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Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

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Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Old 04-17-13, 03:26 PM
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Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Please continue pre-release discussion here.

Movie:
"Oblivion" (Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Melissa Leo, Zoe Bell)

Release Date:
4/19/2013

Rating:
PG-13 (for sci-fi action violence, brief strong language, and some sensuality/nudity throughout)

Running Time:
126min. (2h. 06m.)

Budget:
$120 million (estimated)

IMDb Synopsis:
Spoiler:
One of the few remaining drone repairmen assigned to Earth, its surface devastated after decades of war with the alien Scavs, discovers a crashed spacecraft with contents that bring into question everything he believed about the war, and may even put the fate of mankind in his hands.


IMDb Info and Rating:
7.2 (21,536 votes as of 4/17/13)

Rotten Tomatoes:
Fresh:41 Rotten:23 (64% as of 4/17/13)

Metacritic:
57 metascore ('Mixed or average reviews' as of 4/17/13)

Trailer:
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Poster Art:
Old 04-18-13, 12:53 PM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

FYI

I was at Best Buy there other day and a bunch of Universal BD's have an $8 movie cash coupon to see this.
Old 04-19-13, 12:45 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Still undecided. I need to think about it.

Great visuals, amazing soundtrack, but goddamnit, the last five minutes were fuckin' awful.

Also, did anyone catch this in 15/70 IMAX? IMAX and Universal were touting that it would be in 1.4:1, but despite having a rail system, we got the digital version at 1.78:1.
Old 04-19-13, 06:09 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Manohla Dargis' negative review in The New York Times today:

http://movies.nytimes.com/2013/04/19...ef=todayspaper

Some quotes:

If only it were less easy to laugh at “Oblivion,” a lackluster science-fiction adventure with Tom Cruise that, even before its opening, was groaning under the weight of its hard-working, slowly fading star and a title that invites mockery of him and it both. The agony of being a longtime Tom Cruise fan has always been a burden, but now it’s just, well, dispiriting. You not only have to ignore the din of the tabloids and swat away the buzzing generated by his multiple headline-ready dramas, you also have to come to grips with the harsh truth that it no longer actually matters why and how Tom Terrific became less so. No one else much cares.

Mr. Cruise hasn’t made it easy. His screen presence has continued to grow ever-more self-serious, despite occasional attempts to lighten up, as in the recent would-be satire “Rock of Ages.” Midway through “Oblivion” I wondered when I had last believed there was something true in his laugh, something that felt either genuinely expansive or intimate, as in “Jerry Maguire,” or chilled with a hint of madness, as in “Magnolia.” Mind you, he doesn’t have many occasions to laugh in “Oblivion,” a gray post-apocalyptic tale with rainbow accents, yet when he does, it feels uncomfortably forced. In those moments, was he worrying that the movie wasn’t going to return him to the box office summit? He’s 50 years old and too young to be prepping for a slow fade, yet what are his choices?
All genre fictions build, self-consciously or not, on their progenitors. The problem with “Oblivion,” which is based on an unpublished graphic novel Mr. Kosinski wrote and used to pitch the studio, is that it’s been stitched together from bits and pieces that evoke numerous other, far better far-out tales and ideas, conceits and characters from the likes of Philip K. Dick, the Wachowskis, J. G. Ballard and Duncan Jones, specifically his elegant, elegiac movie, “Moon.” No matter how hard Mr. Cruise squares his jaw or flings his body over and against the scenery, and despite the presence of Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who trickle into the story to aid in Jack’s journey, “Oblivion” never transcends its inspirations to become anything other than a thin copy.
Old 04-19-13, 06:49 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

i've kinda cooled on seeing it this weekend now.
Old 04-19-13, 11:57 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

I gave it two stars, just really bland when it came to plot and characterization. I found myself pretty bored for the last half of the film.
Old 04-19-13, 04:37 PM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

I saw it. Started out well, but the ending was pretty terrible. Visuals were spectacular. I figured out the "twist" about halfway through the movie, before it was revealed.
Old 04-19-13, 07:12 PM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

What in the hell was that plot? A jumbled mess. It was visually impressive though, I'll give it that. I wasn't bored.

I gave it 3 stars. Great visuals and effects, good acting, but bad directing and bad script. I doubt it's something I'll see again.
Old 04-19-13, 07:19 PM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Saw it. Visually it was impressive, but that doesn't hide the fact that this is more or less mixture of Matrix and I Am Legend that plays by the Hollywood book as much as possible. Tron:Legacy was more fun, and it had Daft Punk music.

Spoiler:
Why would a super computer feel the need to maintain a southern accent once the truth about it was revealed?
Old 04-20-13, 07:04 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

I went in with very low expectations based on all the negative reviews and ended up really enjoying the film. I was indifferent about many of the things the critics are complaining about. It's a really gorgeous looking film, well worth seeing in the theater. Very entertaining.
Old 04-20-13, 07:16 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by VoreLord
I went in with very low expectations based on all the negative reviews and ended up really enjoying the film. I was indifferent about many of the things the critics are complaining about. It's a really gorgeous looking film, well worth seeing in the theater. Very entertaining.
I had the same reaction. It was a fun ride, with great visuals, and a good score. Sure the ending was not so great, and it was a patchwork of derivative scenes, but there was enough originality in there to hold it together. All in all, I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Old 04-20-13, 09:33 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

I saw it and like most have mention the visuals were great and nice to look at, but holy shit is the story just out there and there is no flow to it once or ever... by the end I'm like blah.

On a side note Morgan Freeman looks like he hasn't aged in years and Tom looks great for a 50 year old. heh
Old 04-20-13, 11:18 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

I liked the movie.. The plot isn't as hard to follow as everyone says.. At the end I was able to answer all my questions by just thinking about it.. It all made sense. Visuals are beautiful.... Acting was good. Not enough Morgan though.. But solid flick
Old 04-20-13, 12:59 PM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by sye46
I liked the movie.. The plot isn't as hard to follow as everyone says.. At the end I was able to answer all my questions by just thinking about it.. It all made sense. Visuals are beautiful.... Acting was good. Not enough Morgan though.. But solid flick
Yeah, I agree. I liked all the twists and turns. Sure, a lot of them were telegraphed, but this move was more than just a pretty action movie. For me it kept me thinking about it afterwards, and like you, most of my questions were answered with satisfaction. It has it's flaws and there were somethings I wished it did differently, but I sure wish we had more movies like this (and less like Prometheus).
Old 04-20-13, 01:14 PM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by dave-o
Yeah, I agree. I liked all the twists and turns. Sure, a lot of them were telegraphed, but this move was more than just a pretty action movie. For me it kept me thinking about it afterwards, and like you, most of my questions were answered with satisfaction. It has it's flaws and there were somethings I wished it did differently, but I sure wish we had more movies like this (and less like Prometheus).

Interesting. I feel that Prometheus had stronger visuals than this movie, but a weaker script.
Old 04-20-13, 03:49 PM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Agree on the strong visuals. The look of the world looks great, just that it's in service of a bland story. I wasn't emotionally invested in anything that happened to anyone on screen. It reminded me of Moon with some of its plot points and before the movie was over, I just found myself wanting to watch Moon instead. Not the worst thing but Kosinski is definitely a film maker who can not make a compelling movie. At least it was better than Tron: Lethargy.
Old 04-20-13, 05:13 PM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by Dr. DVD
Interesting. I feel that Prometheus had stronger visuals than this movie, but a weaker script.
I agree, Prometheus was a beautiful movie with stronger visuals. For me, it's script was so mind numbingly stupid that I have an unhealthy amount of hatred for it. I even bought the DVD, thinking it would get better on multiple viewings. I gave it a way the next week. So, pretty much anything looks like 2001: A Space Oddysey next to Prometheus (to my eyes).
Old 04-20-13, 06:58 PM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by dave-o
I agree, Prometheus was a beautiful movie with stronger visuals. For me, it's script was so mind numbingly stupid that I have an unhealthy amount of hatred for it. I even bought the DVD, thinking it would get better on multiple viewings. I gave it a way the next week. So, pretty much anything looks like 2001: A Space Oddysey next to Prometheus (to my eyes).
I'm a Ridley Scott aficionado, so I still have mine. I liked it better overall than Oblivion, but I need alcohol to really get into the movie. The first 30 minutes are great, then it goes downhill save for the scene of David in the "maproom".
Old 04-21-13, 09:22 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

"Oblivion" was merely okay sci-fi fare, dressed up with slick production values, including fanciful aerial shots of Tom Cruise's character (Jack Harper) flying around, and being chased by the equivalent of grumpy round flying attack probes on a future Earth decimated after the moon gets ravaged by alien invaders, sending tides a-crashing and causing catastrophic damage, priming for Earth's inhibitants seeking a new rock to live on. Compound that with "Scavs", which are scavengers on the ground who go around looking for tech and energy supplies, making Jack's job more perilous.

I was hoping for more Scavs development, but the script sort of hits a plateau and stays there, so by the time the film concludes, it limps to the finish with a conclusion which may make a few viewers groan or roll their eyes. I'm in that camp. It's a film that tries to embrace big ideas, but it's clumsily written, and underwhelms the promise of "Olivion".

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+. (mainly for production values)
Old 04-21-13, 10:06 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

I really enjoyed it.
Old 04-21-13, 11:28 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Saw it in IMAX last night and wasn't disappointed. The visuals and soundtrack were superb. It's slow moving and outside of Cruise and his partner on the station, everyone else (including Morgan, in my mind) is never really developed . It was neat seeing Jaime Lannister (Nokolaj Coster-Waldau), but he said about 2 lines. The over-the-top Texan accent of the mission control lady annoyed me, but that's a minor annoyance. Like others have said, I think it's a bit more straightforward than Prometheus, but I have to say I found the visuals better. I think it's harder to do stunning visuals in daylight (most of Oblivion) than darkness (most of Prometheus). I'm glad I saw it in the theater, I hope it does well, if only to inspire more similar projects with better scripts.
Old 04-22-13, 03:52 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

I think that when you work out (very quickly in my case) that 2 people doing all that work on their own, regardess of drones, is a lot of work you start to put it together.
I loved that shot of the armed drone coming through the burning curtains.

It's Toms best work for awhile as well.
I quite liked Jack Reacher for the most part but when he did that "Tom Smile" in that film it took me out of it for a small time. I didn't find that in this film.
Old 04-22-13, 03:54 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by Dr. DVD
Saw it. Visually it was impressive, but that doesn't hide the fact that this is more or less mixture of Matrix and I Am Legend that plays by the Hollywood book as much as possible. Tron:Legacy was more fun, and it had Daft Punk music.

Spoiler:
Why would a super computer feel the need to maintain a southern accent once the truth about it was revealed?
Am I right in thinking we don't see the aliens ever? I suppose this way they film makers didn't have to design any?!
Old 04-22-13, 10:07 AM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Throughout watching this, I couldn't shake the feeling this story would have worked better as a videogame, what with all the task-oriented objectives, random enemy encounters, isolated hero in communication with a 'home base' character, etc. Even the story twists reminded me of the sorts of things you'd expect out of a Bioshock or Dead Space game.
Old 04-22-13, 07:50 PM
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Re: Oblivion (Kosinski, 2013) — The Reviews Thread

Olga K. Looked good in this with long black hair.

The film was ok. Nothing new, nothing memorable. But i still felt entertained when the credits hit.

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