Spectacular, moving, yet disappointing

Rating: 7/10 (11 April 2015)

An impressive spectacle. A moving SciFi drama. And yet a bit of a disappointment.
The arc of the plot is clever. It follows a man who risks losing his family in order to follow an ambition for space exploration and to help save the human race, but who gets caught up in the lies and machinations of his NASA colleagues and friends. There is a nice ethical strand woven in about the instinct to save yourself versus saving others.
The visuals are stunning. The spaceship visits three new planets, each of which is given its own dramatic character, not to mention the wormholes and black holes. Even the cornfields back home look fabulous.
So what was disappointing?
Firstly the acting. Matthew McConaughey made a dull hero and I could hardly understand his drawl. The supporting cast were so-so. The best performance is a cameo from an uncredited famous Hollywood actor (I won't spoil the surprise).
Secondly the duration. The film is dragged out over nearly three hours but should have been less than two.
Finally, the story just became too far- fetched for me. I'm OK with SciFi plots that stretch the boundaries of scientific realism, but saving humanity through the power of love spanning space and time was a step too far for me.
I enjoyed Interstellar but it didn't live up to expectations.