“Oblivion” limited by generic elements

By Ari Howorth
Arts Editor

It is hard for science fiction films to develop stories and twists that haven’t been overdone before. Joseph Kosinski’s “Oblivion” suffers from this problem.

“Oblivion” is unique stylistically and is one of the more visually stunning films of the year, but this is outweighed by its generic and fairly predictable twists.

The film follows Jack Harper (Tom Cruise), who is on Earth after an alien invasion that destroyed much of the planet. He is responsible for protecting machines that gather water to be delivered to the rest of humanity, which is now on a vessel in space.

This is the second film directed by Kosinski, following 2010’s “Tron: Legacy.” Unlike that film, “Oblivion” is based off of an unpublished graphic novel of the same name, written by Kosinski.

Visually, “Oblivion” is ambitious. This pays off – the film has a color pallet made up mainly of grays and whites and focuses often on shots of barren landscapes and storm clouds. This is similar to the cinematography in “Tron: Legacy;” as with that film, when “Oblivion” veers from this pallet using brighter colors, it is more noticable and almost symbollic due to its stark contrast with the rest of the film.

“Oblivion” was scored by French electronic band M83. The score is made up of epic pieces that fit the tone well. The score contains elements of dreampop that M83 utilizes frequently.

The premise for the film is unique and intriguing; however, its potential is not capitalized on. As the plot develops, it becomes increasingly more limited by a generic touch on the elements of science fiction. While this is still enjoyable to watch, the film feels almost too confined by its genre. Kosinski takes few risks in his narrative plot structure and explanations. There are minimal action sequences, and the few in the film are brief and even boring.

“Oblivion” is a somewhat thrilling film that stays safely within the confines of a science fiction movie with plot devices that have been done in the genre before. Its performances are not notably stellar, but it is visually both ambitious and innovative.

“Oblivion” is rated PG-13 and is playing in IMAX and in standard format nationwide.