Page 20 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • May 1, 2013 Derivative ‘Oblivion’ looks great, but lacks heart by Dennis Seuling “Oblivion” is set after an invasion of Earth by aliens who blew up the moon. As narrator Jack (Tom Cruise) tells viewers on the soundtrack, “We won the war, but lost the planet” by using nuclear weapons. Now, survivors are being gathered and sent to the Saturn moon Titan to begin anew. A few people, Jack and Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) among them, have been assigned to stay behind and monitor and repair drones that hunt out lingering aliens, called Scavengers. Jack and Victoria live in an ultra-modern home/monitoring station perched high above the clouds, complete with its own helicopter. As they often tell their smiling dispatcher on Titan (Melissa Leo), they are an effective team. Jack is beset by flashbacks that involve the observation deck of the Empire State Building and is thrown for a loop when he saves crash victim Julia (Olga Kurylenko), a woman he finds strangely familiar. Director Joseph Kosinski has fashioned an antisepticlooking film that draws upon better movies as well as sci-fi clichés. In a nod to “Planet of the Apes,” there are glimpses of a half-buried George Washington Bridge with a former Hudson River now filled in by tsunami-carried sand, and the TV antenna of the Empire State Building sticks out from mountains of dirt. These images are shown mostly for dramatic effect, though the convoluted plot diminishes Tom Cruise and Olga Kurylenko star as survivors of alien invasion in ‘Oblivion.’ their impact. There are elements of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” particularly in the production design and its preoccupation with machines that become menacing when they turn against man. The many desert locales are reminiscent of Tatooine in “Star Wars.” Jack struggling to dredge up half-buried memories is right out of “Dark City.” The image of an all-powerful entity who rules from screens is courtesy of “1984.” Morgan Freeman as the leader of a group of human survivors brings to mind his body of work as a wise old codger. Human characters act much like the robots they mind, and seem to have given up emotion. The tone is deadly serious -- even somber -- and the movie’s sense of self-importance soon becomes grating. This is a movie that thinks it’s profound. It is far from it. Cruise continues to pursue action hero roles even though the time may have come for him to seek out more challenging, age-appropriate roles. There is a sad sameness and predictability to his performances of late. Viewers know he will go through all manner of insurmountable obstacles and ultimately save the day. Watching him should be thrilling. Instead, it is brain deadening. The two female leads are bland at best and fail to create believable portrayals or elicit empathy. Both are as cold and lifeless as the dying planet they inhabit. The overall problem with “Oblivion” is a terribly ambitious script that attempts far too much with expectations that the audience will go along for the ride and buy into all the plot tendrils. The script mentions much, but explains little. Why are Earth’s survivors being transported to Titan? (continued on Crossword page)