A misfire and game attempt at best for being an 'epic'.

Rating: 7/10 (21 April 2013)

OBLIVION (2013) ** Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau, Melissa Leo, Zoe Bell. Hodgepodge sci-fi mashup of 'Moon' meets take-your- pick of any Philip K. Dick genre 'who-am-I' sub genre tailored for an ill-fitting vehicle for Cruise as a futuristic 'clean-up crew' in a post-Apocalyptic Earth ravaged by an alien invasion where he soon discovers his mission is much, much more involved than what it appears to be. While the visual effects and action sequences are well produced, filmmaker Joseph Kosinksi - who co- scripted with Karl Gajdusek and Michael Arndt - based on a graphic novel he cooked up with Arvid Nelson, gives barely any thought to the supporting cast (i.e. Freeman barely registers; Leo literally phones in her performance; and Bell is completely wasted while Riseborough as Cruise's cohort/romantic interest, is practically a waxwork come to life)yet Cruise as usual delivers as a hero with a hidden soul reserved for mystery woman Kurylenko. A misfire and game attempt at best for being an 'epic'.