Good - but could have been great

Rating: 7/10 (21 November 2013)

I don't really disagree with the 8.whatever score this film is currently getting. I also wish I'd seen it at an IMAX, to get the full-scale visual impact.
But I wouldn't go back and see it again.
It's visually stunning, and lets the drama unfold on screen without resorting to Transformers-style camera work. It had me on the edge of my seat for a good portion of the film, and I was hooked for the ride right to the end.
But - here's the but: it feels like the studio couldn't help spreading a thin layer of cheese on this tasty burger of a film. If you've seen it, you'll know what I mean. Was the little back-story really necessary? And when the radio transmission unfolds, why does Sandy B have to SAY those things she says? Let her ACT!! I want to empathise with her emotions, not be told why her mood is changing. And the very end? Yep. Little things like that really stand out in a film as otherwise excellent as this, and insults the audience's intelligence.
Is this an example of a really bold film idea, but perhaps a studio which didn't quite dare to be really bold?
Don't get me wrong - there is much to like, and to applaud, in this film. It's good. But it feels like someone lost their nerve and didn't let it be great.