Review of Oblivion (2013) by Jose Miguel G — 26 Apr 2015

A fascinating dystopian future film.

Director Joseph Kosinski pays tribute to old sci-fi films like 2001 and Star Wars with a stunning visual flair all its own. Gorgeous framing and an intriguing take on alien invasion leads Oblivion to a beautiful style. Kosinski does take too much from his inspirations for the story by the end, but I found Oblivion to be a beast all its own.

Furthermore, M83's pounding electronic score leaps from the speakers to your ears. The atmosphere of an eerie world is built from both music and scarce environmental landscapes. You hear quiet, then the pulsing synths of M83's soundtrack. Oblivion has brilliant use of music as sound design.

Additionally, Oblivion is elevated by Tom Cruise's performance as Jack Harper. Cruise is completely engaging and relatable as an everyman in Oblivion. You connect to him in the emotional scenes and root for him during the intense action sequences. Oblivion contains one of Cruise's best latter day roles.

Similarly, Olga Kurylenko is captivating as Julia Rusakova. Kurylenko is sweet and sincere emotionally. She really captures the uncertainty her character struggles with, while gripping Cruise's character to reality. I also liked Andrea Riseborough as Vika. She plays emotionally void quite convincingly. Riseborough may look stunning, but she also depicts Vika's emotional detachment superbly. You believe she only follows the rules to a dot. It may be hard to relate to how cold her role is, but she pulls off a selfish confidence well.

Notably, Oblivion was released in 2013, but the CGI is still lovely. Normally, special effects age poorly, but Oblivion still holds up for now. I like the use of natural environment and practical effects for many props to make the future world more real. The future technology keeps a level of verisimilitude that keeps you immersed.

Overall, Oblivion is not the most original science fiction tale, but it is immaculately executed and shot. I think most audiences will find it engaging and entertaining.