One Paragraph Review - Oblivion

In the future, humanity has fought a war with an alien race called the Scavs. Mankind won, but Earth has been devastated and the remnants of mankind have fled to Titan. All of Earth's oceans are being converted to energy and then the planet will be abandoned. At least, that's what Jack (Tom Cruise) a drone repair technician and his partner Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) believe. Jack eventually learns that the truth of the war and its aftermath are very different. The film relies on a couple of twists to propel the narrative, so I'll end the synopsis here. Suffice to say, the "twists" are not surprising, but are not particularly silly either. They work, even if they are telegraphed. Which, is a good summation of the film itself. There is nothing surprising or unique about it, but nothing that makes me want to toss a shoe at the screen. The acting is good and the characters develop along predictable lines. The effects look good and I like the aesthetics. The action sequences have a distinct "seen it before" feel to them, but are well shot. Thankfully, there is no shaky cam. Is Oblivion a great movie? No, it is not. But, it is a pretty good story, told well and worth seeing.

A glamour shot of Jack's VTOL. The technology designs for the film are one of the reasons I recommend watching it.