One Minute Movie Review: Oblivion

This movie was in and out of the theaters in a blink of an eye and a mild financial disaster for the studio.  Add into that the fact that Cruise's latest theatrical track record has been disappointing at best.   With that said, I had very little expectation going in with this being a Netflix filler, rather than a must see for me.  Well it looks good ole' Tommy boy may have gotten his acting  groove back, whether or not it is a permanent or temporary comeback remains to be seen.    For this flick, Cruise gives 100%, and it shows, both in the sincerity and depth of his performance.  This is not what the mainstream expects when any feature is designated to be a potential Sci-Fi blockbuster.  The general public is looking for epic battle sequences, annihilations of cities on a grandiosely violent scale, or the freakiest aliens or robots that CGI money can buy.  Instead, here you get a film that is a solid, well rounded, sophisticatedly complex movie with sleek tech, a deeply intricate character driven story, and an original science fiction plot-line with some pretty cool twists by its conclusion.   Now there are a few pieces that don't quite fit together perfectly, but overall this is a well crafted, well acted, and beautifully filmed production that appeals more to the purists than the average movie goers.  Which in the end provides the most compelling evidence of its incredibly short and nearly invisible run.   Director, Joseph Kosinski, only holds one prior credit to his name, which was the lackluster but long awaited sequel to the 80's Disney camp classic Tron.    So this was a critical win for him based off of that and what little experience or notoriety he possess.   Unfortunately, in Hollywood land, the almighty dollar determines destiny, so we can only hope he receives another chance.   As a purist myself, I enjoyed this movie, it was a little long and tedious at times, but I also have been spoiled by the pomp and circumstance of current celluloid fare, rather than savoring the time and suspense of telling a compelling story.  3 out of 5 Kernels:  Hopefully more will watch this film and realize its merits on the secondary market, so it does not fall into cinematic oblivion.