Oblivion

Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGpjlfCfe2Y

A Sci-Fi film with Tom Cruise being Tom Cruise. When it's good it's great. Otherwise its all a bit meh.

The intro is certainly intriguing. Everyone has left Earth because aliens have destroyed the moon, causing earthquakes and shizz because that's what happens when the moon blows up apparently. After we fire all our nukes which wins the war for a reason I didn't pick up it's left to Tom Cruise and some other woman to repair the drones that patrol Earth. The human race at this point are partying it up on one of Saturn's moons. All straight forward stuff really...

In a similarity I really wasn't expecting, the first half hour of Oblivion is essentially Wall E the live action movie with Tom Cruise playing the lovable robot. There's even a scene where Cruises's character brings a flower to the woman portraying EVE which mirrors the Pixar film almost exactly.

Instead of them joining the rest of the human race who are now fat blobs who ride hover-chairs, the film makes several clever twists and turns that when you get your head round work quite well. There is a massive 'Oh snap!' moment half way through that almost stands up to the Cesar 'NOOOOO' scene in Rise of Planet of the Apes. I notice the two films share 2 of their producers so well done Dylan Clark and Peter Chernin for really owning the 'Oh Snap' moment.

I feel the story maybe got a little confused with itself the more it went on. It's all quite follow-able but as soon as cryogenically  freezing people starts to be introduced into any Sci-Fi drama or film I get totally lost. And it's a key plot point here.

Another pro of Oblivion is the backdrop of it all looks really impressive. The house that real life Wall E and EVE live in is a convincing house of the future and when Cruise is flying about the canyons of the post-apocalyptic America it's a joy to sit back and take in.

The action scenes that take place on this landscape are also fantastic, especially when the cool looking drones get involved. The noises they make in particular are eerie and futuristic making them seem really threatening without ever showing intimidating behavior physically at all. Well they fire their big ass machine guns a lot but otherwise just kinda hover there and stare with their red LED-like eyes.

Morgan Freeman is also in the film but he doesn't play that big a part. He's very cool as he is in everything he's in with 'dat voice' but he doesn't particularly bring anything to the film. His role in the plot I feel could be filled by anyone.

The little moments of action and impressive visuals save this film from becoming a little too talky and drowned in it's needlessly over-complex story. The acting performances aren't anything you'll remember for years to come but the atmosphere and look of the film might.

7/10