Oblivion
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Stylized sci-fi entertains; expect deaths, sexy stuff.
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What's the Story?
In the year 2077, humans no longer live on Earth but instead reside on Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Left behind are Jack (Tom Cruise) and Victoria (Andrea Riseborough), a clean-up crew of sorts who are tasked with repairing drones before they, too, can join the rest of the surviving population on Titan. But Jack's mission changes when he rescues NASA astronaut Julia (Olga Kurylenko) from her ship's crash. It's clear that Jack may not have the complete truth -- and that the alien "Scavengers" roaming the Earth may not be the threat that Jack and Victoria have been warned about. After meeting the head of the Scavs, Jack must decide whether he's going to follow the mission's assignment or to believe strangers he feels inexplicably compelled to trust.
Is It Any Good?
Director Joseph Kosinski does a better job with OBLIVION than he did with his debut film, Tron: Legacy, but it's clear he's a filmmaker whose strength is stylized, visually arresting storytelling. The cinematography is terrific, with sweeping landscapes of post-apocalyptic New York, and the action sequences are pulse-pounding thanks to Cruise's mastery of the genre. Cruise manages to have decent chemistry with not one but two women -- the prim rules-follower played by Riseborough and the enigmatic woman of Jack's dreams, Kurylenko. It takes an extraordinary leading man to pull that kind of emotional connection off, and Cruise is up to the task.
One of the best moments in Oblivion is when viewers first hear co-star Morgan Freeman's powerful voice before the lights turn on and his face is revealed. Few actors can exude Freeman's gravitas with such few words. Game of Thrones fans will also be pleased to see Nikolaj Coster-Waldau make an appearance. But in the end, this is a Cruise film all the way. How entertaining you consider the movie depends greatly on how good of an action star you consider him, because the third act does border on the overlong and unsatisfying. Still, despite its subpar story resolution, Oblivion is good enough to remember.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of post-apocalyptic stories. How does Oblivion compare to other alien movies like The Host or Prometheus?
How does the violence in the movie compare to other sci-fi/action movies you've seen? Does the fact that some of the combatants are aliens give it any more/less impact?
Movie Details
- In theaters: April 19, 2013
- On DVD or streaming: August 6, 2013
- Cast: Morgan Freeman , Olga Kurylenko , Tom Cruise
- Director: Joseph Kosinski
- Inclusion Information: Black actors, Female actors
- Studio: Universal Studios
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Adventures , Space and Aliens
- Run time: 126 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: sci-fi action violence, brief strong language, and some sensuality/nudity
- Last updated: December 6, 2023
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