A Thought Provoking Kind of Sci-Fi

Rating: 9/10 (24 April 2013)

***Contains NO spoilers***
The future looks even more bleak in the latest Tom Cruise movie, Oblivion, and it'll have you questioning the whys of your life and mission.
Based on an unpublished graphic novel by Tron Legacy director, Joseph Kosinki, Oblivion is about one man's search to find the answers about himself and his mission. The movie opens to planet Earth, now a desolate wasteland after an alien invasion and nuclear attack, where Jack Harper, Drone technician 49, is part of an effective team with his communications partner and lover, Victoria (Andrea Riseborough). Yet not everything is well with Jack ...he's having trouble sleeping due to recurring memories of a woman and being at the top of the Empire State Building continuously haunt him. Who is she? Why does this building hold such significance to him? Those questions and many more are soon answered when a lone survivor named Julia (Olga Kurylenko) of the spaceship named Odyssey crash lands on Earth and a resistance leader of the remaining human race named Malcolm Beech (Morgan Freeman) take presence in Jack's life. Both characters begin his soul-searching process of truly discovering who (and what) he is, the nature of his mission, and "company" (known as the Tet – the alien lifeforce that attack Earth for its natural resources). It's a journey that could ultimately decide Jack's fate and the destiny of the surviving human race.
If you're expecting Oblivion to be a "blast 'em to kingdom come" type of sci-fi movie, you should skip it. On the other hand, if you like a sci-fi movie where the plot makes you think, question, and decipher clues like an Alfred Hitchcock mystery along with the main character and the action is more of a backdrop than the main focus, Oblivion is the movie for you. Joseph Kosinki, in this reviewer's opinion, did an excellent job paying homage to the sci-fi movies from the 70s (as well as borrowing a few themes here and there from current movies) when translating his graphic novel to the big screen. Throughout the movie, there are notable references to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and the 1968 version of The Planet of the Apes to Terminator, Moon, Tron and Matrix – just to name a few. Visually, this movie is stunning. This reviewer like the contrasting wasteland of mountainous and sandy desert that was once New York City and the luscious forestry where Jack "escapes" the ever watchful Victoria to relive some sort of normalcy of a life he once knew. There are some hidden gems in Oblivion to which this reviewer easily recognized besides Led Zeppelin's Ramble On and Procol Harum's Whiter Shade of Pale ...here's one, be on the look out for Pink Floyd's The Wall album.
Even though not really a big Tom Cruise fan, it was nice change of pace for this reviewer to see him portraying a character that doesn't start off as the dashing hero but the everyday man who's reluctantly pulled towards that status by Malcolm Beech, leader of the so-called "scavs". Morgan Freeman's character, in an unusual supporting role this time, hones in Lawrence Fishbourne's Morpheus character (from the Matix) and the way he cryptically guides Jack to search for the truth without really revealing too much him (and the audience) at once. Just like Jack, we are made to discover it in bits and pieces when he ventures into the radioactive zone. And she liked the seemingly effective yet cold chemistry between Jack and Victoria since they are paired together as co-workers and nothing more. There's no real "love" between the two compared to the love Jack and Julia rediscover in the latter half of the movie. Yet the one character that really stood out in this reviewer's mind despite being non-human except for the voice (by Melissa Leo) was "Sally". Think of this "character" as what Hal did for 2001 ...she was chipper and pleasant yet terrifying with her "are you and Jack an effective team" (which had this reviewer wondering what would happen if Victoria said "no" to that question) to "I created you Jack. I am your God" at the end ...the most powerful movie moment that sent chills down the spine.
Music done by the French electronic/shoegaze group M83 wonderfully captures the mood and subtle undertones of Kosinki's Oblivion like what Daft Punk did to his Tron Legacy. This reviewer liked how the opening sequence (titled Jack's Dream) gives the audience seemingly look at happier times while Jack monologues what happened to Earth before the attention grabbing blast of electronica seeing the movie title (think opening sequence to Daft Punk's The Grid with Jeff Bridges in monologue). Other notable tracks off the Oblivion soundtrack include Tech 49 when Jack is roaming the desolate wasteland (beautifully highlights stunning scenery a world that's no more). and Oblivion (featuring vocalist Susanne Sundfer) at the ending credits.
Highly recommend seeing Oblivion on the big screen(just to see the stunning the visual effects and scenery) before it's released onto DVD/Blue-Ray.