Tries Hard To Impress As A Sci-Fi But Not Enough To Do So

Rating: 9/10 (10 April 2013)

Oblivion is a science fiction film that stars Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo, Zoë Bell, and Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau.It is about one of the last mechanics remaining on earth that on a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition and his confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.It is based on his unpublished graphic novel of the same title of the movie edited by Radical Comics.It is co-written, produced and directed by Joseph Kosinski.
Following an alien invasion 60 years earlier which nearly destroyed the planet, former Marine commander Jack Harper is one of the last few drone mechanics stationed on Earth. Jacks lives in an airborne tower floating thousands of feet above the Earth which he and his colleague are part of the operation to clean up the remaining forces of the invasion and extract the planet's remaining resources. Nearing the end of his mission, Jack rescues a female stranger from a crashed spaceship. Following her arrival, he is captured by an insurgency led by the mysterious Malcolm Beech and following a series of events he is forced to question everything he knows about the invasion and its aftermath. Inside the insurgent camp, it is demanded that he repair a recently captured drone to not fire on them. His colleague back at the tower then sends a drone to scout the area for Jack, but it is soon disarmed by members of the resistance. Jack successfully manages to plea for his release, being that more Drones would be sent for him if he were to stay. He manages to return with the female stranger, who is actually revealed to be his long lost wife, Julia. The ship he found her in was actually a NASA shuttle that had been orbiting around Earth for 60 years. This also shows that Jack is actually one of the many clones taken from the actual Jack Harper, that helps repair drones and scout for alien presence.With a reality that is shattered as he discovers shocking truths that connect him to Earth of the past, Jack will be pushed to a heroism he didn't know he contained within. The fate of humanity now rests solely in the hands of a man who believed our world was soon to be lost forever
Oblivion is a visual feast with strong performances and an intriguing central mystery, but it's slightly let down by a nakedly derivative script and a general lack of warmth.The script's philosophical musings about humanity and self-sacrifice are almost as flimsy as the central love triangle that fails to ignite the emotional afterburners for a slam-bang finale.It's a shame the lack of originality becomes a distraction forty minutes in and the spectacle isn't enough to stem the overriding sense of déjà vu that does its best to dazzle by its myriad of special effects but confuses itself.Overall,it tries hard to resurrect the spirit of '60s and '70s sci-fi may impress with its scale.It can be enjoyed by a Tom Cruise fan and someone who loves these types of movie but it is far from being a masterpiece and an unforgettable film.