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Sunday, April 21, 2013

"Oblivion"

  "Earth is a memory worth fighting for.”

“Oblivion” centers on a drone technician, Jack Harper (Tom Cruise, “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol), who flies a Bubble Ship (a hybrid of a fighter spaceship and helicopter) and is tasked to fix downed drones on earth in 2077.  He lives in a sleek dig high above the clouds together with his partner, Victoria (Andrea Riseborough), who also serves as his communication officer.  She monitors his safety from their base in space and dutifully reports to their superior, Sally (Melissa Leo) through a sophisticated system.  Before embarking on their five-year service, Jack and Victoria had their memories wiped to maintain the security of their mission.

60 years ago, earth was invaded by aliens, called 'scavs' (scavengers).  The scavs shattered the moon, and without the moon, the earth destablized, resulting in earthquakes and tsunamis that destroyed half of the planet.  Humans launched nukes to stave off the scavs and eventually won the war.  However, the earth became mostly inhabitable and the surviving humans moved to Titan, one of the moons of the Saturn ring.  The drones are used to man fusion reactors that drain seawater and convert into energy.  They also patrol the earth's surface to shoot down any remaining scavs. 

Jack and Victoria are nearing the end of their mission; in two weeks, they will conclude their service and join the rest of the humans in Titan.  While Victoria is looking forward to it, Jack has doubts and oddly feels that earth would always be his home.  He's traveled far and wide and found unspoiled swaths on earth, including a remote cabin by the lake, a calming oasis.  His uncertainty is confounded by recurring dreams of a woman (Olga Kurylenko) and flashes of life in New York, which strangely feels like a memory of a past than a fantasy. 

When a spaceship crash lands on earth, Jack finds that it's filled with several pods of humans in hyper-sleep state.  And inside one of the pods, is the woman in his dreams, who later wakes up and mentions that her name is Julia.  Jack and Julia are discovered and captured by a group of rebels (led by Morgan Freeman and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), human survivors.  The events that transpire, followed with fierce flying and firefights, make Jack realize that his life is not what it seems to be and that he's not what he thinks he is.  He may just unknowingly holds the fate of mankind on his hands. 

Director Joseph Kosinski (“Tron Legacy”) executes his vision with excellence.  Cruise plays his part with sincerity, connects with both of his leading ladies and the higher mission he's entrusted with.  With a straightforward story and humanity, “Oblivion” is captivating from the start.  Part of the appeal is the mystery, which unfurls easily piece by piece and takes us along through each discovery and ultimate truth.  A bigger appeal is the phenomenal visual, reminiscent of last year's “Prometheus,” elevated by an electronica beat, along the same vein of "Tron Legacy" and “Hanna.”  Oscar-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda (“Life of Pi”) creates a vast and elegant canvas.  Desolate, barren wasteland dotted with ruined monuments in stark contrast with deep gorges and verdant mountains.  The sterile white of the glassy homebase and pool in space with the homey, lakeside wood cabin on earth. 

A cool sci-fi with a heart, “Oblivion” is satisfyingly entertaining. 

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/movie-review-oblivion/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/d4c935y
DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/d8jhlna

Bubble Ship Display at 2013 WonderCon



Saturday, April 20, 2013

Upcoming Movies: June 2013


[Originally posted on 6/02/13]

June 7
"The Internship" (http://www.theinternshipmovie.com/) - Two salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital age find their way into a coveted internship at Google, where they must compete with a group of young, tech-savvy geniuses for a shot at employment.

"The Purge" - A family is held hostage for harboring the target of a murderous syndicate during the Purge, a 12-hour period in which any and all crime is legalized.

June 14
"Man of Steel" (http://manofsteel.warnerbros.com/index.html) - A young journalist is forced to confront his secret extraterrestrial heritage when Earth is invaded by members of his race.

"The Bling Ring" - Inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities' whereabouts in order to rob their homes.

June 21
"World War Z" (http://www.worldwarzmovie.com/) - A United Nations employee traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself.

"Monster University" (http://disney.go.com/monsters-university/) - A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University -- when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.

June 28
"White House Down" (http://www.whitehousedown.com/site/) - While on a tour of the White House with his young daughter, a Capitol policeman springs into action to save his child and protect the president from a heavily armed group of paramilitary invaders.

"Byzantium" - Residents of a coastal town learn, with deathly consequences, the secret shared by the two mysterious women who have sought shelter at a local resort.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Summer Blockbusters 2013

Summer is around the corner, which means one thing... blockbuster season!  Oblivion.  Iron Man 3.  The Great Gatsby.  Start Trek Into Darkness.  Hang-Over Part III.  Fast & Furious 6.  After Earth.  Man of Steel.  Red 2.  White House Down.  World War Z.  The Lone Ranger.  The Wolverine.

2013 blockbuster movies mashup in 3:09 minutes:

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Upcoming Movies: May 2013

Summer may not officially arrive yet, but a packed blockbuster season is definitely here!


May 3
"Iron Man 3" (http://marvel.com/ironman3) - When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

May 10
"The Great Gatsby" ( http://thegreatgatsby.warnerbros.com/) - A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor.

May 17
"Star Trek Into Darkness" (http://www.startrekmovie.com/) - After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

May 24
"Fast & Furious 6" (http://www.thefastandthefurious.com/) -  Agent Hobbs enlists the aid of Dom and team to help bring a rival gang, led by Owen Shaw, to justice. In exchange for clear records, they must put an end to their schemes, no matter how personal the cost.

"The Hangover Part III" (http://www.hangoverpart3.com/) - This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.

May 31 
"After Earth" (http://www.afterearth.com/site/) - A crash landing leaves a son and his father stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after events forced humanity's escape. With his father injured, a boy must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help.

"Now You See Me" (http://www.nowyouseememovie.com/) - An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.

Monday, April 15, 2013

25 Most Anticipated Movies of 2013

The year is still young and we've got a lot more movies to cover.  Yahoo! Movies has all the sequels, bestselling book adaptations, post-apocalyptic adventures, and comic-book movies to pick out and rank the 25 most anticipated titles of 2013.

Check out the synopses and clips here:
http://tinyurl.com/ay4phuc