Just what is going on?!

Rating: 6/10 (13 April 2014)

Oblivion is another one of those films which, judging by the disconcerting introduction, you just KNOW will contain a twist. You'll spend the rest of the duration figuring it out... trying to pick up various clues here and there... but will you do it? Chances are... no. Yes, there are a few signposts along the way to point you in the right direction, but most of it only makes sense in hindsight. This is good, as the events of the latter half will come as a shock to most viewers... and isn't that why we watch movies in the first place... to be enthralled and thrilled?
Getting there, though can be a bit of an uphill struggle at times... as the plot meanders when it should be racing ahead. Tom Cruise is his usual self... he was possibly born for everyman hero roles such as this. And Andrea Riseborough makes an impression as his sexy assistant. But the quieter moments feel a little corny, and the action scenes, while impressive, tend to get repetitive. After all, there's only so many ways you can blast flying droids...
So, while it may lack the intelligence and heart to be compared with the very best of the influx of sci-fi mysteries we've been experiencing of late, it's still worth a watch. And credit Cruise with being 50 but looking like a man a full decade younger. Bet my dad's dead jealous... 6/10