Visually stunning with some flaws

Rating: 7/10 (14 August 2013)

Visually speaking, this movie is truly quite stunning, and understandably so. The director Joseph Kosinski is an alum of Columbia University's architecture program, and the film's stunning set piece "Sky Tower" was heavily influenced by Mies van der Rohe's "Barcelona Pavilion" with a touch of high-tech surrealism thrown in. The beautiful bubble glass swimming pool is something that can only exist in the far distant future or architect's wet dream.
Plot wise, the movie was quite predicable. You can almost guess right off the bat that Tom Cruise and Andrea Riseborough's characters works for the alien invaders - the technological advance shown in their sky tower is simply too fantastic to be fathomable. Another crucial clue was the "triangular" badge that they were wearing (the logo was everywhere) - that was a tip off right off the bat too since it reminds people of the "Tripod" from "War of the Worlds". Not to mention the supposed space station was named "Tet" - the very name that etched in American psychic as the greatest defeat of modern American army by their enemy (Tet Offensive).
In many ways, the plot is very similar to the film "Moon" (2009), but with alien invasion plot twist thrown in. There isn't much depth to the movie, and it ends before you know it. Which is a good thing because you really don't want to think too hard about it or all the faulty plot holes will start to emerge and you will regret paying to see this movie.
7/10