REVIEW: Fall carefully into ‘Oblivion’
Tom Cruise has had an interesting career to say the least. There’s no doubt he has starred in some truly excellent films. On the other hand, he also has a nose for sniffing out roles even Nicolas Cage would wince at – come on people, “Top Gun” isn’t a good movie, and “Days of Thunder” is only marginally better, but I digress.
It’s been a while since Cruise has dabbled in serious science fiction and the like, so I was fairly intrigued by what “Oblivion” would bring to the table. It has some fairly good casting and the visual depiction of the post-apocalyptic Earth evokes a distinct artistic quality that I was very pleased with. That’s a good sign, considering “Oblivion” is based on an unpublished graphic novel of the same name by Joseph Kosinski. Did I mention he also directs this film?
In the year 2077, mankind stands as merely a shadow of its former self. Earth suffered a calamitous war waged 60 years earlier by an invading alien species known as the Scavengers. Though the humans win the war, Earth no longer can support life in most areas due to the use of nukes. What few survivors remain live in bases thousands of feet above the ground and work to provide resources for the space station colony Tet and the outpost on Saturn’s moon, Titan.
Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) and his communications officer Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) work extensively with drones to find usable resources for Sally (Melissa Leo), their commander on the Tet. They must also deal with pockets of surviving “Scavs” on the surface. After their work is complete, they will be allowed to return to the colony. During this assignment, Jack and Victoria learn to cope with their isolation and desires accordingly.
Unlike Victoria, Jack often wonders about what life on Earth was like prior to the war. He is haunted by memories of New York City and a woman he may have known from the past. On a routine reconnaissance flight, his situation and emotional state becomes increasingly complex as he discovers a survivor in a wreck named Julia (Olga Kurylenko). The two are soon captured by a band of people led by Malcom Beech (Morgan Freeman), who suggests to Jack that working for Sally isn’t what it’s advertised to be.
Cruise fully invests himself into this role, and it shows. He’s an angst-ridden yet hopeful survivor who hopes to live on the surface again some day. Some of his dialogue even verges on the poetic and it evokes a feel not dissimilar to something science fiction writer Robert Heinlein would write in his stories. Nothing feels phoned in with Cruise, and this is by far the biggest asset he brings to the film. I believed in the character, but more importantly I believed just how high the stakes are for him and what it would mean in his development.
The rest of the cast is solid all around. Morgan Freeman, though still in a smaller role, doesn’t phone anything in and adopts a cool look with attitude and substance to match. Olga Kurylenko starts off a bit sluggish, but she later finds her stride and impresses as a lost soul from Jack’s past. To top things off, Andrea Riseborough gives a fairly engaging performance as someone who is supposed to feel little but later feels much. Cold and calculating at first, her character arc reveals ultimately how much of a softy she actually is.
Most importantly, “Oblivion” looks and feels the part of a serious science fiction film. The world we are treated to is fairly developed and the look appropriately desolate. Even better are the highly visible traces of beauty that would make any of us want to live on the planet. Giant water pumps that harvest energy take up parts of the coast and stand as a dazzling sight. Also, the shattered moon and its fragments create a halo resembling part of the Milky Way galaxy, a sight both truly inviting and pleasing.
In order to round off the package in earnest, thought provoking ideas need to come along with the visual presentation. “Oblivion” mostly lives up to this. There are a couple of dumb plot twists for sure, but most of the material engages the viewer on a fairly high level. The film explores the potential for progress – and regress – the human race possesses, some mixed commentary on the usefulness of nuclear weapons and whether machines will ever reach a point of self-awareness.
“Oblivion” treats its audience with respect and doesn’t yield any of its answers easily. It provides plenty of good material to reflect on, and while some of the ideas seem a tad dated, much of what’s here is sufficiently compelling for a gratifying experience. Along with the undeniably impressive visual look, this one comes recommended.
– Sam McConkie is a senior in the technical and professional writing program at USU. He is a keen writer and has been a dedicated gamer for years. Sam can be reached at sambonemcconkie@gmail.com