Arresting Visuals, Vague Details

Rating: 7/10 (24 April 2013)

The fact 2012 has passed is clearly of no concern to Hollywood. An incoming assault of end- of-the-world and post-apocalyptic pictures is nigh, with After Earth, Pacific Rim, World War Z and This Is the End keeping Earth in plenty of jeopardy. The first one up? Summertime precursor Oblivion. Set roughly a half-century into the future, the movie serves up as many immaculate shots as it does derivations from previous science fiction works.
Pitching Oblivion's premise doesn't necessarily make it sound like a riveting experience; Tom Cruise leads a small cast of relatively small players (aside from one Morgan Freeman) as Jack Harper. His task is to repair drones which have been taken down and left by beings known as Scavs. Truth be told, it takes a while to reach the movie's meat, and even longer to find its funky bones. Before and in-between those points are a few stretches that could've easily been tightened for a bit less seat-shifting. Twists and turns, especially of the unpredictable kind, are seldom and infrequent.
One thing Oblivion does accomplish well is a certain level of intrigue, namely after the first hour. A certain twist happens that, if unsurprising, still opens up a few questions the movie assumes we've already pondered. As the final act starts to close, a sense of eminence comes forward which, if nothing else, holds our undivided attention. Concern arises not so much with the convenient ending, but the payoff stemming from the climax. Backing details are both sparse and vague, further reinforced by a brief but jarring shift in setting.
Looking past the story isn't too difficult, since there are several spectacular sights to behold. If you've ever wondered what Earth would look like after every single disaster movie, Oblivion is here to fill (or show) the gaps. Since many of these come during the first act, it means the feathery stakes can rest easy for a short while. Even when the eye candy changes to slightly more action-packed moments, we still get to enjoy concise directing. You won't feel the raised stakes so much as witness them, but at least the ongoings are discernible.
As our key tour guide, Tom Cruise delivers another solid performance. Most of the time, the entire movie falls on his shoulders. Thankfully, he's versed and competent enough to handle this without stumbling or overreaching. And since this is Mr. Cruise, it just wouldn't look right for him to not have at least one attractive lady beside him. In the case of Andrea Riseborough, we have a better take on what would normally be a simple caricature. Some of her emoting feels unnatural, but the unease her character goes through is pleasantly convincing. This is more than what can be said for Olga Kurylenko who, though not bad, doesn't have enough material to work with. Most of her scenes seem forced in. As for Morgan Freeman, who comes in rather late, he really doesn't have to act to convince the average audience member. That said, he works out just a bit more than the character would if portrayed by anyone else.
Other than the visual quality, what will probably stand out to film enthusiasts is just how much Oblivion borrows from other sci-fi movies. 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Matrix, Independence Day and even Armageddon merely lead an all-too-obvious list. Thankfully, while Oblivion can't stand half as high as some, it does exceed the lesser works.
While the true juggernauts of 2013 still haven't been released, Oblivion isn't necessarily a minuscule player. Those who have yet to verse themselves with most fundamental sci-fi films might walk away feeling floored. Other, more acquainted viewers will want to see this as a homage to its forefathers, which is touched upon at certain points. Keep your expectations modest and the end results might be enough for you to afford it a recommendation.
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