Sounds like Tron Legacy director Joseph Kosinski conductor is two for two with making beautiful - but - brainless films . A harvest of other reviews of Oblivion praise the post apocalyptic film for its punctilious world - building and futuristic middle candy . But that ’s about it . Take a look at our roundup of early reviews below …
The Hollywood Reportergives Kosinski a round of hand clapping for the gorgeous empty existence he ’s make — and even say the film starts with a bang . Sadly the flick deflates rather unceremoniously , according to the THR :
limbo is an absolutely gorgeous picture dramatically caught between its aspiration for poetic romanticism and the requirement of sullen sci - fi activeness . After a captivating beginning brimming with mystery and patent ambition , the air gradually seeps out of the balloon that keep this thinly populated narrative aloft , leaving the ultimate impression of a courteous try that fall somewhat short of the fall guy .
The Guardianlabeled the photographic film an expensive waste of time . And the reviewer apparently wanted a whole lot more from the ordinarily magnetic Cruise :
There is little of the knowing humour and fun we go through in the Mission Impossible films , just plenty of guessing of Tom doing his Action Hero fount , at the controls of his detailed whirlybird - woodworking plane - twist , or drop athletically down on forget me drug , or on the macho motorbike he occasionally rides around on . Could this last touch have been a suggestion from the star himself ? Sometimes he will do his Relaxed face , kicking back by the lakeside logarithm cabin he has establish on Earth . sporadically he will do his uxorious - romantic smile , while showering or having breakfast or enjoying some ridiculous underwater conjugal loving with Victoria in their swimming consortium .
IGNloved the action and look , but could n’t avail but point out all the retiring movies Oblivion borrowed from ( which is a idea in many of these critique ):
What follows is an action - pack science - fiction motion picture with lofty philosophical dream . Unfortunately it ’s also completely and utterly derivative , the story strip the like of 2001 , The Matrix , Silent Running , Solaris , Planet of the Apes and Total Recall , with motley level of success . An contiguous and obvious touchstone is also WALL - E …
Varietywas harsh on the game problems but overall was pretty positive about the “ outstanding , visually resplendent adventure . ”
The trivial cleverness of the plotting , with its elements of amnesia , ego - head game and impossible yearning , at times gestures in the direction of a Christopher Nolan brainteaser ( as does the surging score by Gallic circle M83 , which sound like electronified Hans Zimmer ) . But the lack of like grimness , ingeniousness and procedural detail is naggingly observable , as is the almost feel - right manner in which the story explains aside some of its morally troubling implications .
Empiregave the film 3 out of 5 star :
[ Joseph Kosinski ’s work on ] Tron Legacy demonstrate three things : 1 ) Kosinski was masterful at creating an entirely imagined world right down to the flyspeck detail ; 2 ) He like big , Messianic plots and take on time to research them ; and 3 ) He was a flock better with scene than hoi polloi . With Oblivion … Kosinski reasserts those first two point and only moderately improves on the third .
The Listwas reasonably simple :
limbo may imprint with its scale . But rather like Kosinski ’s word picture of Earth , it feels devoid of human beings – and that ’s a major design defect .
Twitchsays the film suffers tremendously from its derivative plotting , and conclude :
Taken on its own , Oblivion is a entirely watchable and oftentimes entertaining sci - fi action dangerous undertaking that face and sounds incredible on the swelled covert … However , the playscript is poorly written , with a few of its most integral explanations either dumped into expository speeches or hop entirely , while all its full ideas come from the work of Andrei Tarkovsky , the Wachowskis and Duncan Jones .
MSN UKagrees that the film borrows way too unashamedly from other motion-picture show :
The problem with coming late to the political party , however , is that a slew of the undecomposed estimation are already taken . For while Joseph Kosinski ’s film has a bold visual pallet and ream of not bad computer hardware , its script seems distinctly second - handwriting : a déjà vu flood incorporate elements of Independence Day , The Matrix and I Am Legend .
And finally , here’sDigital Spy :
It scratches the surface in footing of its bigger idea ; freedom , control and computer storage all come into play , but ultimately its thematic backbone is n’t as in full developed as the jaw - dropping visual spectacle on show . Kosinski pile up money shot after money shoot ( digitally enhancing desolate Iceland locations to well effect ) , while harnessing a soar score from M83 to power along the drive . Despite all this , Oblivion can never quite deliver that transcendental wallop it dally with .
On the positive side , these review have lowered our expectations for Oblivion tremendously . Perhaps we can find happiness just starring at this flick , as if it were a collection of computing equipment wallpaper . Oblivion reach theaters in the U.S. on April 19th .
MoviesOblivionTom Cruise
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