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April 19, 2013
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Review: Oblivion
— Posted by The "Superior" Anthony
 Genre: Action Adventure, Science Fiction
This movie is a mind fuck. Tom Cruise stars as Jack Harper who is a conflicted man with a strong decent moral compass. He works hard and is dedicated to doing his part in what’s left of the world. He was the garbage man, literally picking up the pieces of humanity after a great war with a hostile alien threat. He’s a character I initially didn’t expect to ‘like’ but Jack grew on me and I found myself associating with his curiosity of ”the unknown ” beyond his boundaries. I really enjoyed this movie, thanks in no small part to what Tom Cruise brought to the table, but also at the way the story found a way to seem unique and entertaining in an increasingly crowded sci-fi film market.
Oblivion is a fun yet confused movie that is incredibly entertaining yet suffers a bit from an identity crisis. The movie, unexpectedly, combines ideas and concepts that die hard sci-fi fans will find reminiscent into a benefit rather than a detriment. Oblivion seems like a refined and polished combination of borrowed ideas and focuses them into a film that doesn’t make the same mistakes to new success. It’s not a perfect story and certainly isn’t unique but it’s a polished and intriguing story that makes it seem so fresh. Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise. Now, it may not seem fair to use that as a description, but I think it’s fully applicable when describing someone who I rarely find “disappointing”. I may not like all of his film selection, but the man himself is pretty consistent with what he brings to a movie. In the last 10 years or so Cruise has had few blemishes in the film selection department and with this role in Oblivion he maintains his solid streak. Jack Harper is a character that seemed unsettled at all times, and exhibits a habit to make impulsive and dangerous decisions. I rooted for him throughout the film and that’s pretty much the response that’s needed from the audience for his character. They want us to like the guy, and I did. Heck, I even wanted to see him have a happy ending.
Morgan Freeman makes a glorified cameo. His appearances in the marketing materials is misleading and gives the impression that he has a larger role in this film. He’s there, but it’s a filler role so don’t let the glasses fool you as he’s no Morpheus character and Freeman likely fills this minor role simply to add star power. Further, I’m sorry to say that his character didn’t seem all that distinguishable from any other Morgan Freeman charter to try to make his appearance any more significant Olga Kurylenko gave a boring performance and could not bring any life to her character. A shame as I usually like the actress and I feel like this one could just be a result simple miscasting. Melissa Leo was fun and executed her performance perfectly. Andrea Riseborough was interesting but I’m indifferent toward her character.
I enjoyed the movie and I was digging the story until right around the 2nd or 3rd act of the movie when it makes a a major revelation. It’s a point in which the movie begins to heavily rely on ideas borrowed from other Sci-Fi films all the way to the end credits and doesn’t even deliver the ending that I felt the movie deserved. I started this review by saying that this film is a mind fuck because it’s no small feat to reach the level of immersion that Oblivion strives toward and then fumbles to the point that I felt like I was watching a twisted remake of another film. Still, I really enjoyed the movie and think it’s a great way to start the summer movie season early and is certainly worth a trip to the theater.
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This is a classic SF movie as from the 70s but done in a new way. I liked the movie more than I though I would. Great direction and solid story.
Couldn't agree more. I found Oblivion to be fantastic. Love the site, consider me a follower from now on.
Feel free to check out my review:
http://www.raths-reviews.com/2013/04/oblivion_23.html
I liked the special effects and the craft he uses to descend, but this movie seems to be inspired from total recall and the moon. See how his memory is wiped and so many clones used, living with another woman etc. Was good entertainment but not the best : http://www.movietv4u.com/watch-movies/Oblivion-63
Hola all this is my first post on livefyre i just discovered this site i was getting tired of Rotten Tomatoes they seem to give every movie a bad review except the ones that are overly dramatic and acted. Any who I saw this movie on Saturday with my family and the first half i absolutely loved it was visually stunning and the technology they invented for this film was amazing I mean those fighter robots..loved it!! I thought I was the only one who thought the leading lady actress Olga was super boring and needs acting lessons. Umm crying and looking confused in every scene does not equal good acting. I loved the red head actress though I thought she was compelling and i was rooting for her to stay on camera. Overall I loved the first half of this film after that i felt like i was watching a corny episode of the Twilight Zone.
@LisaYuki
" they seem to give every movie a bad review except the ones that are overly dramatic and acted"
That is not true even a little bit
@JamesM @LisaYuki Oh really, well which movies that are not dramas and that don't overuse dark lighting and brooding actors do they give good reviews too hmm?
Actually Anthony I think your review is suffering from an identity crisis - very reluctant to call it one way or the other - but that seems to be a theme here nowadays. I liked it, and there are very few actual, one hundred percent NEW ideas to be had anyway. Everyone is fighting a war, dealing with robots, or clones, or AI, or aftermath, or rebellions - this film is no exception, but manages to be a good ride.
@JamesM I'll explain: I want the reader to understand my journey with Oblivion without just giving you a summary. My stance on what I considered "Good" and "Bad" can both be found above. On one hand Oblivion is a nice polished culmination of some neat ideas, and on another hand Oblivion is littered with cringe inducing story issues. I tried not to dwell too much on the negatives because, in my opinion, that's what I took from the movie. I hope my score helps you understand that the issues are mostly forgiven due to polish so thick that film shined through.
@Anthony_TMB
I hear ya
Anthony is an idiot he cant follow his own guideline by not using profanity
@kunalsigtia You may be right, but in this instance the guidelines are for 'comments'.
In hindsight I realize that this may be interpreted incorrectly. For the most part I avoid using profanity on the site and when it does appear I typically use it as a PG-13 adjective. Anyway, it can happen. The commenting rules are for the purpose of avoiding an altercation of words in the comments.
I think this movie is probably going to end up being very hit/miss. That being said I'm in the camp that genuinely liked it. Going in I figured it was the 'mystery' of the film that might determine the relative appeal, and I think it's that expectation which sways the audience. I know it had me after watching the first trailer. I was more surprised at the end that Oblivion is actually much more than that. It obviously borrows from other sci-fi films, but really I think these ideas or even 'tropes' as some might call are just reminders. Oblivion is more like a sci-fi remix, or a cover to a familiar song. The problem is not everyone likes covers or remixes. For me though, I found it both refreshing and unique.
I have to say I don't agree with your assessment that the film is a 'mind fuck'. The movie is relatively simple, its just that the exposition actually doesn't stop until the very, very end - right up to the actual credits. So much so that it's rather interesting Oblivion plays out both soft and fast, almost like a space opera. I'd delve way more into spoilers to discuss, but I want to keep this comment spoiler free.
Tom Cruise in his later years is choosing his films wisely and Oblivion is right up there, at least for me. Overall character wise I thought was good. I liked Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko, Melissa Leo, and Jamie Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). I also liked the subtle casting of Zoe Bell, who's more known for stunt work so it was nice to see her in front the screen so-to-speak. Morgan Freeman's fault is he's too recognizable, so you might expect more from him but I felt Oblivion was adequate given he was just a supporting character.
I gotta say I've become a big fan of director Joseph Kosinki, I really loved the wide shots of this film. I knew going in his visual acuity was something I would appreciate, but even simple shots of panning the camera around he does to emphasize narrative. Oblivion ends being an immense artistic set piece, Kosinki has the whole planet to work with, and does a very good job. It's odd for me the translation of it all is like getting a giant map and you're free to zoom in/out at your own discretion. It's not something we could do with Oblivion, but that's what I wanted to do in a personal exploration sense. Much like Cruise does on his routine maintenance job, whilst listening to some vinyl or the M83 soundtrack of the movie.
Well, this movie reminded me a lot of "Moon"form 2009.