Oblivion Reviews

Say what you will about Tom Cruise but thereâ??s no denying that his choice of projects have always been bankable. Throughout the 80â?²s and 90â?²s most of his films and performances were of a particularly high standard. The same could be said of the 00â?²s as well. However, over the last three years, cracks are beginning to appear; â??Knight and Dayâ??, â??Rock of Agesâ?? and â??Jack Reacherâ?? have failed to register any form of quality. On the surface, â??Oblivionâ?? has all the hallmarks of the Cruiser getting back on track but, unfortunately, proves just as lacklustre as the aforementioned duds.

In the year 2077, Earth has been obliterated by an alien race and the surviving members of humanity have moved on to inhabit Saturnâ??s moon, Titan. Jack (Tom Cruise) and his wife Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) have remained on earth, though, to protect machinery harvesting the planetâ??s resources before Jack begins to suspect that his mission isnâ??t as straightforward as he thought it was.

Director Joseph Kosinski follows up his previous science fiction film â??Tron Legacyâ?? with another venture into the future. He works from his own graphic novel and delivers an intriguing premise that pays homage to classic Sci-Fi movies like â??2001: A Space Odysseyâ?? and â??Planet of the Apesâ??. His setting is suitably bleak (captured beautifully by cinematographer Claudio Miranda), his use of visuals are striking and his tone is perfectly sombre. In fact, Kosinski actually assembles a good addition to the science fiction genre. Unfortunately, his assembly soon falls apart due to a script thatâ??s devoid of any substance or characters that we can invest in. The pace is lethargic, to say the least, which only really registers that a lot of the film is just padding. Nothing happens for a good chunk of the movie and when the plot is finally opened up, it fails to make sense or hold any form of coherence. Even if it did, your likely to have lost interest by that point anyway. Cruise wanders around aimlessly (presumably in search of characterisation) and the likes of Morgan Freeman and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau neednâ??t have turned up at all. The most frustrating thing overall, though, is that the big reveal is one that weâ??ve seen many times before and all, but completely, rips-off Duncan Jonesâ?? far superior â??Moonâ??. The similarities are almost shocking and I wouldnâ??t have been surprised to have seen Jonesâ?? name on the screenwriting credits.

Kosinski is a director that may yet find his feet. He certainly has an eye for sumptuous visuals and can stage a fine action set-piece. However, he really needs to work on a coherent narrative and one that isnâ??t as dull or desolate as the landscape that his characters roam.

Mark Walker

Joseph Kosinski's sci-fi adventure, Oblivion, keeps the story going.The screen time is roughly 2 hours and it does feel that long. This is due to the pacing of the story which never rushes itself, yet never seems to come to a crawl. There is a high sense of mystery and intrigue as plot details are unveiled at opportune times, all the while leaving the good stuff for last.The set designs and effects are rock solid, which works in this film's favor given the low quantity of characters to follow. The action sequences are well planned and executed nicely.Tom Cruise knows how to carry a film, so there is no problem here. Andrea Riseborough and Olga Kurylenko provide good supporting roles. Drone 166 delivers as a non-human character.Oblivion is a well-rounded sci-fi adventure. Highly recommended.

While certainly derivative of many science fiction classics, Oblivion is also a visually stunning experience worthwhile because it puts ideas in place that make you think and isn't just a visual effects spectacle with wall to wall action. The best moments of this adventure are the spare moments of discovery rather than the impressive action scenes. The story makes you think and keep you on your toes the whole time and even though there's small plot holes here and there that I wish were explained better, they didn't completely destroy the experience like they can with other movies in this genre. The movie slowly reveals its secrets over the lengthy 2 hour run time and there's spots where it could have used better pacing, but overall it does a decent job in that department. Tom Cruise gives a solid performance well within his wheelhouse he is known for while Morgan Freeman is in the movie very little despite getting significant screen time in trailers and commercials. Olga Kurylenko and Andrea Riseborough also give effective performances as the female interests in the story. Oblivion is not going to spoke in the same breath as the classics it clearly emulates, but its thoughtful and unique world is worthwhile for someone wanting a little brain with their science fiction spectacle.

Oblivion is a beautiful movie, and it's always good to see an original sci-fi film now and then. Unfortunately, its style only takes this post-apocalyptic journey so far. The film is hamstrung by characters that are as barren as the desolate landscapes they traverse, and the science fiction tropes pile up to create a congested second half full of cliches and forced twists seen in other, better sci-fi films. The actors may be talented, but the script gives them very little to work with (especially the exceptionally wasted Morgan Freeman). While you may not find much to care about in the story, its still a fun ride. The special effects are well-done, especially when it comes to the mechanical elements like the intimidating drones, which move with both a weightiness and agility that combines to form something you would definitely not want to meet in a dark alley, and Tom Cruise's ship is a really imaginative piece of futuristic technology as well. M83's score is a mixed bag. Choosing this band for this movie is the absolute perfect choice, as they have that epic, desolate futuristic-yet-retro feel to them to begin with. Unfortunately, the score they have composed rarely sounds like their 'actual' music as much as it does an imitation of contemporary blockbuster scores. Had they gone their own route (or used some tracks from their discography), they could have came up with something that really made 'Oblivion' stand out from the pack. This is just an example of the larger problem with 'Oblivion': it isn't a bad movie, but in every instance where it has a chance to be a pioneer and do something fresh, it falls back on the crutches of the past, and ends up feeling rather generic as a result.

A spectacular and mind-blowing epic. A provocative and intense triumph, that returns to the grandest form of science fiction. It's a visionary, groundbreaking and explosive cinematic piece of work that shines as one of the most original and exciting films in years. It delivers an explosive mix of story, characters, surprising romance, tremendous mystery, incredible action and stunning special effects. Director, Joseph Kosinski's second feature film is his original idea and brings it to life with this breathtaking and astonishing adventure that keeps your heart-pounding and your mind racing. A tremendously entertaining and action-packed thrill-machine. One of the most exhilarating and impressive science fiction movies ever made. Tom Cruise is magnificent, you truly feel the gravity of his character and you cant help but feel more drawn to him in this. Cruise just gets better and better as the years go on. Moran Freeman is terrific. Olga Kurylenko is excellent. Andrea Riseborough is brilliant.

This is the kind of SciFi I like. I was even able to get over the lead being Tom Cruise!

Based around a graphic novel I've never heard of and that's because it doesn't actually exist, seemed to be a clever smokescreen to gather interest in the new film. So its just an independent sci-fi film then, but that's good no? well kinda, but then again the main star is Tom Cruise so...

The film kicks off with narration by Cruise's character as to the fate of the Earth. Immediately I noticed the film looks amazing, I loved how they have created the desolate left overs of human civilisation with the odd landmark or tall building remaining but basically half buried and surrounded by a fresh new landscape. What we know of our world is virtually gone, through earthquakes and tsunamis everything has been buried deep creating a new face to Earth's surface...and it looks awesome!.

The visuals in this film are nothing short of spectacular, I haven't seen such crisp sharp images for some time and that includes the CGI. But the film isn't drowned in CGI, that's the key, its used for landscapes, skylines, ruins, buildings etc...things that tend to work well rendered in CGI. There are no big alien monsters or stupid sidekick creatures etc...this is a semi serious sci-fi.

I do get the impression they have tried for a '2001' approach here, a very realistic depiction of what could be. Designs are logical and functional, outfits and weapons aren't too silly or gung-ho, building interiors are pretty minimal in a slick 70's sci-fi kind of way (maybe a bit too clean) and the day to day activities of the main characters are mundane. Of course there are sequences within the film which pander to the regular lowest basic common sci-fi denominator which is a true shame, but you gotta have gunfights and death in everything these days huh.

Now the plot...oh lord! the plot. Where to begin? I'll be honest, I liked the film to a degree but the plot had me guessing all the way...in a bad way. There is a lot of confusion in this film which in my opinion isn't entirely explained. Its hard to review without spoilers, basically we don't find out what is really going on until near the end, up to that point its a frustrating game of guess what's going on.

The main plot point is the twist of course, revolving around the main characters, that much is clear. But for most of the time you can't really say if there are any actual aliens in this, was the Earth actually destroyed by aliens or is it a huge cover up for something else?. With the ragtag humans hiding out on Earth (the story leads you to think they are aliens at first) you kinda assume its a big government cover up. Of course it seems Earth was destroyed by an alien force, but we never see them, the machines in control via the 'Tet' are automated A.I., presumably controlled by an alien race on another planet or ship??. And why is it called the 'Tet'? is that a human moniker?.

And on the subject of this alien invader race, why send machines to invade? did they know to destroy our Moon or was that a mistake? and why capture and use cloned humans for the invasion?. They have those high powered drones which are armed to the teeth and extremely versatile, why didn't they just use the drones to invade Earth? surely they would be far more lethal, precise, with faster results and cause less problems than cloning would inevitably cause. I would imagine cloning would also take much more time no?. The drones really did make the whole cloning concept in this film quite redundant if you ask me.

Plus in what way would our planets resources benefit them? I'm guessing they must have a planet similar to Earth? they must do, and the alien race must be similar to us in build and requirements...presumably.

But as the story progresses the story begs more and more questions. Why were a team of astronauts flying to Titan and why did they need such a big crew?. When that crew were ejected back to Earth why did they simply orbit for sixty odd years? why did the humans on the surface wait so long to bring them down?. It seems Morgan Freeman and his cronies only decided to bring them down once they discovered the weakness in Cruise's character. So until then they just left them in orbit?.

I still don't quite follow how or why the drones are unable to kill the Earth bound humans when they are camouflaged in their 'scav' outfits. Those hi-tech alien drones can't get through some human jetfighter tech and voice scramblers?. What are those outfits suppose to be exactly with all those feathers stuck on their helmets? and how did they make them??. Why does the alien controller 'Sally' have a Southern drawl and where that kid came from at the very end, was 'Julia' pregnant the whole time?. Oh and why does Freeman wear a black cape and those goggle-like shades?? didn't notice much intense sunshine.

I guess what I'm saying is I really loved the way this film looked, a real leap forward in visual sci-fi. Some of the designs like the bubble ship/helicopter craft Cruise's character flies are really original and striking, the drones were a bit generic and the 'Tet' was kinda drab looking but on the whole its a visual feast for the eyes.

I was hoping for a sensible serious sci-fi, on one hand I got it, no doubt about that, but I can't help but feel there was a classic sci-fi here. So close, but like the soundtrack/musical score and by the numbers superstar casting of Cruise, poor decisions have been made.

"Oblivion," which has opened in theaters across the country yesterday, is not a good film. It's a thoroughly generic science fiction movie which follows Tom Cruise as a drone technician on post-apocalyptic Earth who finds out that everything he knows is wrong. If you've seen "The Matrix," "Moon" or "Planet of the Apes," this film will be neither surprising nor suspenseful to you. Director Joseph Kosinski ("Tron: Legacy") took a $120 million budget and one of the biggest movie stars on the planet and made the least memorable tent pole movie in years. However, Kosinski's film is a perfect example of how not to make a big budget studio movie.

Too much CGI isn't the problem

An oft beaten drum in the film criticism community is that the copious use of computer-generated imagery is ruining the medium. Instead of putting in the work to figure out how to practically achieve an effect, cost conscious filmmakers with ever tightening shooting schedules are now outsourcing vital creative work to legions of computer animators. There are few things worse than sitting through protracted sequences of lifeless, shoddily executed action. But CGI doesn't make a film unengaging, a filmmaker's poorly conceived vision does that. I remember becoming physically uncomfortable in the middle of Zach Snyder's "Sucker Punch" for just that reason. Watching Emily Browning's Babydoll fight her way through hordes of Nazi zombies went past boring and straight into existential depression. The effects work was very well done, effectively creating a fantastic world with real depth and tactility. The fact large sections of the film were made by shooting actors in front of blue screens instead of meticulously designed sets isn't why the film feels like a barefoot walk through the desert. Director Zach Snyder hadn't done the proper character work to make me care about his scantily clad warrior women so there was no emotional context for the over the top action. If a film fails on a conceptual level, the best effects work in the business can't fix it.

"Oblivion" has the same problem as "Sucker Punch" but it presents itself differently. In the beginning of the film, Cruise causally explains how the world ended via voice over. Aliens came to Earth and destroyed the Moon in an attack on humanity. Though it left much of the planet an irradiated wasteland, our species defeated the extraterrestrials through the use of nuclear weapons. After establishing this nightmarish scenario, we watch Cruise as he hangs out in his beautiful minimalist living quarters, tools around on his shiny dirt bike and naps at a lakeside cabin he built in the middle of the Cursed Earth, all of which is filmed in digital crispness and clarity by Claudio Miranda and aided by excellent, seamless effects work. This glacially paced world building takes up a third of film's running time. The film presents the end of human life as it was defined for millennia with all the weight of an important baseball game the home team lost. Since the film begins with the end of the world, which didn't do more than bum out the protagonist, it's difficult to invest emotional in the film's outcome.

You need the right tool for the right job

Tom Cruise is the kind of squared jaw American star that's fallen out of fashion. He's laconic generally but emotional bombastic when pressed and possesses a core of indefatigable resilience that has seemingly vanished from modern male character, causing the studios to look to Australia and Britain to find the kind of traditional manly men needed to anchor their action movies and romantic dramas. Cruise has steadfastly refused to let age turn him into a character actor and in "Oblivion" he runs, jumps, loves and fights like a man twenty years younger. In a more straight ahead sci-fi epic, he'd be perfect. But here he is hopelessly miscast.

The film needed a warmer central presence to overcome Kosinski's cold clinic direction. Cruise is oddly subdued in the film, missing his normal bubbling rage. He reacts to strange, frightening happenings with a curious disaffection. The film explains his remoteness with a late in the game revelations about his origins but it doesn't make spending two hours with room temperature Cruise worthwhile. There are working actors who can make wandering in a desert compelling but the "Mission Impossible" star isn't one of them. Miscasting is why "Jack the Giant Slayer" and "Battleship" failed and "Oz the Great and Power" and "Iron Man" succeeded.

Ideas that you can hold in your hand

Three very different men hunt a killer shark. A history professor spends his off days as a pulp hero. An amusement park full of dinosaurs experiences a major malfunction. Steven Spielberg said that the plot of a movie should be an idea you can hold in your hand. A simple and compelling concept that audiences can grasp onto. That's not to say that all films need to be overly simplistic but it's useful for a $120 million film to have a clear and concise premise. It is after all a Tom Cruise movie. People go to see Tom Cruise movies, as opposed to movies with Tom Cruise in them, to have a good time watching Cruise smirk through elegant designed set pieces.

The high concept for "Oblivion" is broadly "Tom Cruise versus alien invaders," though it takes a while to establish that conflict. From most of the film, Cruise is pitted against killer robots that look like the end result of a collaboration between Apple and a military contractor. While ominous in appearance, the drones aren't terrible fearsome. They're easy to destroy and only a threat intermittently. Late in the film, the drones' creator is revealed but that confrontation is shorter than most of the preliminary fights and by that time the waters have been muddled with the introduction of cloning and memory implantation so the final battle doesn't have the buildup that it should. There are a lot of ideas in the film but they don't coalesce as much as circle each other anxiously. The film desperately needed another pass at the concept level.

The only look that matters

One of the most pleasurable things about watching a science fiction film is seeing bold futuristic designs realized on a large canvas. The "Alien" series, "Blade Runner" and "Brazil" are almost as interesting as works of complex and exquisite design as they are as films. While the set dressing, construction, costuming, and the evocative way that those films were photographed didn't make them successes, a distinctive and striking look is essential. Attractive iconography is crucial in creating a full realized world.

"Oblivion" is full of pristine, glossy white spaces and pleasant rustic landscapes. It's advanced technology consists of large touch screen interfaces, guns that look like plastic toys, bubble crafts that look like rejected designs from "Tron: Legacy" and an alien monster that looks cool but doesn't do anything. Years from now, no one will dress up as characters from this film at pop culture conventions. The will be no tenth anniversary director's cut Blu-ray release. No filmmaker or graphic artist will name this film as an influence. It won't become an indelible piece of pop culture. None of these things will happen because no one will remember this film.

Oblivion is one of those Sci Fi films that is very ambitious in scope, but never really takes off. I found the film to be quite decent, but fell short of what it could have been. I really wanted to enjoy this, but I never thought that Oblivion was a great film. Along with After Earth, this is yet another Sci Fi disappointment that could have really stood out. The film has a good cast, but it never delivers anything truly memorable due to an underdeveloped script. There are effective action packed moments that are quite entertaining, but it doesn't do anything to really make this one a worthwhile movie. Overall I liked it somewhat and thought it was a decent film, but felt that it could have been redone a bit. If you want the Sci Fi film of the year check out Star Trek into the Darkness instead. Oblivion is decent, but lacks significantly in terms of a truly memorable plot that would make you want to see it again. Tom Cruise, I find is lacking in terms of acting, and his best years are behind him. This was a fun movie, but one that doesn't necessitate multiple viewings and you can clearly see that it fails in some areas. Oblivion is mindless fun, but nonetheless is a disappointing effort considering other films that have come out in this genre this year. Even with its flaws, at least Oblivion isn't a mediocre movie like After Earth, which was this year's Sci Fi dud. Decent entertainment for what it is with some average performance, you can simply imagine what Oblivion could have been if there would have been a few script rewrites. Don't expect anything mind blowing with this one, you'll surely be disappointed. Just expect decent fun, and you won't be too disappointed at what you're seeing on-screen.

Much like Joseph Kosinski's previous directorial effort "Tron Legacy", "Oblivion" boasts remarkable visuals but completely lacking in a compelling story or characters. The landscape of post-apocalyptic Earth combined with 70's-style sci-fi production design are perfectly appealing eye-candy but the story is predictable, boring, and too reliant on silly gimmicky story-telling that consists of nonsensical twists. The characters are dull-fully one-dimensional with a very un-involving lead performance from Tom Cruise. The music by electro pop band M83 suits the film's high-tech atmosphere and the darkly ominous sound design for the deadly drones gives them a true menace. Overall, perfectly adequate on a technical level like the villainous drones but completely lacking in heart. The ending was like a combination of the endings to "Independence Day" and the game "Portal".

This hybrid of Total Recall, Independence Day & The Matrix (yes!) suffers from a thin plot, but it redeems itself with its mind-blowing production design and Tom Cruise's down-to-earth performance (no pun intended). There's nothing new here, but director Kosinski (TRON: Legacy) handles all the cinematic elements skillfully. Morgan Freeman and Melissa Leo have thankless supporting roles. The music by electro pop band M83 feels adequate.

Repetitious, confusing and mainly unfocused, Oblivion is a misconceived hodgepodge of clichés and contrivances from the first scene to the last. The result couldn't be stodgier and more predictable than what we see here.

Even though it looks great, "Oblivion" is dull, predictable and basically "WALL-E" without the heart.

Damn good popcorn movie.

I'm a sucker for sleek scifi action movies and based off of the trailers Oblivion reeled me in. But was it worth it? For me, it was a mixed bag. Oblivion is one of those movies that never really becomes its own beast. It's a hodgepodge of science fiction tropes, but these cliched plot points still keep the movie interesting. It's very slow in parts, but the visuals are great to look at and they keep your eyes on the screen (which is a good thing). I did enjoy Tom Cruise's performance and I always like seeing Morgan Freeman show up in movies. Overall- It's forgettable and has an overdone story but it's still worth the admission price.

I think the biggest flaw with Oblivion started with the fact that it's suspense/mystery married to a painfully predictable plot. So for about 2/3 of the movie the audience is waiting for characters to move through all their motions of "development" while squirming in anxiety.

But frankly, I really enjoyed the last few closing acts before the film ended. There were a lot of key moments that really stood out, filling my love for Sci Fi themes. (Discovering he's a clone and dealing with it, Jack not telling the 2nd Victoria the truth, Jack bringing Malcom rather than Julia etc.)

A lot of critics argue a lack of emotion or that characters are forgotten as soon as the "action" rolls in but that may be because all the players seem like characters in a Victorian play and never really "alive" in the first place.

Finally, let's not forget the top notch visuals. The Scifi concept art team behind this movie did a really wonderful job with the overall designs and as an artist myself, I can't help but appreciate it all.

It's definitely no Minority Report and it's rare for a movie to start off horrible and then get better (as opposed to having a strong start and progressively get worse) but if you love Sci Fi I think it's a pretty enjoyable experience that uses it's tropes effectively more so than falling victim to them.

Overall it was halfway decent. I honestly saw most of the plot twists coming, but the visuals and tech made up for it. I would recommend seeing it as a matinee or catching it in the 2nd run theaters

"Obvlivion" is a sci-fi movie that takes things from other movies and shoots for something original. Tom Cruise stars as Jack a security repairman who works with a partner to help extract water from Earth and send to Titan. Titan is a planet that all the people of Earth have migrated to since Aliens came to Earth and fought a war leaving everything radioactive and inhabitable. Saying more than that would be a disservice to anyone who hasn't seen it since there are several twists and plot turns. The movie drags, especially in the middle, but overall it stays fresh and entertaining. Cruise is good, and the rest of the cast does good also. Would like to have seen more of Morgan Freeman, but actually I can see there being a prequel involving his character. If you like Sci-Fi movies, then you should give this an honest shot, it'll be right up your alley and a good way to wet your appetite for the new "Star Trek" movie. Otherwise, you should probably stay away, because this probably won't be for you.

Joseph Kosinski's (of TRON: Legacy fame) homage to 70s sci-fi could just as well have been a 90s The Outer Limits episode in big-budget movie form. A very beautifully filmed piece of sci-fi even though the plot is obvious and unoriginal. This is like Top Gun, a simple movie where you can just switch off your brain and enjoy the ride. In fact, it really does pay to suspend your disbelief and immerse yourself in this atmospheric fantasy.

'Oblivion' is a gorgeously filmed, smorgasbord of past sci-fi flicks. M83's score complements the action extremely well, and although the plot has familiar elements, it's still a generally engaging film. Tom Cruise and company give acceptable performances, but no one performance jumps off the screen. Ultimately, 'Oblivion' is a good watch for sci-fi fans who don't mind rehashing familiar plot devices with new faces. Grade: C+