Oblivion (I) (2013) User Reviews

naysayers are right, but I still liked it

[rblaa · 8/10 · 29 September 2013]

Reading through the previous reviews, I find myself agreeing with the negative reviews in one sense, but still disagreeing overall. I walked away quite liking this movie.

Most of the complaints are around technical/realism stupidities, or else being a rip-off of previous movies.

Re stupidities: there are plenty, most of the negative reviews are correct, but they miss the point, which is given a more or less silly premise, do the characters fulfill their struggle properly.

For me the answer is strong yes, I tend to respond to the emotions a movie is trying to convey, ultimately this is a story of loss and love, a nice universal theme that always resonates.

Given that theme, the movie's style, effects, music all worked really well to reinforce that. I liked all the performances.

Be careful about critiquing modern SF movies about technical stupidities too much. Most of these have a fatal flaw that would destroy most of them. How about the likelihood of star travel? OK, you have to grant that otherwise most SF movies pretty much fall flat.

But still, the basic premise is not realistic: a star faring race, searching for energy, is not going to bother going to earth for its water, that is so much more easily available anywhere else, energy itself is much more easily accessible without playing with water for fusion, just stay with your own star, mine your own asteroid belt or gas giants.

Sure, it makes no sense for the Tet to make and use human clones, but given that, do we have a good story? I think so.

To me, valid criticisms are when characters, immersed in their realities such as they are, do not act true to their nature. And thus a movie like Prometheus failed since there the highly trained biology experts acted like complete morons.

But that is not the case here. In this movie we have passion, loss, and love, the struggle to persevere.

Plus the drones looked really really cool.

Re copying other movies: get over it. This movie is distinct enough to feel its own. I saw and loved Moon (which granted is the better movie), but I enjoyed this one for what it was.

I think it helped for me to not see any trailers, and to come in with low expectations after hearing about bad reviews.

A memorable sci-fi fantasy world with a human heart at its core.

[mwburrows · 8/10 · 11 April 2013]

If there is a soul, it is made from the love we share.

There are many ways to describe Oblivion, but the softly spoken afterword by Tom Cruise's character really makes you feel the human heartbeat of this sci-fi epic.

As always, the trailer is full of explosions and set pieces. Oblivion the movie is an entirely different beast that values a human story and characters that are driven by common purpose. While the cast is tiny, I found much to enjoy from Cruise, Riseborough, Freeman and that Nordic guy from Headhunters who is showing up more frequently in Hollywood blockbusters. Aside from unusually limited screen-time, Morgan and other supporting cast are effective and memorable.

The threads of the plot are well-woven and I won't give anything away, so what I will tell you is to prepare for a powerful journey into the unknown where nothing is what it seems. Explosive set pieces take a backseat for sci-fi philosophy with twists to spare.

Oblivion ticks all the boxes for correct use of literary devices and establishes enough original cannon to stick in your mind long after the credits start rolling. It is a distinct success among the largely abysmal offerings of 2013 so far, don't miss it.

much better than expected !

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 5 November 2022]

The trivia tells us that this is based on a comic book that director joseph kosinski wrote in 2005 but was never published. The story takes place in 2077, just after the "memory wipe" that jack (cruise) describes for us. And the invasion by space travelers, which destroyed most of the cities and made living on the surface mostly impossible. Some great special effets. The control panels, the copter, even the wrecked surface of the planet. Jack is tasked with protecting the structures that support the floating living quarters for the remaining population. I LOVE the mini moto that jack rides around on... kind of like a george jetson briefcase that folds and unfolds. Google it. Some beautiful scenery of iceland, and various film locs in the united states. When another human from the past crash lands, we're not sure what her mission is, or who's side she is on. Some really good suspense, while we wait for answers. Especially when morgan freeman is involved. Really good sci-fi stuff!

Oblivion - A look back.

[amountainclimber · 9/10 · 7 November 2022]

Oblivion is nine years old as I write this, and in perusing the reviews written when it opened, they have aged far less well than the movie.

Those reviews are mostly concerned about whatever the hell Tom Cruise was going through at the time, or obsessed with obscure symbolism in the production design.

For whatever reason, it appears the reviewers couldn't get over themselves enough to just watch the movie and evaluate it on its merits.

On the off chance this film has escaped your attention, it is well worth two hours of your time. It is solidly acted and produced, has first class effects, and a spectacular location. The story combines some emotional heft with a clever and satisfying twist at the end.

I watched it again, but this time with my SciFi hating wife. She protested initially, watched the entire thing, and then thanked me for getting her to watch it afterwards.

That's as good as it gets.

You are part of the problem.

[Mequias · 7/10 · 24 July 2023]

Primarily a tale of disinformation, "Oblivion" tackles myriad issues that are relevant to our time: Do you know who you are? Who do you trust to inform you? What is true intimacy? And will Artificial Intelligence rule over mankind? To be frank, the true great villain in "Oblivion" is the human race itself: We are enslaving our own people, destroying our own planet and exterminating each other. But, to be even more precise, the true villains are the people in wealth and power (as portrayed here by sentient artificial intelligence). The millionaires and politicians are the ones who pay to keep us in the dark and on our hamster wheels, feeding them resources at the cost of all life on the surface of the Earth. In our reality, just like in the movie, mankind is engaged in repetitive tasks, staying alive and oblivious to its truth; living in superficial relationships with no real love and allowing the planet to be consumed. As such, you and I ARE the protagonist in this movie: A puppet on strings, fighting against itself and serving an evil, selfish and vampiric power that is corrupting the planet. We are living in the clouds and need to touch grass.

To get the plastic point across, Director Joseph Kosinski employs wonderful vistas of our planet. The photography and prop design in this movie is truly something special (thank you, Claudio Miranda). The color palette also gets the plot across by driving in the difference between conscious and unconscious, earthly and artificial thru black, brown and green versus cream and grey. Thru an exaggerated script, (one which can be frustrating, especially during the first minutes of the film), we see that the ideal life our repairman leads is both luxurious and supposedly meaningful... but something is afoot; it doesn't feel natural! Our protagonist has been fed false information, the same way we are told whatever suits the agenda of today's media outlets. We notice in the movie that those who cannot accept the truth, refuse to engage with the planet; they live in the sky and are not "down to Earth". These people exist in real life, and can usually be found in wealthy circles who are far removed from any struggle, conflict or life difficulty. Because of this, they perceive others as inhuman or below them, when the truth is the exact opposite.

In conclusion, whether it was Joseph Kosinski's intention or not, "Oblivion" asks you to wake up and realize: You are overseeing the destruction of your human soul and are participating in the looting of planet Earth. But what do you do now? The film offers no other solution to this issue of the machine, other than to join a Jihad and bomb the system to kingdom come. As such, "Oblivion" may strike some users into consideration, but mostly passes off as a good time and is quickly forgotten in a sea of other consumables.

Don't know why this movie didn't make it

[ronhardcastle · 10/10 · 19 August 2013]

I have now watched this movie 3 times, and each time have liked it more than I did the first time, and even then I still enjoyed it a lot. I look at the litany of trash on the screen that DOES make a profit and am dismayed that this one was so unsuccessful. First, it's a GORGEOUS movie, and it definitely has a beating heart. I found the acting quite good, the story involving, and was quite moved more than once. And the technical staff was amazing! I suspect that it will do well on home video and cable and that one day we'll look back on it and wonder why in the world it did so poorly in its initial run. I applaud director Kosinsky and his fine team of actors and the legion of other professionals involved in bringing this to the screen. I REALLY enjoyed this movie!

31Jan14: Months later and I've watched it at least once more from my Blu-ray plus find it almost impossible to NOT watch it when I stumble across it on HBO, and I continue to find it absorbing and I STILL can't watch the end of it without crying! I find it embarrassing to write this, but I think I love this movie.

"I am Jack Harper and I am Home"

[A_Different_Drummer · 9/10 · 27 October 2016]

For decades it has been an accepted fact of life in Hollywood that, no matter how good the movie, endings are a write-off.

Hollywood has learned the hard way that, no matter how good the film (or the book on which it is based) it is impossible to do an ending which satisfies the writer, the director, the producers, the critics, the audience and (duh!) reviewers like this one.

That is why, for literally as long as there have been movies, endings are changed at the last minute; and often even multiple endings are shot so that survey groups can be brought in to make the final choice.

The reason I gave this brief lecture on the importance of endings is simple -- going into the last 20 minutes, this was a rock solid film with a rock solid script and rock solid performances.

But the ending was ... perfect.

And perfect endings are so rare these days that I needed to write a review for posterity that does nothing except note this for future readers and future viewers.

Are we still an effective team???????????

Among The Gorgeous Exteriors

[billygoat1071 · 6/10 · 10 April 2013]

Oblivion feels like a homage to the old science fiction films where it explores around its world, shows off its landscapes, soar all the ships that used to be made out of cardboard, and let the characters scrutinize until the plot finds the actual conflict. The film features plenty of amazing concepts and spectacular visuals that could be intriguing. There seems to be a theme at the first half but all the questionable twists made the plot convoluted. It's disappointing when it hits to that point. It still can be entertaining and the technical work is indeed a splendor. There's plenty of potential around but there is still something missing in the end.

The film reminiscence a lot of popular sci-fi films. It has the exteriors of Planet of the Apes and a plot that runs and remind you of Alien, Total Recall, and I Am Legend(I don't want to spoil the next film that resembles). The first act is totally gripping by introducing its high concept. When it proceeds to the actual story, there is suppose to be even more mindblowing than it was shown. It throws away some intriguing twists, but the film doesn't bother explaining enough what's the point about it. There's also an interesting pathos of Jack missing the old less-broken world at the beginning, but the story easily ignores it. Many would think it doesn't matter, but that might possibly bring some soul to the picture. It's centrally about finding the protagonist's identity. The romance is ought to be important for his journey but this relationship wasn't develop much, leading as a typical love subplot. The performances are just typical for the actors. Tom Cruise plays his usual hero roles. It's fine for the film's character though. Morgan Freeman once again serving up details of the plot. The only thing what's different is he wears a costume that looks pretty good to him.

Despite of the underwhelming storytelling, we still get to see some rich futuristic details. The film has its own style and creates a marvelous world. Other than the whimsically designed rubble of the destroyed earth, all the weapons, ships, and costumes are quite snazzy to appeal for those who seek for eye catching stuff. If there's one thing Joseph Kosinski has improved then that would be the suspense. Tron: Legacy actually had none of them, this one knows the aesthetics of a sci-fi horror thriller. Those thrills are just limited, though. He's still in his comfort zone by only caring for the pretty visuals and the techno soundtrack.

Oblivion is almost better than it was expected. It would have been as good as it looks like if only it was eager to put more explanation about the intrigue, and soul to the story. It leaves the audience thought provoked. The bright side is it's not one of those generically loud modern sci-fi films. It's one of those basic, yet classic style of science fiction. It's a great thing especially for this era of blockbusters. Everything in the film looks stunning and breathtaking. It's terribly entertaining as well if we don't mind those flaws. Again, the film offered something remarkable but fails to execute because of its pretension. We get it, the visuals and the soundtrack are the best part of the film, but I think it deserves better than those. Honestly, Oblivion can be a classic if it adds something smarter and much meaningful. For now, all the beautiful landscapes that were featured will be the only thing that would spellbind the audience throughout.

Boring and derivative

[michaelrene · 6/10 · 11 April 2013]

A movie with the same twist as one recent sci fi flick (but who doesn't use it as well as the other film did) and the same ending as an older sci fi flick (again, not used to the same advantage) should laugh at itself. Instead Oblivion wallows in outdated heroism and 'gag me with a spoon' dialogue that reeks of someone who really thinks he is writing a classic, and so will be forgiven for making the actors utter the immortal words "dream of us" in order to be romantic.

Wonderful visuals wasted on a boring story with no point. Tom Cruise is fine, so is the rest of the cast, though the waste of Morgan Freemans skills and character annoy me.

Kosinski should stay away from science fiction until he has something to say, and then he should get someone else to write the script.

Are you an effective team?

[bosporan · 7/10 · 8 May 2022]

A provocative story kernel in its own right, yet it pulls fragments from too many genre greats making it a clichéd mosaic pastiche of a post apocalyptic world where everything is not as it seems.

The opening third is intriguing and well played with a strong three-way dynamic between Jack, Victoria and their mysterious video-comm handler; it piques interest and poses many questions. Jack's questioning nature and feeling that something is 'off' contrasts with the 'happy clappy', following orders vibe from Victoria.

This dynamic is enhanced with the addition of a fourth character Julia, who is already in Jack's dreams - a fabulous performance from Olga Kurylenko. From there though, the movie loses its charm and becomes completely generic.

Fabulous cinematography uses distinct color palettes to denote time and location, admirably supported by excellent effects. The soundtrack is also strong with carefully selected music.

Overall this is a good watch, but flatters to deceive. With more self-confident writing this could have become a classic.

Oblivion To Remember

[MT-15087 · 15 April 2013]

For something, which obviously belongs in the department of mainstream entertainment, this movie is actually quite dense with meaning and even possesses some real drama. Though it begins as just another superficial sci-fi flick, soon enough a series of twists, which are there not to simply add to your amusement but to tell a story that is meant to convey some significant message, transforms the initially ordinary plot completely. And also, if not fully justifies, but at least thoroughly explains apparently perfunctory performances.

The rest is up to you to see and understand - the movie is, in fact, pretty rich in metaphor. And despite its post-apocalyptic futuristic setting it's not an escapist fairy-tale. It's about us today. It's about people who've accepted the mode of existence when you do "not ask too many questions". When you simply "do not want to know". When your "job is to not remember". And you choose, as one prominent character from another, even more poignant, sci-fi feature put it, "living your lives oblivious". But it can be termed differently - you choose sleepwalking into an abyss. So to really appreciate this movie do not expect just a piece of pop-corn entertainment.

Unfortunately, the movie has some totally unnecessary supplement at the very end that seriously diminishes the dramatic effect and dents the way in which it expresses its overall message. But if you get out of the theater right after the first phrases of the main character's afterword you'll indeed have enough to think and feel about long after. The questions this movie poses are serious: do we live to forget, to refuse to know or to look for the truth? And when we ourselves are on the brink of becoming just a memory - do we want to make it fighting or crawling?

If you like Sci Fi, you'll love this!

[Glyn-52-910242 · 10/10 · 14 July 2014]

I hadn't really heard of Oblivion before I watched it, but I'm a big fan of Tom Cruise and his films, as he is such an excellent actor. Right from the start, the film doesn't disappoint. It has a real depth that a lot of action/Sci Fi films don't have. A beautiful ambient soundtrack is matched perfectly to the pace of the film and in it's own right is a work of excellence that I now listen to on my iPod.

The characters are believable, and as expected, Tom Cruise plays his character really well. Morgan Freeman also plays an excellent role here, and I feel was perfectly cast for his role.

The special effects are very good. The creators went to great efforts with many of the sets and props, constructing full size ships, and massive screens to project backgrounds, rather than just use blue screen and CGI, which I feel responsible for ruining many modern films. (The Star Wars prequels comes to mind!) Where CGI is used, it's not over the top, and blends well with the live action and real sets. The tower set is a work of pure beauty, and helps add to the bright and wide open feel of the film, if that makes sense.

As I said previously, the soundtrack is fantastic, and allows me to watch the film over and over without getting bored of it. The sound effects are excellent as well. Specifically the drones make excellent noises at various stages of the film.

The overall plot is very good. It has a good amount of twists, and real depth. It is all played out at a pace that seems to adapt perfectly to the story. Action sequences are fast, and deeper, more emotional sequences get the slower pace they deserve.

It's funny, but it's one of those films that maybe didn't win any awards and maybe didn't break box office records.. but I find myself watching it again and again as it's just so watchable and enjoyable. There very few films I own that I can watch, go back to the beginning, and watch again right away. Black Hawk Down is one of them, and now so is Oblivion. In fact I only watched it last week, but after writing this review, I'm tempted to watch it again tonight.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and continue to do so!

Visually stunning but not exciting

[ibeme-45770 · 7/10 · 8 September 2021]

It's a good watch if you love futuristic movies.

But something was missing here. Not even Tom Cruise could bring this movie to life.

A unexpectedly really good movie.

[kieran449 · 10/10 · 8 March 2014]

Without revealing any spoilers, I saw this movie "out of the blue". Never saw a trailer (I still haven't). I remember hearing the name of the movie and completely forgot about it, and just decided to take a chance and watch it on cable TV one night. It is a Sci-Fi movie with a human heart, so you don't need to be a science fiction fan to enjoy it. Also, I am not a Tom Cruise addict, but he does a great job in his usual way. In fact, all the actors portray their characters very well.

There is mystery, action, a little bit of love, and some adventure. The beginning is good, there is a high point, and the ending of the movie is satisfactory in my opinion. The special effects are executed in a way not to take away from the story or the plot, and the story does not revolve around them, but rather they are just a part of the story. If you are looking for a good movie to watch, I have to say it is well worth the viewing, not too predictable. Sit back and relax, you'll enjoy this gem.

A unique sci-fi flick that subverts expectations

[ismamuzzaman · 7/10 · 15 July 2022]

An engrossing film, with a well-developed post-apocalyptic premise, along with an unpredictable plot, visually stunning cinematography, paired with thrilling action sequences and great performances, although the plot got a bit convoluted at times and there were some plot holes.

As entertainment, brilliant....

[portsea · 9/10 · 13 April 2013]

I went to see this having read a few reviews, I also heard a review from a friend that Richard Wilkins on Australian critic had said it wasn't that good.

Well, I have no idea what film they saw, but it wasn't the one I saw. The start was a little slow, but still threw in some moments of concern to keep one on the edge. As the film settled on, it kept moving at a good pace. Story was a basic love story, mixed in with morality, but basically, love story.

Cgi was amazing, cinematography was brilliant, stunning even. All the main characters were easy on the eye too, always making it easier to want to watch.

Plot wasn't sophisticated, probably described as feel good, but frankly, it was perfect. I left a 2 hour film and wasn't bored for a second.

Cruise, for all the press on him and his supposed kookiness, I don't care, he carried the film.....

GO SEE THIS, pure entertainment.

Arresting Visuals, Vague Details

[xenoraiser · 7/10 · 24 April 2013]

The fact 2012 has passed is clearly of no concern to Hollywood. An incoming assault of end- of-the-world and post-apocalyptic pictures is nigh, with After Earth, Pacific Rim, World War Z and This Is the End keeping Earth in plenty of jeopardy. The first one up? Summertime precursor Oblivion. Set roughly a half-century into the future, the movie serves up as many immaculate shots as it does derivations from previous science fiction works.

Pitching Oblivion's premise doesn't necessarily make it sound like a riveting experience; Tom Cruise leads a small cast of relatively small players (aside from one Morgan Freeman) as Jack Harper. His task is to repair drones which have been taken down and left by beings known as Scavs. Truth be told, it takes a while to reach the movie's meat, and even longer to find its funky bones. Before and in-between those points are a few stretches that could've easily been tightened for a bit less seat-shifting. Twists and turns, especially of the unpredictable kind, are seldom and infrequent.

One thing Oblivion does accomplish well is a certain level of intrigue, namely after the first hour. A certain twist happens that, if unsurprising, still opens up a few questions the movie assumes we've already pondered. As the final act starts to close, a sense of eminence comes forward which, if nothing else, holds our undivided attention. Concern arises not so much with the convenient ending, but the payoff stemming from the climax. Backing details are both sparse and vague, further reinforced by a brief but jarring shift in setting.

Looking past the story isn't too difficult, since there are several spectacular sights to behold. If you've ever wondered what Earth would look like after every single disaster movie, Oblivion is here to fill (or show) the gaps. Since many of these come during the first act, it means the feathery stakes can rest easy for a short while. Even when the eye candy changes to slightly more action-packed moments, we still get to enjoy concise directing. You won't feel the raised stakes so much as witness them, but at least the ongoings are discernible.

As our key tour guide, Tom Cruise delivers another solid performance. Most of the time, the entire movie falls on his shoulders. Thankfully, he's versed and competent enough to handle this without stumbling or overreaching. And since this is Mr. Cruise, it just wouldn't look right for him to not have at least one attractive lady beside him. In the case of Andrea Riseborough, we have a better take on what would normally be a simple caricature. Some of her emoting feels unnatural, but the unease her character goes through is pleasantly convincing. This is more than what can be said for Olga Kurylenko who, though not bad, doesn't have enough material to work with. Most of her scenes seem forced in. As for Morgan Freeman, who comes in rather late, he really doesn't have to act to convince the average audience member. That said, he works out just a bit more than the character would if portrayed by anyone else.

Other than the visual quality, what will probably stand out to film enthusiasts is just how much Oblivion borrows from other sci-fi movies. 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Matrix, Independence Day and even Armageddon merely lead an all-too-obvious list. Thankfully, while Oblivion can't stand half as high as some, it does exceed the lesser works.

While the true juggernauts of 2013 still haven't been released, Oblivion isn't necessarily a minuscule player. Those who have yet to verse themselves with most fundamental sci-fi films might walk away feeling floored. Other, more acquainted viewers will want to see this as a homage to its forefathers, which is touched upon at certain points. Keep your expectations modest and the end results might be enough for you to afford it a recommendation.

www.recaphub.com

Great sci-fi with so many mysteries

[danmossman · 7/10 · 4 July 2022]

Underrated gem here, Cruise leads a good(but small) cast as expertly as ever. The world building is amazing and I can't believe this film isn't more talked about. The plot has many twists, some really shocking, others easily guessable, but it's well written, well shot and well directed.

Beautifully shot, never boring, but...

[phoneeko · 7/10 · 1 May 2013]

Excellent cinematography, if maybe a bit too much on the "euro" style (instead of the over saturated colors we see lately). Story is good, but it tries too hard to present you with shocks and twists that can either be seen a mile away or are not significant enough to bring anything interesting to the movie as a whole. Tom cruise is solid as usual, and the rest of the cast supports him accordingly, althou talents like Morgan Freeman and Nicolas Koster Waldau are largely underwritten and underused. Sadly the script sometimes seems borrowed, and as a result the movie reminds you of so many other science fiction movies that it looses its own identity to an otherwise decent reimagining of a "post- disaster" future earth. I did enjoy the movie, it is by no means a waste of your time and/or money, it only leaves that idea in your mind that by tweaking it a little more, or maybe even by shortening it and pacing it a little bit faster, a much stronger movie could have emerged. Anyhow, i'm hoping to see Joseph Kocinsky's next directorial effort as soon as possible (TR30N?), I'm becoming a fan pretty fast.

Visually excellent though slightly too long

[toppin · 8/10 · 11 April 2013]

This movie is - without a doubt - one of the most visually spectacular that I have ever seen, standing shoulder-to-shoulder in that department with the likes of Watchmen, Prometheus, Sunshine and Kosinski's preceding effort - TRON: Legacy. Also (like TRON) the soundtrack is excellent and very well used throughout, enhancing the action and adding depth to some - at times - distinctly average acting performances.

Tom Cruise plays Tom Cruise but that's not a bad thing in this case, in fact his natural charisma carries the movie through some of its slower sections. Morgan Freeman plays Morgan Freeman though he's really not on screen for long enough to influence the movie one way or another. Olga Kurylenko's statuesque profile is unfortunately not matched by her acting ability and I often found it difficult to believe in her character's actions and emotions. Andrea Riseborough turns in maybe the best performance, convincing as the sad and confused Victoria, unwilling - or perhaps unable - to confront the disturbing truth.

At over 2 hours I think that it's too long by about 20 minutes. A shorter cut would tighten up the story and eliminate some of the slower sections which I think hurt the movie's overall rhythm and flow.

Overall, I would definitely recommend going to see this movie in the cinema, on the biggest screen that you can find. It just won't be the same on TV. The visual appeal alone is reason enough, but combined with a clever (if not entirely original) script, a thumping soundtrack and some exciting action, you should be entertained.

Pleasantly surprised

[dbierm03 · 7/10 · 5 November 2022]

I never gave this a chance when it was released. It received mediocre reviews and it just kinda fell off my radar.

I have to agree with others and say it's definitely underrated. Great plot (minus a few plot holes), amazing acting, cgi looks awesome (it's just as good as modern movies or better even though this is a decade old).

I've noticed a lot lately that if I go back to the mid 2010's or earlier I find a lot of good movies. It just shows you how far Hollywood has fallen off. Weirdly CGI seems to peak around that time and then studios just got lazy or something and cheaper out with bad graphics and bad writing.

Spoiler-free review, the less you know the better you'll enjoy it

[Hal_Computer · 9/10 · 17 April 2013]

I really wanted to see this movie from the first time I saw the movie trailer a long time ago. I came up with all sorts of fun endings in my own mind based on the trailer and eventually my curiosity caused me to read too much and I read some spoilers that I wish I hadn't. I still enjoyed the film immensely, but wish I hadn't read the spoilers and suggest you shy away from all potential spoilers, reading as little as possible before seeing the movie. So when you're done with this review, don't read anymore, just go see the movie.

I had the good fortune of watching this movie at an advance screening on a smaller IMAX screen and I really enjoyed it, as did the huge audience, judging by the lively and jovial banter as people exited. The movie follows Jack Harper who is a drone repair tech in a future earth that has been ravaged by an alien invasion. He has a by-the-books eye-in-the-sky (literally) assistant named Victoria (nicknamed Vika) who watches out for Jack and reports to Central. They live together in a sky platform to avoid the alien scavs who come out at night. Jack is keeping the drones repaired to defend huge energy machines from being attacked by the scavs. Once enough energy has been stored up from the world's oceans by the energy machines, the remaining survivors of earth hope to leave in a few short weeks for the safety of a new base on Saturn's Titan. To protect certain things, Jack and Victoria's memories have been erased before their present situation. Jack is confused about why they have to leave earth, whereas Vika is ready to go, but they both cherish and respect each other. Then Jack meets Malcolm Beech who tells Jack that things are not exactly how they seem, which sets off a series of events that eventually lead to the end of the movie.

Some critics have mentioned something like "we've seen these ideas before" in other movies. While it's true that there's nothing totally new in this movie per se, that doesn't make the movie less appealing, IMO. Thinking back to when I was much younger and saw the trailer for the movie Independence Day in the theatre, I remember thinking that the movie looked really fun despite the fact that there've been a zillion alien invasion movies before, but I still hoped they'd do a great job with it because the trailer for the movie was awesome. Was there anything earth-shatteringly new about the movie? Not really, but it was still excellent entertainment. That's how I feel about Oblivion. To me, it's great entertainment.

The only minor complaints I had was that the volume of the music while Jack and Vika were in the pool was too much and sometimes things dragged ever so slightly between action sequences. Overall though, this movie was definitely a remarkable treat.

Great movie, not all potential filled

[sivan070 · 7/10 · 28 August 2013]

While Tom Cruise's acting in the film was good, I think Jack should have been portrayed by a new face to eliminate that recognition of Jack as Tom Cruise and to allow the viewers to perceive him as an unknown person now referred to as "Jack". The overall acting in the film was very well done. Morgan Freeman was excellent and somehow didn't interfere with meeting his new character.

The Post-apocalyptic scenery is jaw dropping and really gives the sense of exploration and adventure while watching. The drones were perfect in their visual appearance and sound design, with each drone noise your heart skips a beat and they project intenseness and power, as were the towers and power stations, the visual and graphic work is truly something to admire.

The story contains great thinking and ideas that can be developed and explored creatively to produce a true masterpiece of the mind and since the writer is the director, he would have projected this creativeness on screen. But I can't get rid of that feeling that Oblivion is a work in progress and not a completed story ready to be put into the world of visual story telling. It just lacks some of the depth and detail that could be included in it, or perhaps is only in the graphic novel. It felt very short.

Should be rated much higher

[mail-3965 · 9/10 · 3 November 2022]

This is a truly outstanding sci-fi movie with a great plot, just the right amount of sci-fi environment and great characters. It's a very small but outstanding cast and everyone does their job just right.

The highlight of the movie is where Olga K steals the show in the scene that is the turning point of the story. If anyone doubts that she can act, they should watch this one again.

If you enjoy a movie with an actual story and not just an expensive CGI affair, this is worth your time.

I rarely watch a movie more than once but this one has captured my attention a few times. I'm very surprised it does not rate higher. 9/10.

Oblivion reaches for the stars – and almost makes it

[jamieradford · 7/10 · 9 August 2013]

Based on an unpublished graphic novel written by director Joseph Kosinski, Oblivion is set in the year 2077, on an Earth rendered mostly uninhabitable due to sixty years of war with alien invaders known as 'Scavs'.

Most of humankind has migrated to Titan, Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) and his partner Victoria (Andrea Riseborough), are stationed on Earth to maintain drones that service gigantic power reactors which supply energy for the new colony. From station Tech 49, Jack flies down to the surface to locate and repair the drones, while Victoria monitors him from the station, hundreds of feet above the surface of the planet.

Due to security protocols, Jack and Victoria's memories have been wiped, and their only human contact, albeit by radio, is with Sally (Melissa Leo), who is based on the orbiting space station the 'Tet'. Although Jack's memory has been wiped, he continually dreams of a young woman in a New York untouched by war.

When a drone goes missing, Jack descends to the surface to locate it, but what he finds makes him question everything he believes in.

Oblivion is visually stunning. Cinematographer Claudio Miranda - who won last years' Oscar, and also worked with director Joseph Kosinski on 'Tron Legacy' – has done an amazing job in his first sci-fi movie.

The script, written by Karl Gajdusek and Michael Arndt is solid, also attempting to be as accurate as possible concerning the science involved within the story. An important element for many sci-fi fans.

Tom Cruise does a fine job as Jack. No matter what you may think of Cruise personally, he is a fine actor, and one of the few that can easily make the transition between drama and action and pull it off successfully. Or, as in the case of Oblivion do both.

He is ably supported by the rest of the cast which besides Riseborough and Leo also includes Olga Kurylenko as Julia, and Morgan Freeman as Beech.

Joseph Kosinski has done a fine job of bringing his graphic novel to the big screen. Although the film is a sci-fi flick, there is enough drama and twists in the plot to appeal to a broader audience.

Oblivion may not be the best sci-fi movie ever made, but it holds its own compared to many in this genre, and is a highly entertaining couple of hours. 7.5/10