Somewhat clunky story, but Cruise is dependably solid, and the special effects are great.

Rating: 6/10 (21 July 2013)

"Oblivion" launches headfirst into its seemingly complex story, and to be completely honest, I found myself struggling to keep up with the plot at first. I won't rehash it here, because other reviews will do a better job, but essentially this is an old-fashioned, '70s-styled sci-fi flick with Tom Cruise playing a drone repairmen on Earth, which has become a post-apocalyptic wasteland by 2077.
The reason I say the story is seemingly complex, is that I think the director, Joseph Koskinski, who also wrote the unpublished graphic novel the film is based upon, tries to over-compensate somewhat for the fact that the story is rather derivative of other titles. While his future world can be distinct at times, it's also reminiscent of other popular science fiction fare, whether it's the obvious like "Star Wars" and "2001" to the less-renowned, like the underrated "Moon" starring Sam Rockwell (one of my favourite science fiction films of the last decade, I think).
Cruise gets better with age, and even though his films are rarely masterpieces or acting showcases, he has a knack for choosing reliably entertaining spectacles. He carries this movie as well as you might expect him to, and though the posters showcase Morgan Freeman for added box office potential, it's really Cruise's movie, and he nails it.
Kosinski, after his debut "Tron: Legacy," is still struggling with the narrative side of filmmaking, but his visuals are superb. I hesitate to refer to Oblivion as a "low budget" movie, but it is relatively so: in a year where $130 million buys you crappy-looking flicks like "R.I.P.D.," it's pretty impressive that Kosinski has made the best-looking special effects experience of the year with a budget almost half of "Iron Man 3" or "Man of Steel" (both of which were less impressive effects-wise, and less distinct in their tone).
The movie isn't great, it can be a bit confusing at times due to its messy storytelling, but it's worth it for Cruise and the special effects alone. And while it may not do as good a job as "Moon" at raising its existentialist questions, it's still a tad more thought-provoking than most big budget blockbusters.
The score by M83 is also pretty great, and one of the highlights of the picture.
I recommend Oblivion based on the merits of its star and visuals, as an overall Motion Picture Experience, but hope Kosinski places a bit more emphasis on the storytelling in his future films.