On Failing to Impress with Oblivion

Thematically similar to Moon (2009), with some of Wall-E’s (2008) visual style and a dénouement straight out of Independence Day (1996), Oblivion calls on many great films from the science fiction genre but fails to establish itself as a individual product.

The story is sound and after the film’s conclusion when one thinks back on it, the idea provokes debate. Yet, it is a fault of the direction that during the film, especially the first two acts, Oblivion is boring. The actors (all great in previous films) deliver their lines without passion and Oblivion seems to rest on it’s settings, hoping these will impress us enough to forget the drawn out story and poor direction. CGI should be there to complement the story whereas in Oblivion it takes priority over it. Unfortunately the CGI, while impressive, is nothing we haven’t seen before.

By the time the third act comes, the film comes to life, but it is not enough to secure Oblivion a worthy place in the canon of science fiction cinema. In the hands of a better director Oblivion could have been something. A Spielberg for example would have really highlighted the story’s ethical questions, rather than disregarding them as if they were too complicated for audiences. However, it appears we will be given another chance at seeing a similar story delivered with more skill when Elysium arrives later this year.