Now Playing: Oblivion

Yet another Tom Cruise flick that’s well done, if a tad predictable, Oblivion’s main strength has actually nothing to do with its stellar cast. It is, simply put, a striking film. At first, I didn’t get it. It was just more green-screen wizardry with high-tech future toys and impossibly impeccable landscapes… right?

Well.

I have since learned that director Joseph Kosinski actually built real things. And shot real clouds. And aged real books. The result? A very palpable environment in which the characters can immerse themselves and the (sometimes thin) plot can evolve. It also didn’t surprise me when I learned that this guy worked on Tron: Legacy – it had that same future-realism that really sells impossible plotlines.

Anyway back to Oblivion. Indeed, it is gorgeous. I think if you have a decent home theatre, you would probably get to experience much of it. I would say to watch it in normal theatres but the plot really is quite predictable and may distract you from the eye candy. All 3 out of 5 stars is attributed to its landscape, scenery, set design, and sheer beauty.