What’s the story?
In the future, earth is attacked by an alien race and the surviving members of humanity taken to a new home. Jack and his wife Victoria stay behind, having to protect the machinery used to harvest the planet’s resources. But then Jack discovers a crashed spacecraft with contents that bring into question everything he believed about the war, and may even put the fate of mankind in his hands.
Who’s in it?
The world’s shortest rich guy, Tom Cruise, who after appearing in Jack Reacher, again plays a character called Jack. Andrea Riseborough (Brighton Rock) is his wife Victoria, Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) is Julia, a mysterious character Jack rescues and Melissa Leo (The Fighter) plays the part of Sally who regularly contacts Victoria to ascertain if everything is still okay. And then Morgan Freeman is criminally underused as a character called Beech.
Who’s the director?
Joseph Kosinksi whose only other big directorial outing was the reboot of Tron in 2010.
What will you remember?
The weirdness of Melissa Leo looking and sounding like Sigourney Weaver in the Alien trilogy and the recurring question from her: “Are you an effective team?”
What’s the best scene?
The director manages to create quite a few suspense filled scenes. We liked the scene where Cruise’s character breaks the tension a tad when Julia asks him “Are we gonna die?” His answer is “No". But as soon as they enter the radiation zone, he quips “Maybe”. And whilst it’s technically not a scene, the soundtrack by the group M83 does set the scene brilliantly.
What’s the best line?
Jack Harper: How can a man die better...
Sally: You don't have to die, Jack. She doesn't have to die.
Jack Harper: Everybody dies, Sally. The thing is, to die well.
What other movies does it compare with?
Blade Runner, Looper, Wall-E, Prometheus, Moon.
With what piece of information can you impress your friends?
om Cruise celebrated his 50th birthday on the set. To celebrate the milestone, director Joseph Kosinski presented the star with one of the futuristic motorbikes from the film.
What type of …………………………… would this movie be?
Car: One of those futuristic type cars you see at Motor Shows.
Animal: A robot dog.
Kid at school: The one who manages to outsmart the science teacher now and again.
Toy: A Lego space station.
Famous person: The guys from Daft Punk.
What did others have to say?
For all the bells and whistles – an electronic score by M83, a screen-busting Imax presentation and Cruise going full throttle – Oblivion feels arid and antiseptic, untouched by human hands. Rolling Stone
Kosinski has again built a fantasy world that feels real to its core, but once more put most effort into the scenery and too little into the people. Empire Online
It isn’t a reboot or reimagining, refreshingly, but Oblivion plays like a stylised remix of superior sci-fi ground-breakers. Cruise and Kosinski: they might be an effective team, but pioneers they’re not. Total Film
RATING: 6.5