Mixed feelings

Rating: 7/10 (22 January 2015)

There's a lot to like in this film. The way it uses real and theoretical science, the way it doesn't pander to the Star Wars fans by showing space as it is, a soundless void. There's a great deal of thought surrounding communication across time. Ultimately though the film is flawed in many ways. Let me list them: 1/ The idea that food crops are failing across the world and yet people are shown still eating wholesome meals...there is still gas for the cars and power stations still work is somewhat incongruous to me.
2/ Matthew McConaughey is just not the right person to have played the lead role. He seems too laconic and the way he mumbled his dialogue at times was downright annoying.
3/ I don't think the US would allow school books to be printed saying that the moon landings were a hoax designed to bankrupt Russia. Political correctness, I suppose, will probably become more intrusive in the future...but THAT intrusive? 4/ The "incident" with Matt Damon ("Dr. Mann") is just ridiculous and muddies the storyline and the pace of the film.
5/ The robot design is so impractical as to be laughable. Even the B9 robot from the old TV show "Lost in Space" would have worked better.
6/ Will Hollywood PLEASE pension off Mr. Zimmer and his theme-less exercises in going up and down the music scales to generate tension. Much of the "music" was loud and not appropriate to scene and there really was no memorable theme at all. Goldsmith would be turning in his grave! I congratulate the Nolans for trying to make an intelligent SciFi film in these times of dross. They have succeeded in many ways but the film is not the masterpiece 2001 is.