Movie Review: Oblivion

Overall

Trey: 2.85 out of 5

Overall low expectation turned this film from something terrible into an enjoyable time at the movies. In no way would I ever defend this movie on any category besides visual effects. I went in expecting all style and no substance, what I received was all style with too much substance. I was hoping for a film like Moon and ended up getting something like Prometheus. I can't get it to a 3 but its better than a 2 and a half.

Suzanne: 2 out of 5

Overall this movie didn't really impress me. Which is really unfortunate for our first movie review for its opening weekend.

Quick Synopsis
After a war wiped out the entire planet, all that remains is a fragment of what once covered the earth. Cities were destroyed and all life on earth has been dead for upwards to 50 years. Cue Jack Harper (Tom Cruise), a veteran droid repairman that along with his teammate Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) are sent to monitor and control droid activity in a specific area. While Victoria follows protocol and keeps Jack in line, Jacks curiosity begins to slowly come to the surface. With a ravage unknown species wreaking havoc and make Jack's job seemingly more difficult than planned. Secrets begin to emerge and everything Jack thought he knew comes into question.

Visuals

Trey: The highlight of this film would be the way its presented. The visual effects are top notch and veteran cinematographer Claudio Miranda continues his string of fantastic looking films with another beautiful addition to his resume. After bringing home and Oscar last year for Life of Pi, It wouldn't shock me at all if this gets a nomination when its time to vote. The problem is I said the same about Prometheus which didn't achieve my prediction. It may not be an Oscar worthy film but the visual effects are worth acknowledgment.

Suzanne: The visuals in this movie were amazing! It is one of those movies that seems to take you straight into the heart of the movie through the scenes on the screen. The visuals of the destroyed earth and the barren wasteland of whats left really make you think about what could happen to earth one day if we all broke out in war or if aliens invaded the earth. I never want to experience the world created in this movie no matter how visually stunning it was.

Audio and Score

Trey: Nothing really stands out in this category for me, but it doesn't necessarily hurt the film. Futuristic sounds seemed pretty generic but affective. If anything the score made the feel of some intimate moments a bit to corny for my liking. It wasn't as appealing to me as the score in Tron: Legacy.

Suzanne: Like Trey said the audio in this movie along with the score didn't really stand out in my mind. A lot of the music was extremely corny and quite unnecessary. Although the sounds of the fights, the guns and shooting sounded really great the entire way through.

Acting

Trey: Tom Cruise is exactly what he has always been, an affective action star. He isn't winning any awards but he carries a film with confidence and a veteran presence. The real standout for me was Andrea Riseborough as Jack Harper's partner. I have never seen any of her performances before which made what she did far more impressive. I am sure many know who she is but for me the subtle and emotional performance given by her really kept me engaged when I grew tired of Cruise. Morgan Freeman performs as expected though he felt very underused, while the acting was solid one actress drove me insane. Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) was really bad in the role or Julie, so bad that my body got tense due to constant cringing. Her bland reactions and delivery took my mind out of the meat of the story when my attention was needed most.

Suzanne: I thought the acting in this movie was sub par to say the least. Tom Cruise was pretty good as usual. He is an action star who knows how to keep you excited for the movie he is in. I've always liked him in movies and I'm sure I always will. Moving on to Andrea Riseborough. I thought she was great in this role. She was very calm, cool and collected and she made me really feel sorry for her at times. All in all she was great in this film. One thing that really disappointed me with this movie was that Morgan Freeman was not in it enough. In the trailer they show Freeman looking bad ass and awesome and he is barely in the movie. That being said, the small amount of time that he was in the movie he was fantastic as always. And finally we come to Olga Kurylenko a somewhat newbie to the silver screen. I thought she was overacting everything. She needed to tone things down a bit to make it a bit more believable. Her reactions and emotions didn't have me feeling anything for her character.

Story

Trey: This is where Oblivion begins to crumble under the weight of its own ambitions and writing. What starts out as a creative and simple story falls into the trap of doing to much near the end. The last half hour had me second guessing my thoughts and trying to piece the puzzle together without all the necessary pieces. You know that feeling right? When you do a puzzle and you realize that some pieces are missing, this film was that kind of frustrating. It left to many unanswered questions and only tied up a few of the loose ends. This film left me the exact impression that Prometheus did last season, the writing wasn't as big as the director needed it to be. Nice try, but poor execution.

Suzanne: One word...confusing. This story did not mesh the way it should have. They jumped all over the place with flashbacks and characters and it did not work. They repeated one flash back too many times, it was unnecessary. Then there was the story itself. They didn't explain anything, they just mentioned something once and then didn't mention it again until the very end. This movie really need some rewrites in my opinion because then maybe it would have been easier to follow. Not impressed at all with the way the story was presented, although it was an interesting one. It's just too bad they didn't execute it properly.

Did you guys see Oblivion? Are you excited for Oblivion? Tell us in the comments below!

What are YOU interested in?

I want to know what you, as the readers, want to hear about when it comes to movies? Do you want a rating, or a brief synopsis, or both? What are you guys interested in when it comes to movies? For me it's the thrill of seeing a movie for the first time and being able to talk about it with other people. We, that is, Trey and I want to hear your thoughts about everything there is to do with movies. Is there a certain movie you want us to review? Is there one from the past you wanted to see but never did because you couldn't decide if it was worth it? Let us know and we'll tell you all about it, that's what we're here for! Send us some comments! 

Movie Of The Week: April 15-21

With the release of the Tom Cruise Sci-fi film Oblivion, its time to remember an animated masterpiece that Oblivion seemed to take a nod from. If you don't mind a modern day silent film with exuberant colors that burst off the screen, then Wall-E is the film for you. I will be the first to say Wall-E is not my favorite Pixar film and I enjoy it a lot less then everyone else I know. That being said, it's hard not to appreciate a creative and adorable film in a time when creativity lacks. You can argue that animated films have it easy because nothing is off limits but even for its genre its a top tier film.

In a future that hits closer to home than imagined, a small waste collecting robot (Wall-E) is the last man or machine roaming the abandoned earth. For some his big robotic eyes and reserved yet curious personality helped draw attention to a film that has no talking for the first 30-40 minutes of the film. The story takes a turn for the adventurous when a more advanced female(?) robot ascends to earth to see if life is sustainable on earth. I do assume that Eve the other robot is indeed a female, though robots can't really have a gender. Unless of course they were programmed that way, but there is no reason to nitpick that much.

At the heart of Wall-E you have a film that thrives on romance and friendship. The interaction and relationship between Wall-E and Eve carry the film and offer a heartwarming side to future robotics, while giving hints about where are society is going based on materialism and lack of preservation for earth. When incorporating an abundance of themes the chances of the story crumbling becomes more and more plausible. With a film like Wall-E this doesn't happen and the story thrives with each addition, making this one of the deepest films I have ever seen.

If you haven't seen Wall-E and don't mind a lack of dialogue, then I recommend you check it out. If you don't like animated films it may not change the way you feel about the genre, it still holds the child-like humor and cuteness that are at times too much. Either way its one of the more mature animated films you can find. Without a doubt Wall-E is a breathe of fresh air and should be appreciated as such.

Let us know what you think of Wall-E, and what is your favorite animated film? Comment below and thanks for reading!

Justice League Casting Call: Who We Want To See!

Last year alone two comic book films broke the 1 billion dollar gross mark, that being The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers. The latter of the two breaking the prestigious two billion dollar mark. Which can only mean the Genre that has continued to gain weight over the years is only beginning. This year Man of Steel will hopefully kick off a DC cinematic universe, with the ultimate goal of having a Justice League Film released in the near future. What better thing for us to do than give our dream casting for the main 5 Justice League members. Here we go! (Black text is Trey, Blue text is Suzanne)

Superman

Henry Cavill

If Man of Steel is as successful as Warner Brothers is expected it to be then Henry Cavill will be Superman. There is no doubt in my mind that is why I have no reason to choose otherwise. My girlfriend will be choosing another man because she like many others know nothing about Cavill and how he will perform. We are holding on until June before making any certainties about the role of Superman. The trailer itself seems to prove that Cavill is up to the challenge and will do Superman justice.

Tom Welling

I have personally always been a huge fan of the TV show Smallville, which stars Tom Welling as a young Clark Kent. I think if, god forbbid, Henry Cavill did a horrible job that Welling would be a fantastic choice. He is good in every episode of Smallville and I think he would do great on the big screen as well. I know he isn't the first choice but I think he would be up for the challenge.

Batman

Karl Urban

I had another choice in mind but someone jumped the gun, I feel the person my girlfriend chose is the correct choice. He is bulky, strong and has immense acting talent. Yes, that is a bit of foreshadowing if you guess it you won't win a prize. That being said a second choice can never be bad, and what better second choice than Karl Urban. I would have not considered him until I saw Dredd last year. He pretty much had the Christian Bale grumble but slightly more reserved. He may be a bit older than his Boy Scout counterpart, but does age really matter when your under the cowl?

Armie Hammer

I just want to start by saying Armie Hammer is the perfect choice for one huge reason. His wide shoulders and thin waist strongly resemble the comic book version of Batman, voiced by Kevin Conroy. He is very charismatic and a great actor in everything I have seen him in. There is no doubt in my mind  that he is the best choice to play Batman, other than Christian Bale of course, because lets be honest he was great. 

Wonder Woman

Gemma Arterton

Gemma scares the shit out of me every time I look at her. As one of the toughest actresses in Hollywood, Gemma has the ferocity and beauty of the Amazonian warrior. Not to mention she wouldn't be the most expensive choice, which always helps when trying to sign an A-Lister for the other roles. Despite the fact that a live action Wonder Women has struggled to make the silver screen, a Justice League film is the only way to attack the situation. Keep the outfit reserved and more Amazonian (sorry fans of her cleavage) and let Gemma kick-ass like she does oh so well. Her acting ability may not be fantastic but as long as she is punching people in the face, fans will cheer.

Lynn Collins

Lynn Collins is an extremely intimidating woman. If you saw John Carter you know why I'm saying this. She has some bad ass biceps along with kick ass six pack abs. She would be a great Wonder Woman because she is the whole package. She can fight, she can act and lets me honest, guys, she's pretty nice to look at. I think she would be a great addition to the Justice League team.

Green Lantern

Idris Elba

I may just be a swooning fan boy towards Idris Elba, but its a swoon that is well deserved. I mean look at that picture! If anyone can play John Stewart this is the man I want. I know we had Ryan Reynolds and that god awful Hal Jordan version, but the next step isn't rebooting its retrying. Retry Green Lantern not with another Hal Jordan but the tough, military John Stewart. Though his roles have been side characters, and his fame may reside with his performances on the hit TV series Luther and the Wire. Idris Elba is a star on the verge of greatness, as long as someone gives him that opportunity. We don't need the comic moments of Hal Jordan, we have The Flash for that.

Bradley Cooper

I kind of completely agree with Trey on this one but for the sake of argument I have chosen Bradley Cooper. I think he would bring fresh life to poor Hal Jordan who was, let's just say it, ruined by Ryan Reynolds. Don't get me wrong I think Reynolds is great, just not as the Green Lantern. Bradley Cooper is a fantastic actor and very comical. I have to be honest too and say Bradley Cooper being in the Justice League movie would probably bring a few more girls to the theater and not just the girls dragged there by their boyfriends, those of you comic guys that actually have girlfriends, that is. (Just kidding guys I'm not that heartless).

The Flash

Patrick Wilson

This may be shot from left field but I LOVE Patrick Wilson as Barry Allen aka The Flash. For the people who have seen his work, either in A Gifted Man or one of his many movies. The man is a versatile machine, who plays both drama and comedy with ease. On A Gifted Man he plays a wise-cracking charismatic doctor, replace doctor with hero and you have yourself The Flash. The man is great and even has superhero experience via Zack Snyder's Watchmen. Let's not forget Snyder may have his opportunity to direct Justice League, this is a match made in heaven.

Chris Pine

Let's just take a minute to think about how amazing Chris Pine is in Star Trek. He is charming, he has good looks, and he's funny. All in all this means he is perfect to play the Flash. His role in Star Trek shows that he can do action scenes while remaining pretty hilarious. Just slap the Flash's costume on Chris Pine and you've got the perfect character to play the Flash.