Actors: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Directors: Joseph Kosinski
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: August 6, 2013
Run Time: 124 minutes
Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars
A futuristic sci-fi flick starring both Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman?! Sign up me!! Wait a sec it is made by the director of “TRON: Legacy” and producers of “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”. I’ll take two please? I am a big sucker for sci-fi, especially an original film like “Oblivion”. It is not a sequel or prequel or remake. It is new, original and very epic. The film is very ambitious bringing a lot of ideas to the table all at once but it still manages to work out and really blows you away. After Joseph Kosinski directed “TRON: Legacy”, he has been on my top list and he delivers again! Can’t wait to see what he does next and fingers crossed for “TRON 3”. Sci-fi junkies should definitely check this out for sure. It is fast, crazy and a great time.
Official Premise: On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man’s confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind. 2077: Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete. Living and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.
Not that I expected any less from a visual film like “Oblivion” but it is easily one of the best Blu-ray presentation that I have been all year. Universal released this epic flick as a sweet combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy and UltraViolet digital copy. The film is just a visual effects masterpiece and really looks stunning with it’s 1080p transfer. Same came be said for the film’s extremely epic DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 audio track. My walls were literally rattling due to this film and I swear I thought I heard my neighbor’s car alarm going off. M83’s score also really scores with this track as well, another favorite of mine this year.
The special features are nothing short of great just like the film. There is a solid audio commentary track with the director Joseph Kosinski and Tom Cruise deliver. The track is very extensive and worth checking out. It is also very rare to see such a big actor do a track like this but I really admire his support to the film and it really got me pumped to watch it again. “Promise of a New World” is super impressive five-part behind-the-scenes documentary. If you didn’t get enough great content from the commentary track, this really dives into the making of this production and runs just over 45 minutes. There are four deleted and alternate scenes included. Lastly and my favorite is an M83’s isolated score presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround. Totally amazing!