It took one shot, near the opening, to completely sell me on Oblivion. It was of the moon, cracked, it's own debris floating around it. After seeing that, I knew I was in for something special. And Oblivion is indeed something special. First conceived by director Joseph Kosinski eight years ago, it has gone through many iterations before making it's way to the big screen. Brought about by Kosinski's love of old sci-fi movies, it has a real old school feel to it, from a time where the movie's world, characters, and story were just as important as impressive effects and insane action.
Set in the year 2073, Earth has won the war against the ruthless alien invaders known as Scavs, but not without a price. The planet is uninhabitable, most of humanity has relocated to a colony off world. Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) is one of the few humans that remains, repairing the robotic drones that patrol the ruined landscape. With two weeks left of their mission, Harper and his partner Victoria's (Andrea Riseborough) lives are rocked by the arrival of a space craft, which brings with it the mysterious Julia (Olga Kurylenko), and questions about their mission, and why they are really on Earth.
Visually, Oblivion is absolutely stunning. From the aforementioned destroyed moon, to the Empire State Building been taken by the earth, to Harper's home, the Sky Tower, every image evokes a sense of wonder and awe. Kosinski's imagination is running wild here, creating visuals I have never seen before, and I think I will never see again. Think of the first time you saw the Statue Of Liberty washed up on a beach in Planet Of The Apes, or when the Monolith first appeared in 2001: A Space Odessey, and the feeling you got seeing these images dance before your eyes. That is the feeling Kosiniski is going for with every frame, and more often than not he nails it. The action scenes are amazing, getting your pulse racing as the camera weaves in out seamlessly through proceedings, helped by a fantastic score by French electronic rock band M83 and composer Joseph Trapanese. It really grabs your attention, bringing you into the movie in such a great way.
Thankfully, the movie has a story just as rich as the visuals. Heart breaking at times, with Riseborough playing Victoria's rage at Harper and Julia's growing closeness perfectly, and evenly paced, the movie excels at the quiet moments, building the characters, and investing the viewer in the story. It has its fair share of twists and turns, and while it veers into the realm of the predictable as enters the third act, the excitement it built up in the previous two acts never wanes.
We all know Tom Cruise can carry a movie, and he doesn't prove us wrong here. Harper is an everyman. He's not a super hero type, he has weaknesses, he's vulnerable, and Cruise conveys that perfectly. His chemistry with Riseborough is fantastic, the two selling their relationship without saying a word. Victoria is a wonderful character, closed off and by the book, the perfect contrast to Harpers risk taker. Riseborough pulls her off with ease, her composure slowly deteriorating until the anger explodes within her in a scene which is one of the movies highlights. Kurylenko feels like a plot device in her first appearance, but she soon grows into her own character, providing a lot of emotional depth to the love story at the core of Oblivion. While underused, Morgan Freeman seems to be having a lot of fun as the grizzled warrior Malcom Beech, making the most of a character that boils down to spouting exposition.
I absolutely fell in love with Oblivion. It grabbed me from the opening scene, and would not let go till the closing credits rolled. A visually impressive slice of old school sic-fi, something that we don't see enough of these days. An absolute must watch!!
