'Oblivion' Can't Quite Light Up Spring Movie Season

 

It's a testament to the walking pile of charisma that is Tom Cruise that he can take something you've seen so often and make it more than a shiny product packed with clichés. In his hands, “Oblivion” becomes something compelling, suspenseful, and worth caring about. Even he can't make it great, but he makes it enjoyable.

 

Cruise plays Jack Harper, the best looking clean up guy there ever was on Earth in the year 2077. Movies lately tend to not have anything good to say about our future, and “Oblivion” is no exception.

 

Turns out, aliens invaded Earth 60 years ago. Humanity triumphed, but the moon was destroyed in the process, throwing the planet into chaos. So most of the population has been evacuated, and Jack and his gorgeous techie assistant and lover Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) have been tasked with taking care of any remaining alien resistance and extracting the last of Earth's resources before they can join the other survivors on the new planet, Titan, in two weeks.

 

Victoria doesn't seem to question the mission, or the decision to leave Earth. But Jack has lingering doubts and ties, exacerbated by the strange dreams that involve a woman and a city that vanished long ago. Or so he thinks, until the literal woman of his dreams (Olga Kurylenko, a long way from her role in “To The Wonder”) turns up, and Jack discovers that not only has he been lied to, but he might not be who he thinks he is.

 

And we are off on a daring, existential, futuristic adventure. Is it new? No. Are the characters? Not in the slightest. But luckily, “Oblivion” is bolstered by a ridiculously beautiful and/or talented cast that make the material more compelling than it should be. And just because the script is lacking doesn't mean that you won't enjoy Jack's journey toward the truth. It also helps that Cruise is surrounded by the likes of Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo, Zoe Bell, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who don't get nearly enough screen time or characterization.

 

Nonetheless, it's a good adventure to pass the time before summer kicks in in earnest. Lean back, enjoy, and count the days until “Iron Man 3” opens.

 

 

Grade: C+