Oblivion (Quick Review)

So I find myself once again stumped by the fact that I missed out on this hidden gem while it was in theaters.  Oblivion may be no masterpiece, nor is it completely original; but it is a surprisingly entertaining tribute to various sci-fi classics all rolled up into a well-polished action adventure film that I would have been willing to give up money to see.

While Oblivion’s plot lacks originality and freshness, its CGI boasts an impressive look and feel to it; giving the post-apocalyptic Earth a unique beauty.  At times the Earth looks like a whole other planet, with barren wastelands, deserts and long caverns; that is until you notice the caverns are created from New York skyscrapers, and the barren wastelands make up pieces of Earth’s past civilization like football fields or the hand and torch of the statue of liberty (a nice little reference to Planet of the Apes).  Both the futuristic sky houses and airships are given a shiny white polished look combined with complementary lights of blue.  They remind me of how the sky houses looked like in Tron: Legacy; lighting up the night sky in a vibrant, almost hypnotic way.  I absolutely love Oblivion’s soundtrack which helps contribute to the entrancing feel as well.  The sound is given a practically robotic feel; mixing in techno and various futuristic sounds to the action scenes, allowing itself to distance away from the more mundane action soundtracks and become distinguishable.

Oblivion boasts a ton of references throughout the film (I've already mentioned a few).  We've got some Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Independence Day, Blade Runner, Planet of the Apes, Total Recall, Tron, and its sequel Tron: Legacy to name a few  (even some video games get shout outs here and there like Mass Effect and Portal).  Yet despite all these tributes, Oblivion never feels like a complete rip off; mostly due to the short and subtle nature these acknowledgements come up and how the film still stands on its own story.  Now the story itself is…alright; not great or original in any way but at the same time nothing insulting or bad.  Oblivion is ambitious in what it wants to create but wisely keeps the plot contained, refusing to expand any more than it needs too; which helps to stop any unnecessary plot holes or confusion.  What however does make up for the basic plot are the remarkable setting, great soundtrack, impressive acting (coming from some fine performances), and a well-paced story; making Oblivion a pleasant surprise worth recommending to those looking to watch a new sci-fi film.