Oblivion Film Review

Oblivion - "I want mankind to survive, this is the only way. This is Jack Harper..... I'm good to go." 

At first glance Oblivion looked like a promising science fiction film with a competent director at the helm. Joseph Kosinski, director of Tron: Legacy, is a man who knows how to make films look gorgeous. Tron wasn't terribly good but it looked beautiful & that was shot mostly with green screens. Oblivion (sigh of relief) was shot in Iceland on physical sets & it seems no expenses were spared Josephs visual aesthetic is awe inspiring, whether you're flying through the air with Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) or on the ground amidst the wasteland of earth it is jaw droppingly beautiful. Iceland had the perfect terrain and look to suit this film which was adapted from the graphic novel of the same name, the graphic novel by the way was written by the director himself. It's just so refreshingly original.

Story goes Jack Harper survived the war with the scavengers, an alien race who blew up Earths moon which decimated the gravitational pull between the two and the effect it has on the Earths tectonic plates and tidal forces. 80% of the Earth is uninhabitable and humans have been evacuated to "Titan" Saturn's largest moon. Jack and his partner Victoria (Andrew Riseborough) remain on Earth as part of the mop-up crew who repair drones, drones protect these giant vacuous machines which turns Earths oceans into energy which fuel "The TET" a colossal space station which orbits Earth. It is also the launch point for humans to get to Titan. Jack & Victoria have the perfect relationship, almost TOO perfect which raises questions. But NOTHING is really spoon fed to you which is why you can't treat this like a typical blockbuster, it makes you think, this isn't that God awful G.I Joe 2. Jack & Victoria co-exist perfectly, Victoria is the communications officer that watches Jacks back whilst he repairs drones on the surface, but most of the time they reside in the safety of their tower, satisfying each others needs, emotionally, sexually, that need for human contact isn't ignored. "We are an effective team". I applaud Joseph Kosinski for exploiting the limits of the PG-13 rating the Americans use, which means you can have minimal sexuality or offensive language, well there's plenty of both and it's definitely more adult themed than for children.

Oblivion is a breath of fresh air to the science fiction genre, I can't and will not say ANYTHING more about the plot as it's easy to spoil, all I'll say is the pay-off is extremely satisfying, visually breathtaking and NOT IN 3D! The cast are by and large great especially Morgan Freeman. "If you're looking for the truth, that's where you'll find it". The only casting issue was Olga Kurylenko as Julia, I haven't really seen her succeed in any of her previous films and there is very little chemistry between her and Tom Cruise which is disappointing considering the pivotal role she plays. Jessica Chastain was originally cast but had to drop out due to scheduling problems sadly, she would have made a terrific Julia. Considering the people who auditioned for the role I'm surprised they didn't go with Mary Elizabeth Winstead or Brit Marling. I mean Mary Elizabeth Winstead is almost a sure bet having proved herself to be a terrific female action star, reminiscent of a young Sigourney Weaver. That issue aside the film is pretty flawless, the plot is well written, the film well paced and the score resonates with you. Put your thinking cap on and enjoy this, they don't come along often. 4.7/5