Clear skies with a chance of satellite debris

Rating: 7/10 (29 December 2013)

Gripping space thriller about two astronauts, Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) on her first space shuttle mission and Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) on his last, who have to fight to survive after an accident sets them adrift in space. Visually stunning film that is obviously best seen in 3D. Trust me, I'm not big on 3D and see it for the price gouging gimmick it usually is. However, this is one film where the viewing experience is actually enhanced by it.
The story is simple. So simple that it's the type of movie that really depends on its leads more than usual to keep it interesting. But they do deliver. Sandra Bullock is excellent, though admittedly the role does play to her strengths. Clooney plays Clooney, likable and stoic. We're told this is his character's last space flight before retiring. If you've seen any cop movie ever, you know there's not a bigger bullseye to have painted on your back than being on the verge of retirement.
It's a good movie. A little over-hyped but these days every moderately good film is over-hyped, unfortunately. Try not to let that prevent you from trying it. You'd be missing out on a solid movie if you did.