Great Looking But Dull Story and Characters

Rating: Null/10 (24 April 2013)

Oblivion (2013)
** (out of 4)
Decades after the Earth had to battle an invasion, the people there were forced to leave because the planet just wasn't able to be lived on. A veteran officer (Tom Cruise) and his partner (Andrea Riseborough) stay behind to keep an eye out for the remaining resources but soon he starts to question everything he's been told. OBLIVION is a terrific film to sit back and look at but sadly the story itself is just so boring and the direction so lacking that one will be fighting a major battle just to try and stay awake. To say I left the theater disappointed would be an understatement because it's rare that you get a bad film that stars Cruise. Say what you want about the man but he's given people one good film after another but sadly this here doesn't make the cut. Again, if you want all visuals then you're going to be in for a real treat as the post-apocalyptic Earth is terrific to look at and especially when we see familiar landmarks that are now destroyed. I was really impressed with how terrific the CGI is because I'm usually quite harsh on computer effects because they're always just so obvious and stand out. That's not the case with the effects here because the CGI really blends in well with the rest of the picture and everything looks real and makes you feel as if you're watching a real time and space. The performances are also good even though none of the characters are all that interesting. Cruise is good as usual as is Riseborough who nearly steals the picture. You've also got Morgan Freeman and Melissa Leo in small roles and Olga Kurylenko also shines. What really killed this film for me was the direction by Joseph Kosinski. I think he did a good job with the visual look of the film but there just wasn't any drama in the story and even the action scenes were lacking. The story itself is the biggest villain because it's just not that involving. Not to mention there are a few twists that are easy to see coming early on in the picture. OBLIVION is a disappointing film that needed a major re-write in terms of the story.