Oblivion

The Gist: War against an alien race has left Earth devastated, forcing humans to flee the planet. A few repairmen have stayed behind to ensure the continued operation of mining equipment that's harvesting resources to support what's left of humanity, now relocated on Titan. Jack Harper is stationed with Vic and they look forward to the upcoming end of their assignment. One day though, a spacecraft crash-lands on Earth and the lone survivor will throw into question everything Jack takes for granted.

Oblivion was a total revelation for me. As a sci-fi fan, this movie thrilled and engrossed me from beginning to end. Awesome visual effects, a good score, and a well developed, original screenplay ensure an excellent end result.

Tom Cruise does a good job, but I have to admit that I watched this movie in spite of his presence, certainly not because of it. With his high-visibility, active participation in the cult of Scientology, his once gleaming star has much diminished.

The Bottom Line: Oblivion is a really good movie that's not just for sci-fi fans, because it's a great story with lots of twists and plenty of suspense. Watch it.

Grade: 8