The storyline for Oblivion is so good it raised a lot of expectations.
Sitting inside a theatre, you want to like Oblivion: presented in silver and grey tones, it has a brilliant star-cast, an intriguing story, a visually-appealing setting, splendid special effects, promising trailer previews, and a director’s tantalising vision.
But by the time the protagonist (Tom Cruise) is cluelessly searching for a way “home” through hope, you ironically begin to lose hope in this agonisingly slow-paced movie that drags for two hours trying to achieve what could have been done in 30 minutes.
Oblivion is a love story of shadows, set in a world that offers no bright future for mankind, evokes no emotion from the audience, and vanquishes no burning soul of the distressed characters.
A strong and innovative vision has unfortunately been crippled by poor storytelling; its only saving grace is its superb cast, and a novel idea.
Based on director/producer Joseph Kosinski’s (TRON: Legacy) graphic novel of the same name, Oblivion should have remained within the confines of a novel.
The plot is set on Earth in the year 2077, a planet invaded by a savage alien race and ruined by earthquakes, tsunamis, a nuclear wipeout and scavengers.
Commander Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) is a drone repairman who remains on this desolate place to ensure that the distant planet where humans sought refuge is supplied with water and vital resources from Earth.
Jack and his “effective team” partner Victoria Olsen (Andrea Riseborough) help patrol the Earth and the drones. While Jack is the curious type despite being haunted by his memories, Victoria is afraid to question her predicament or her surroundings.
Their life is ruled by routine but on one of these monotonous days Jack comes across a fallen spaceship. Fighting against his own drones he rescues a female stranger, Julia Rusakova (Olga Kurylenko).
Jack’s curiosity leads him and Julia, with the aide of resistance leader Malcolm Beech (Morgan Freeman), to seek a truth that will change their destinies and the future of Earth.
This movie has its good moments but they are few and don’t last long. There is a touching scene in the beginning when Jack mimics a Super-bowl Game played in 2017, wearing a Yankees cap inside a wrecked stadium: it’s powerful enough to cause goosebumps.
Then, unfortunately, nothing happens. The movie continues, painfully and very slowly, a repetition of much the same frame and shot. By the time it’s over, you’re guaranteed to be in a state of oblivion of your own.
There is no variation in the pace of this movie. The movie starts brilliantly but then gets lost in a repetitive blur that belies its promise.
Oblivion is targeted at a very select niche audience of sci-fi thriller fans. But it offers little that would appeal to a wider audience: no great action sequences, no intricate twists, no hilarious comedy, and no surprises. Just a drab war between machines and men.
The film doesn’t work as a journey of self discovery and it fails as an emblem of a soul in numerous replica bodies, as that soul is so deeply hidden by special effects that it can’t be redeemed.
Worse still, you don’t feel the pain of the character and you don’t trust in Harper’s journey.
It’s a brilliant concept not brilliantly executed.
Oblivion releases in Australian cinemas on April 11.
