Looks great, but needs a brain transplant

Rating: 7/10 (18 April 2014)

Jack is a tech looking after security drones that are guarding massive rigs; these rigs are draining the water from the oceans, ostensibly to power the move of Mankind to Titan after a war against aliens irradiated the Earth.
Okay, that's the plot, now, let me split this review into three parts.
The good:
Tom Cruise is where he is because he always delivers, he works hard and it shows. The landscape is beautiful, wild and barren; when you get to the hidden valley, the green lushness jumps out of the screen in contrast. The design of the house, the guns, the plane, the bike are all sufficiently futuristic, but not outlandish. The story is good with a couple of fairly obvious twists and of course, the big conspiracy at the heart of the film.
The bad:
It's too long, it needed someone who wasn't in love with the visuals and the repeated dream sequence to step in and cut at least 15 minutes out of it. The acting is fair, but Morgan Freeman is a little wasted in his "Morpheus" role. If you're trying to hide from nasty drones that will shoot you as soon as they see you, maybe it might be better not to have feathers (where did they come from?) sticking out of the top of your head. Although the story is good, there are significant plot holes and mistakes that annoy you, during and after the film is done: why does the Moon still glow 50 years after being torn apart; why is it not very windy in the house above the clouds; how has he never noticed that the dead Scavs are not aliens, but human; did he never wonder how it was that the human race built and launched the Tet after the Earth is devastated by war, floods, famine, earthquakes etc.
The ugly:
The end is pure cheese; the moment the film ends you start to question it: how did the aliens not notice the bomb he brings in; why did they not kill him the moment they knew he was on to them; why did the aliens want him there anyway, they have thousands like him, why not just destroy the defective unit?
It's a shame, if they had devoted as much time to the story arc as they did to the design, this film would be a little futuristic gem, but I don't think it stands up to repeated viewing. The more of the story you know, the more the plot holes annoy you.
Definitely one to rent and not buy.