Oblivion is a Sleek Throwback to the Old School Sci-Fi, the Story may not be Original, but the End Result is Solid

Oblivion (3 1/2 out of 5 Stars)

Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy)

Written by Joseph Kosinski, Karl Gajdusek (Tresspass), Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine)

Starring: Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Melissa Leo, and Morgan Freeman

I think the the most common complaint I have heard with regard to this film is "been there done that."  Some of the most common themes throughout this film have been seen before, a desolate New York City landscape (Planet of the Apes), a bright glowing red light alien (2001: A Space Odyssey), robots mining the ground for safety which is similar to themes from Wall-E, and many more.  Over the years many themes throughout sci-fi have been shower rinsed and repeated, and while this film has many of repeated, but this film is still well made and is harkens back to classic sci fi films.

Oblivion centers around Jack (Cruise) in 2077 who is sent on daily missions to extract resources, and fix drones who protect the Earth from aliens, Scavs who attacked Earth.  Earth is in a desolate state and Jack along with his partner Victoria (Riseborough) carry out the tasks from Sally (Leo) on the space ship, which hovers above Earth, and holds the some of the people who made it out safely from the attack. While on the missions Jack sees glimpses of his past, scenes of him on the Empire State Building with an unknown woman, something he can'e help shake.  After a ship crashes Jack saves a woman who is almost killed by a drone, and the pieces of this peaceful missions start to fall a part,  and the glimpses of the memories he once had start to unfold.

Joseph Kosinski whose first feature film was Tron: Legacy steps up his directorial game.  While Tron was a bloated mess Kosinski has found this incredible balance which create great action packed drama, while never shoving the intense action packed world down our throats.  There is one scene where Jack is involved with a chase in his cruiser (do not want to give out any spoilers), and the direction blew me away, one solid action sequence that had me on the edge of my seat.  One of the other key pieces is the land he creates within this film, Kosinski has an architectural background, and this leads to creating some of the most beautifully designed areas, from the base where Jack and Victoria live to the destroyed New York Public Library.  

Kosinski was also the architect for the original graphic novel, which this film was based.  The film went through numerous re-writes, and while the writing is not bad, the strength of the film is not within the script.  The script was originally co-written by William Monahan, but Karl Gajdusek stepped in (and is credited) and Universal had Michael Arndt do a final overhaul on the script.  While the writers did a good job of making the complicated story, well less complicated there were moments when the love story fell flat, or they held on too long to a concept or an idea, like what the radiation zone actually was.

The thing which makes this film beautiful is the visual effects combined with the imagery captured bye Life of Pi cinematographer Claudio Miranda.  These two elements create a film, which has some of the most haunting moments that leave you wanting to be able to reach out and touch this world.  Miranda's shot of Jack and Victoria swimming, and under water were beautiful along with the dark and desolate dessert mixed with the hope of the life growing in the forrest.  Together these elements created a visual mind field of greatness.  Combine that with the perfect futuristic sounding score from M83 and the technical aspects make the film what it is!

In the end I have to give credit to Tom Cruise, while many dislike this man for his personal beliefs you can't hold against him that he is, and has continued to be one of the strongest leading men for a long time.  Cruise has the charisma you long for on the screen, and his believability within this role, helps you connect to his own journey as Jack reaches (great pun right-Jack Reacher-I digress) for a something which feels real in an artificial setting.  

Oblivion is much better than expected, and never say "this has been done before" because if you used that as excuse to say a movie is sloppy or bad, you would be saying that about most films.  This film is by no means perfect, but separates itself from most tent-pole action films with heart and determination.

Apocalypse Now? Film and Television's Obsession with the Apocalypse

Last night I saw the film Oblivion (review to come), and as I was sitting in the film I realized something, film and television have started to use the trope of the end of the world, more than ever before.  There have of course been numerous films about a post apocalyptic earth in both film and television ranging from The Planet of the Apes series (original 1968), to both versions of the television series Battlestar Gallactica (1978, 2004) to the Mad Max series (original 1979), 12 Monkeys (1995), The Road (2009), and so many more.  The end of world has always been on our mind, and whether its at the hand of apes, a cancer treatment drug, laziness, zombies, or aliens it appears to be on the mind of people more than ever.

NBC's Revolution may have been at the start of the most recent upswing.  The television series follows Earth as though the a big giant plug was pulled somewhere, and all the electronics we have come to rely upon have all but disappeared.  Like with most post-apocalyptic films or television series, a small group of tough as nails survivors battle against a group or people who will prevent the Earth from returning to its former glory.

Glory and empire status seem to be one of the trends which flow through these types of films.  As you you look at America specifically, America became a dominant power toppling the once great English empire in the Revolutionary War.

Martin Scorsese is quoted as saying "I love studying Ancient History and seeing how empires rise and fall, sowing the seeds of their own destruction."

Throughout time a cliche American phrase or quote has arisen "all great empires fall."  Which relates back to Scorsese's quote, and the recent trend within these apocalyptic films.  Film makers and television auteurs use these acts of destruction and rebirth to show the vulnerability and fragility within a people.

One of the few clever parts of the Oblivion screenplay is is the fact that Cruise's character picks up Thomas Babbington Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome, the passage specifically states:

“To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his gods?"

This quote relates beautifully to the the theme of Oblivion, but the book and the reference to the Roman Empire is what has started the inspiration for what I will refer to as the "end of days" films and television series.  As Scorsese stated studying the rise and fall of empires is fascinating, and many Americans believe the end is near or has essentially happened for America, so the jingoism is gone, and bring on the onslaught of films which not only show the end of one empire, but an end to everything.


Beyond this year's Oblivion and Revolution which started in the fall of 2012, there are numerous films about the "end of days" being released this year.  June kicks off with another film, entitled, After Earth which stars Will Smith, son Jaden, and directed by "I see dead people" M. Night Shyamalan.  Earth looks similar to Oblivion, in feel, but explores more of the father son dynamic as opposed to a love story in Oblivion.  World War Z looks more in the vein of I am Legend, and 28 Days Later.  Z follows the concept of a zombie like apocalypse, and a race for a cure to save the world.  Neil Blonkamp's August release Elysium is an apocalyptic world creating a division between the haves and have nots.

While Earth, Z, and Elysium follow the dramatics of an apocalyptic world, there are also numerous films which will explore the humorous side of the end of the Earth.  It's a Disaster is a comedy which follows two couples who are trying to escape a terrorist attack after brunch in New York City.  This is the End from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (release date June 12th) is another comedy much like It's a Disaster (unnamed at the moment, which sets a set of celebrities basically playing versions of themselves fighting an apocalyptic situation. Craig Robinson (The Office's Darryl) stars in This is the End, and has his own June Comedy "end of days" film entitle Rapture-Palooza, which is also a comedy.  Who knew the end of earth or society was as funny, but I am intrigued by this different take on the genre.

If you look at all films and television series recently there is one clear trend, the fear and fascination of our crumbling world.  Whether through the lens of laughter, tears, or an action packed sci-fi world, all of these films are trending at the moment the way in which vampires did the last few years.  Will we move on with the obsession, or is "this the end of world as we know it."