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A cool space odyssey
"Oblivion" looks marvelous, in the deliciously dystopian way of so many post-apocalyptic films.
It's set in 2077, after alien invaders called Scavengers (or "Scavs") have laid waste to the moon, leading to cataclysmic floods and earthquakes that have ravaged Earth. The film features gorgeous CGI shots of such broken, half-buried landmarks as the Washington Monument and the Empire State Building, whose observation deck can now be accessed by walking onto it from a mountain of rubble.
The movie, by director Joseph Kosinski ("Tron: Legacy"), is said to be based on a graphic novel by Kosinski and comic book writer Arvid Nelson. Although that book was never published — and probably never will be — the mock-up of the story drew the attention of star Tom Cruise, along with not one, but two, studios: Disney, which originally had the rights, and Universal, which ultimately made the film.
It's an engrossing, if complicated and twisty, story, with plentiful sci-fi action and a provocative subtext about the nature of the human soul. It's as if "Oblivion" is inviting us to undergo our own memory wipes before seeing the film. If you're able to forgive and forget, "Oblivion" isn't a bad place to start loving Tom.
The DVD and Blu-ray include commentary by Cruise and Kosinski, deleted scenes and M83's isolated score (watch the entire film accompanied just by the music track).
Washington Post
Colin Covert says: If there's a better science-fiction blockbuster this year than "Oblivion," I'll count us lucky.
Also out Tuesday
