by Daniel Hatfield ’13

Director Joseph Kosinski’s “Oblivion” provides an excellent time at the movie theater. Jack, played by Tom Cruise, is a part of a two-man “mop-up crew” sent to post-apocalyptic Earth to maintain several energy converting towers and to perform maintenance on drones that guard the towers. However, Jack’s perception of his situation is entirely fabricated; enter Beech played by Morgan Freeman, the leader of the human resistance, who helps Jack discover the truth.

“Oblivion’s” story line is not particularly original or unique, but the cinematography, visuals and acting all make up for any sort of lulls in the plot. There are many “plot twists” in “Oblivion,” the only problem being most of them are reasonably predictable. Again, the plot is not particularly fresh, so people who are interested in this movie should take all these factors into account. Along with the predictable plot, there are a few slower moments in the movie, like when Jack has the same flashback a few times. But these instances are few and far between, so they don’t really take away from the movie as a whole.

Cruise and Freeman both bring their characters to life with their top-notch acting. Supporting actresses Olga Kurylenko plays Julia, the mysterious woman Jack rescues from a spaceship crash site, and Andrea Riseborough, who plays Victoria, Jack’s other half also in charge of keeping him safe while on various missions around the planet, perform amazingly alongside the movie’s more well-known actors. The on-screen chemistry each actor creates between their counterparts totally immerses the audience in this Sci-Fi world, allowing the viewer to feel what each character feels.

The visual artists who created the vast wasteland that Earth has become also greatly excelled in their attempt to immerse the audience. Landscapes range from deserts, to lush forests, to foggy sea sides to ancient decaying buildings. A variety of camera angles prevents the viewer from ever tiring of the wide open areas post-apocalyptic Earth has to offer.

Every set piece and costume are adorned with detail; even Jack’s coffee mug looks futuristic. Jack and Victoria reside in a small residence, supported hundreds of feet in the air, equipped with huge computers, a landing-pad for Jack’s ship, and a swimming pool with a see-through bottom. These components all create this very real world, and viewers suddenly find themselves forgetting that they’re watching a movie, but experiencing the story along with the characters.