Blu-ray Review: Stunning Visuals Can’t Save Hollow ‘Oblivion’

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Average: 5 (3 votes)

CHICAGO – Does anyone else remember when sci-fi was fun? Sure, there have always been philosphical, “deep” pieces of science fiction like “2001” and “Blade Runner,” but the genre has become so stunningly self-serious this year. The weight of it nearly crushes “Elysium” and totally decimated “After Earth.” And then we have “Oblivion,” recently released on Blu-ray, a movie that looks great but thinks it has a lot more to say than it ultimately does. And it’s just not fun.

HollywoodChicago.com Blu-ray rating: 5.0/5.0
Rating: 5.0/5.0

While “Oblivion” is nowhere near the disaster of “After Earth” (and about on par with “Elysium”), it is still a disappointment. It clearly was inspired by a number of ’70s sci-fi films that are more about identity than machinery. The thematically cluttered film fails even in that regard though as the saga of a man who learns the truth about not just his past but his planet’s becomes weighed down with an action-packed, explosive third act that doesn’t really fit the first 90 minutes of the film. By being so many films at once (I do believe there could have been a great version of the core of this story without the mega-budget that played more like “Moon”), it becomes less than the sum of its parts by the time it’s over. And it’s strikingly bloated at 125 minutes.

I will say that the flick is visually strong (I like a lot of the design choices), making it a good choice for Blu-ray and Universal transfers it well with strong video and audio. True fans of the stars or genre won’t be disappointed by the visuals. It’s just too bad they’re in service of a story that isn’t, well, more fun.

Oblivion was released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 6, 2013
Oblivion was released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 6, 2013
Photo credit: Universal

Synopsis:
This groundbreaking cinematic event stars Tom Cruise as Jack Harper, the lone security repairman stationed on a desolate, nearly-ruined future Earth. When he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft, her arrival triggers a nonstop chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows, and leaves humanity’s fate in his hands. Academy Award®-winner Morgan Freeman joins Cruise in this “visually stunning” (Pete Hammond, Movieline), explosive story from the director of Tron: Legacy and the producer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Special Features:
o Making Of Featurettes: Voyage - Discover The Bubble Ship, Combat - Action-Packed Stunts
o M83 Isolated Score
o Deleted Scenes
o Destiny: How The Epic Film Was Shot
o Illusion: Groundbreaking Visual Effects
o Harmony: The Music Of M83
o Feature Commentary With Tom Cruise And Director/Story Writer Joseph o Kosinski

“Oblivion” stars Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Melissa Leo, and Morgan Freeman. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 6, 2013.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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