It's like nothing I've ever watched

Rating: 9/10 (14 November 2013)

I walked into this picture not knowing what to expect. On the one hand I'd seen the trailer which truly whet my appetite. On the other I'd heard various critiques from people saying the film was boring/unrealistic.
Well let's just say it leaned towards the first hand for me. From the opening scene you realise how beautiful this film is going to be as the camera pans round Earth in the background. I hate the use of 3D in films, the glasses annoy me, it's more expensive, and most of the time its completely unnecessary. Not in this film. The 3D is used in a way which literally means you feel like part of the film.
In the main I'd say the majority of the attraction to this film would be for the way it's shot and the excellent use of 3D. That's not to discount the story though.
I've heard/read a lot of people doubting the believability of what happens, well don't listen to them. Don't get me wrong most of the time I'm a stickler for believability but not here. I don't profess to know anything about the physics of space, the general layout of space, or if what Ryan does up there is truly possible. Neither do I have any idea about the inside of a spacecraft or whether there are similarities between say, the Russian and Chinese(which doesn't yet exist) escape pods. So why question it? Miracles happen on Earth every now and again comparable to her feat. In any case I'd rather watch what was set out before me than for instance, Ryan and the rest of the crew being killed in the initial debris hit. Boom, ten minutes, film over.
On to the story. From the very opening scene the tension starts to build and doesn't cease until the final minutes of the film. I don't want to give anything away so I won't go into it but every time you begin to feel comfortable this film throws another curve ball at you. It's also emotionally powerful, in one scene Ryan breaks down and begins to hallucinate. Then using her vision as motivation to continue and fight on. You've got the whole package here, action, drama and something for everybody in general. In fact there is only one criticism I'd direct at the film and that is the comparatively thin storyline, why the hell is she actually up there!!!!
If I put the experience into one sentence that sentence would be, 'It's like nothing I've ever watched'. In my eyes a very apt title for this review. All in all it's a unique cinematic experience I'd recommend to anybody.