Oblivion Review

Movie: Oblivion
By: Maniac E
Date: August 12, 2013

Earth is a memory worth fighting for.

Science fiction is a genre that has been washed away almost completely. Thanks to bad scripts, bad visuals and costs to produce a decent movie. Luckily the last few years we saw some major sci-fi action like: "Tron: Legacy", "Star Trek 1 + 2", "Prometheus", "Dredd 3D", "The Divide" and "Iron Sky". People are more welcoming sci-fi movies and with Oblivion this new year kicked off in good fashion.

Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack's mission is nearly complete. Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands. In this process Jack finds out new things about the tasks that have been given to him, just to find out he needs to fight off whatever is keeping him on the planet.

Oblivion is a kind of movie you probably either like or not. Meaning the movie grabs a lot from other movies and makes it even feel similar to the movies it is copying. But to me this wasn't the hardest part of the movie too watch. The biggest let down is again the story itself with plot twists you could see coming once you know your sci-fi stuff. But it does do a lot right as well: Action scenes are done great, CGI is top notch and the soundtrack of the movie is great. Oblivion does set up a great atmosphere and own unique feel to it. The overall pace of the movie is pretty nicely done for a 2 hour movie.

While Oblivion doesn't give us a new kind of story or you can call it just straight forward science fiction stuff, in the end this high value production piece is a showcase of what can be done once some money is put down. You can look at it two ways either you will not be able to think about this movie as something new and you can't look beyond its mediocrity and leave the movie as it is. Or you can look at it as what it gives you, high quality visuals and a sense of the future with okay acting, a great soundtrack and a mediocre story. I choose the last option, normally I am very hard on this part but I have a soft spot for sci-fi. Prometheus wasn't a lot better in the story department and I think that at least Oblivion surpasses that.

So what are we left with? We are left with a movie that wants to appeal to a broader audience and there for the script suffers. But if you see it more in the light of a blockbuster movie you shall enjoy it and even Tom Cruise his acting isn't even half bad. I am one of those people that could enjoy the movie for what it was, a sci-fi high budget CGI powered machine.

BLURAY REVIEW

Image quality

Easily a contender for Best AV Presentation of 2013, Oblivion storms Blu-ray with a stunning 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer that's quite arguably perfect. Colors are cold and sterile, black levels are bottomless, and primaries rarely pop, much less put up much of a fight. And yet all is exactly as it's meant to be. Kosinski's dystopian exteriors are bathed in untempered white light, his utopian interiors are clean to the point of being sterile, and his underground ruins and steelworks are somber and laden with shadow.

Sound

There isn't any disappointment to be had with Universal's battle-hardened DTS-HD Master Audio surround track either. Once again, "perfect" is the word of the hour. Low-end output is monstrous, throwing the full weight and power of the LFE channel behind every explosion, drone blast, thruster roar, alien thrum, and ground-shaking, soundscape-rumbling effect the film's bombastic sound design has on tap.

Extras

• Audio Commentary: Director Joseph Kosinski and actor Tom Cruise deliver a measured, overly reverent, but altogether extensive commentary that touches on every aspect of the production, from Kosinski's original pitch and illustrated novel to the film's story, characters, themes, casting, performances visuals, practical effects and sets, CG wizardry, and unconventional sci-fi strides. It's a solid track -- even better, I'm sure, if you adored the movie and the director's every decision -- and one worth a listen.
• Promise of a New World (HD, 48 minutes): As if Kosinski and Cruise weren't thorough enough, the Blu-ray release of Oblivion also features a terrific five-part "Making Of" documentary. Segments include "Destiny" (the development of the story, Iceland shoot and the film's practical sets), "Voyage" (the inspiration, design and implementation of the Bubbleship), "Combat" (a look at the action and stunts), "Illusion" (visual effects), and "Harmony" (Oblivion's music).
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 4 minutes): Four deleted and alternate scenes are included: "Bubbleship Flyby," "Stadium: Original Opening," "Medkit" and "The Archives."
• Isolated M83 Score (HD): The film's isolated score, presented in 24-bit/96kHz Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround.

Overall

This is one of the best blurays you can want to own. It has everything from stunning visuals to gorgeous sound throughout the whole movie. And with the extras you will be getting it is a solid piece in your collection.

Universal