Into Oblivion

   Oblivion is not what you might expect. It's a little bit I Am Lgend, a little bit W.A.L.L.E., a little bit Titan A.E., and a little bit Independene Day. All of those combined should make for a pretty good movie and I cannot say that I was disappointed. Oblivion is a somewhat intelligent movie which might make it smarter than the average moviegoer.

 

 Every film starts with a story and Oblivion has that. Tom Cruise is one of the last few humans on a devastated earth. Aliens (Scavengers) destroyed the moon and nearly all of the planet. The remaining human race has been evacuated to a colony on Titan (one of Saturn's moons). The planet is devastated as cruise and is partner Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) are tasked with repairing drones that defend large machines that harvest our sea water. Jack Harper (Cruise) is haunted by dreams of a past he doesn't remember and has become a collector of past trinkets like books, records, and bobble heads.
When Harper learns the the Scavengers are actually humans after the woman of his dreams literally falls to earth, his futuristic world becomes unravelled.

 Visually, Oblivion is stunning. The world we see is majestic yet sad at the same time. Tom Cruise reminded me of Wil Smith in I Am Legend. One man alone surrounded by what used to be. The landscapes are gorgeous and his tower apartment is pretty cool. The ship he flies around in is also very well done. The sights of Washington D.C. and New York in the aftermath is both breathtaking and depressing. It is truly a world of solitude.

 Morgan Freeman is a bit under used as the leader of the remainder of human resistance. It's not that he is bad. Freeman is rarely bad in anything, but there just isn't much for him to do. This is about Cruise and his character's discovery. The same is true of Nicolaj Coster-Waldau. He is the resident bad man on what's left of the campus, but there isn't a lot of time to really develop his character either. Even in futuristic armor, he manages to keep that Lanister swagger.

 I think the casting that let me down the most was Olga Kurylenko. It's a shame because I loved her in Quantum Of Solace and in Hitman. There just wasn't much chemistry with her and Tom Cruise. She plays the love of Jack Harper's life, but he seemed more comfortable with Riseborough. She had the most time for character develpment and this is where the movie seemed to fall flat.

 Tom Cruise is one of the most polarizing actors in Hollywood, but he gets it right here. The story is great, but I was almost disappointed in the twist because after the movie became too predictable. The world is gorgeous, the effects are incredible, and the action is fun. It drags a little in places, but not enough to ruin the overall experience. It is a rather intelligent science fiction movie that might not be for everyone, but I definitely enjoyed my trip into Oblivion.