise is great to watch on screen, as he often is in many of his other films.  While Melissa Leo doesn't have the most prominent of roles, she's excellent as well.  Morgan Freeman does not have all that much screen time.  It's a shame because he's an amazing actor and has one of the best voices in Hollywood.
     Overall, Oblivion does a great job of trying to be an original story, but still fails to be an original story.  Joseph Kosinski is a terrific young director, and he will be making many more films I expect.  Considering this is his second movie, I'd say it's pretty damn good.  I see a bright future in Hollywood for him and I hope he will make a lot of great movies.
     I give Oblivion a B+.
   

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