Tom Cruise plays quintessential Tom Cruise (aka a heroic guy named Jack) in this epic post-Armageddon sci-fi fantasy flick about a drone repairman who goes rogue in an effort to save humankind. You go, Jack! There’s more to the plot, of course, but good luck trying to figure it out. Perhaps it should have been called “Oblivious”. The movie is a bit like Top Gun meets Independence Day – set in the future. Cruise plays a pilot, and aliens are out to destroy the Earth. Oblivion is quite loud, with an overabundance of musical crescendos. But it’s also visually impressive, with lots of sweeping vistas of raw devastation and pristine beauty. Put it all together and you’ve got an engaging yet perplexing movie.
Here’s the gist: It’s 60 years after Earth was virtually destroyed by some alien force, leaving most of the surviving humans to find refuge on an alternate planet. Jack Harper (Cruise) is tasked with patrolling the skies over the remains of the Earth (or at least, New York City) and repairing a series of drones that are programmed to kill the aliens, known as Scavs, because they scavenge what’s left of the planet’s vital resources. Jack’s job is almost complete – but then a series of events leads him to question his mission, and himself. He also begins to question his relationship with his partner Victoria (Andrea Riseborough), a stickler for following the rules. Victoria doesn’t take too kindly to Jack’s decision to rescue a beautiful stranger, Julia (Olga Kurylenko) from a downed spacecraft. It’s a definite no-no that is sure to anger their remote bosses. But Jack has seen the mysterious woman before, in his dreams, or perhaps, in his memories. I won’t say any more about that for fear of spoiling the plot for anyone brave enough to try and decipher it.
If you’re anti-Cruise, you won’t like this movie. If you’re pro-Cruise, or at least indifferent and you’re a sci-fi fan, then you may enjoy Oblivion, even if you don’t figure out what the heck happened and why. If you do ‘get it’, please share.