Oblivion - quick review (no major spoilers) (1 Viewer)

[Simon Massey]

Managed to catch this in IMAX and highly recommend if you are going to see it to catch it on a big screen.

However it is very derivative and if you have watched a few sci-fi films you will know exactly where this is heading. I won't give away which films it is mainly derivative of as this would spoil the story. But there is a line of dialogue within the first five minutes which tells you exactly what is coming.

It's a shame it cant be more original as it is still very entertaining and I certainly enjoyed it. All the cast are great. and the world that has been created is well realised (Glad they used real locations as it shows). It's a shame Tom Cruise can't get past the fact that he is Tom Cruise as he essentially plays the same role as always but he is good. Great score as well which is a fusion of Hans Zimmer, Daft Punk and Vangelis.

7/10

 

[Jari K]

You mention

Spoiler

"a line of dialogue within the first five minutes"

, yet you talk about not spoiling anything? Why mention anything at all? I don't remember any special dialogue, but then again I didn't look for one. I just wanted to enjoy the story and see how it unravels.

IMO this was a great sci-fi film and visually stunning. Not a masterpiece or anything like that (perhaps a bit on the safe side and a little too "PG-13"), but very solid film from the beginning to the end. And I have to say this: You can ALWAYS trust Tom. He just isn't capable of delivering bad performance or be in a "bad film".

4/5.

 

[Simon Massey]

I mention it to emphasise that the filmmakers make the direction of the film clear far too early within the narrative, when it is trying to build a sense of mystery about what is going on, and it is specific aspects of the initial voiceover and dialogue that could have been altered or removed to prevent this and retain an element of uncertainty even to those familiar with similar films. I also wanted to point out that despite knowlng quite early within the film where it was heading it was still enjoyable to watch, but I think going into this thinking it is orginal or different in some way will affect your enjoyment.

By not mentioning the dialogue in question, or the films it references, I felt I was vague enough not to be spoiling the film as anyone with a familiarity of science fiction films is going to notice this immediately too and if not then you haven't been spoiled. The voiceover and initial scenes are intended to pique your interest about what is going on, so I didnt feel I was unduly drawing attention to them. I'm sorry if you didnt feel this warrented the tag no spoilers and Im happy for moderators to remove that.

And as to Tom, I think he is always capable of delivering a "performance" but unfortunately I think a lot of them are starting to blend into one performace which is essentially "Tom Cruise - action hero and all round nice guy" It's a shame he couldnt try something a little different now and then as he has done in the past.

Apologies if Im dwelling on the negative, but I did enjoy it and I guess Im a little disappointed that it wasn't more daring or original, as there was plenty of potential for it to be so.

 

[Richard V]

So you say that it is Tom Cruise playing the same role? So does that mean the movie is "Risky Cocktail Top Gun Color of Money Business"?

 

[Simon Massey]

Actually I think The Last Mission : Oblivion Report might be more appropriate.

 

[mattCR]

Pretty generic but not too bad SciFi flick. Decent effects, decent action, but very paint by the numbers and it just never "caught fire" for me. The twists weren't really played that well and I couldn't grasp really where it was going.

The problem with a vehicle like this one is that it's either going to be exciting.. or it isn't. The entire relationship between Jack and his partner In Station 49 just never catches on, and her role is never materialized. Yes, we get a call back twice but neither of them really seem to justify the kind of behavior (that you see in the commercial, so no spoilers).

Fairly disappointing actually. Not bad, not good.. just kind of "eh".

I thought there were a lot of possibilities with this, but really kind of disliked the epilogue ending.

Still decent effects. But those who mention "Oblivion Report".. "Minority Report" is SIGNIFICANTLY better than this.

C

 

[Simon Massey]

Still decent effects. But those who mention "Oblivion Report".. "Minority Report" is SIGNIFICANTLY better than this.Agreed!!!

 

[Tino]

I loved it. Beginning to end and didn't mind the derivative nature of it at all. Great visuals score and action scenes. One of Tom's best and a great throwback to the classic 70's sci-fi films. And yes, see it in IMAX.9 out of 10

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Liked it, loved the score. Interested in some of the sci-if concepts they teased, but did not explore. Not any big ones, but rather personal ones. Production design was almost TOO GOOD. Kosinski excels at that, but it makes it feel more like a movie, not less.Still, a worthwhile trip to the theater.

 

[Tino]

"But there is a line of dialogue within the first five minutes which tells you exactly what is coming."Simon, I'm curious as to what line of dialog you are referring to. Can you put it in spoiler tags?

 

[Tino]

Deadline is reporting a $13 million Friday gross on its way to a $37 million dollar weekend. Pretty good numbers.

 

[Simon Massey]

Simon, I'm curious as to what line of dialog you are referring to. Can you put it in spoiler tags?

Sure

Spoiler

Can't quote it verbatim as I have only seen it once but Cruise mentions a memory-wipe near the start which immediately got me thinking that he was a clone of some sort. That coupled with the number designation of the outpost and a no-go "radiation zone" helped reinforce this and the dream of New York also suggested a past life/memory. I think the dream was sufficient info at the start.The other give away for me that there were no humans on Titan and that they were working for the enemy was the oft repeated line "Do you still feel that you are an effective team?" And the whole communication aspect between Riseborough and her boss, monotonous and impersonal. I'm sure this was intended to be a clue but it felt too obvious early on.The film I immediately reference is Moon but there are others as well.

 

[Tino]

Hmm. I didn't reach that conclusion from that line so kudos to you. It was a surprise to me. I agree with the second part of your post and also figured that part early on but it didn't detract from the film for me. You liked it...I liked it more. We're not that far apart. Thanks for replying.

 

[mattCR]

Yeah, that wasn't the conclusion I reached either. I was expecting

Spoiler

That the radiation zone was where fighting and other humans were hiding out

 

[Johnny Angell]

I have to say that saying there's a line of dialogue in the first five minutes, counts as a spoiler to me, which really makes the thread title misleading. Why couldn't you just have said "early on, I knew where the movie was heading"? That gets your point across without it being a spoiler.

If we had dislike buttons, Simon, I'd click on it for your first post.

So now I go to see the movie and I've got to not think about the line in the first five minutes. Lotsa luck to me on that one.

 

[Tino]

Johnny I don't think the line Simon is referring to will spoil anything for you as it's very vague and you may not reach the same conclusion he does. I saw Oblivion after reading his first post and was actually looking for that line and it went right by me. Seeing it again very soon.

 

[Douglas R]

.... I won't give away which films it is mainly derivative of as this would spoil the story. But there is a line of dialogue within the first five minutes which tells you exactly what is coming.

Sorry Simon but you'd have to be pyschic to know "exactly" what is coming from that early line of dialogue. It doesn't spoil the film at all. All it does is indicate that things are perhaps not quite what they seem to be. But that isn't giving anything away and adds to the enjoyment of the film in trying to work out where it is heading.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I'm happy to read these last two comments.

 

[Simon Massey]

Johnny I've explained why I referred to the line specifically though if I said early on I knew where it was headed wouldn't that also have left you thinking about that at the start. Spoilers are about giving plot points away which I didn't and if all I could say was I enjoyed the film then it kind of makes a pointless review. As I have said I am happy for the moderators to change the thread title if it is considered misleading.Douglas it is only my opinion and I felt it was obvious and felt it would be obvious to others too. I'm glad it worked for you

 

[Patrick Sun]

"Oblivion" was merely okay sci-fi fare, dressed up with slick production values, including fanciful aerial shots of Tom Cruise's character (Jack Harper) flying around, and being chased by the equivalent of grumpy round flying attack probes on a future Earth decimated after the moon gets ravaged by alien invaders, sending tides a-crashing and causing catastrophic damage, priming for Earth's inhibitants seeking a new rock to live on. Compound that with "Scavs", which are scavengers on the ground who go around looking for tech and energy supplies, making Jack's job more perilous.

I was hoping for more Scavs development, but the script sort of hits a plateau and stays there, so by the time the film concludes, it limps to the finish with a conclusion which may make a few viewers groan or roll their eyes. I'm in that camp. It's a film that tries to embrace big ideas, but it's clumsily written, and underwhelms the promise of "Olivion".

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+. (mainly for production values)