Oblivion

Den Science-Fiction-Welten von Kosinski muss man einfach die Mängel bei der Geschichte verzeihen, wenn man das überhaupt als Mängel bezeichnen kann. Seine Visionen von technischer Perfektion sowie einem perfekten Design und die Ambiente-Empfindung des "Geräusches der Realität“ sind so einzigartig, dass das Bedürfnis, das Publikum durch die Geschichte zu führen, fast unbegründet ist. Kosinski überschreitet die Grenzen von unserem Traum-Vorstellungsvermögen. In seiner Welt zu leben würde bedeuten, dass man keinen Geruchsinn bräuchte. Oblivion bringen nicht Schießereien voran, sondern unerwartete Wenden. Die Stimmung ist im Hinblick auf die minimalistische Ausstattung fantastisch (mit der minimalistischen Ausstattung meine ich die schöne und öde Gegend auf Island und in Kalifornien, wo nichts blinkt oder leuchtet). Das Arrangement der Musik und des Tons in der Swimming-Pool-Szene und überhaupt die Swimming-Pool-Szene an sich sind einfach top. Bei der Erinnerung an die Szene mit dem Anziehen aus TRON: Legacy hoffe ich, dass Kosinski den Grundstein von einem neuen Subgenre des transzendenten erotischen Science-Fiction-Films legt (d. h. eine Erektion im Hirn). Wenn einmal Google (und FilmBooster) die Welt beherrschen, wird dazu M83 spielen. (16.04.2013)

The main reason that Oblivion will fade from the viewer’s consciousness faster than TRON is not that Kosinski steals from his colleagues (Stanton, Jones, Lawrence, Trumbull, Kubrick, the Wachowskis), thus making it apparent how inferior he is as a storyteller, but that he steals from himself. The original wow effect is diminished significantly by the repetition of the same approach, especially in a world without the possibility of “edit levels”, which was a boon for video-game designers and fans. However, that effect was powerful enough to keep me entertained for the whole two hours, intoxicated by the film’s audio-visual perfection. Kosinski’s nerdish approach to the characters makes a human a bearer of meanings comparable in value to a robot, landscape or piece of furniture (while being at the same level with his significantly limited use of common sense). The geometric compositions of the shots, whose actual content becomes less substantial than the surface message, are more important than words and emotions. Everything and everyone serves to complement the overall design, to which the protagonists’ motivations and the direction of the plot are subordinated. The final scene, which shows us that we have probably misdirected our emotions, can be understood as a mockery of the standard “entry” into the story through identification with the characters. Kosinski is uniquely capable of connecting movement with sound, which is “applied” to the picture in individual layers, and the result is the same as in TRON, a mainstream variation on an audio-visual symphony. The plot is a bit too much, though without it (and without Cruise and his varying uncomprehending expression) a $120 million project like this  would not have been made. However, I wouldn’t underrate the film as a whole because of its lifeless characters, unoriginal subject or illogical actions, because on another level it offers an inspiring statement on the current social reality of efficient working teams, to which people devote themselves to such an extent that they lose their identity in them together with their ability to live authentically. The first half of film, devoid of plot (and thus better), with its parody of the perfect partnered relationship and its depiction of a work activity that involves only maintenance with no particular goal or chance of real (and potentially dangerous to the system) change of conditions, says more about today’s world than many art films with an uglier design. And Oblivion is definitely a film made for IMAX! 80% (15.04.2013)

What’s more important for a film, to tell a story or to visualise it? Both are, no doubt; there’s no objective answer, and yet, in the lay debates among film fans the prevailing idea is that an exceptionally narrated story = elaborated art, and perfect visuals = just expensive commerce. That’s often the case, of course, but we shouldn’t generalise. Oblivion is a film with amazing visuals, with this I don’t mean that it “looks expensive”, I’m judging the aesthetics of images and scenes – the swimming pool scene will be one of the highlights of the year. To some extent, it’s similar to Prometheus – you can pick on the details of the story until the end of days, if that’s your thing, but the source of an aesthetic experience lies elsewhere, as does the source of an intellectual one. Oblivion is smart sci-fi (actually, there hasn’t been such pure sci-fi for a long time, fans of Clark must be happy!) that in its higher level offers a lot of food for thought – the good side of all proper sci-fi, greetings to Star Wars… :D PS: I want Kosinski to adapt “Rendezvous with Rama”!!! (21.04.2013)

Joseph Kosinski. A name that will be stuck in my head for a long time. But also, a person who has managed to make me incredibly happy for the second time already by creating an absolutely great and fresh movie environment altogether with an awesome music that suits his movies well. Tron and Oblivion have a lot in common. If nothing else, the music connects the two movie atmospheres, but also the design of some of the spaceships or at least the motorcycles are reminiscent of the most recent Tron. But that doesn’t change the fact that Oblivion is still an incredibly original movie. When I put aside the story (which I didn’t have any issues with and I even liked the way it shifted interestingly halfway through the movie), I must say that I was absolutely awed by the world that Kosinski brought to the viewer. Each and every time there’s a sci-fi movie, I can’t wait to see how the authors handled an accurate description of the given era.In this case, it was marvelous and the entire post-apocalyptic world looks incredibly beautiful. Beautiful to look at, even though Tom Cruise’s character would probably slap me for writing that. In any case, the environment that Kosinski created is just awesome. And the most amazing thing about it was the fact that the CGI is barely noticeable. It all seemed very natural. And don’t even get me started on Tom Cruise who has once again played an incredibly amazing character that I’ll always remember when I think of him from now on.But he wasn’t the only intriguing actor. For example, Andrea Riseborough who I wasn’t familiar with up until now made me really happy and Olga Kurylenko surprised me, too. Somehow, the actresses look somewhat… perfect throughKosinski’s camera. And the story? Don’t get mad at me, but I just thought it was original. I like that it doesn’t try to push the typical Hollywood storyline and it marches to the beat of its own drum.In the very first scene, Tom almost ends up in a thrall of his enemy, but he does his routine and he goes back to his base to relax. The viewer almost feels like they’re not watching a movie but rather a life of someone in an alternative future reality. And I must say that Oblivion was an extraordinary cinema experience. Anda big part of that was thanks to the music that hasn’t been this good in a very long time. (13.05.2013)

Kosinski ist immer noch ein viel besserer Designer als Erzähler, doch es freut mich sehr, dass die Actionszenen im Gegensatz zu TRON: Legacy von enormer Energie gekennzeichnet sind. Was dabei jedoch immer noch miserabel aussieht, sind die Dialoge, insbesondere die wichtigsten, die in den Sequenzen von Auf- / Gegenaufnahmen anklingen. Man merkt dem Ganzen nur allzu sehr an, dass es eben auf einem Comic basiert. Kosinski rahmt die Figuren irgendwo skulpturell ein und lässt sie sodann einen Text herunterleiern, dem es leider, um ikonisch und auffällig zu wirken, an Comic-Sprechblasen mangelt. So wie alle Objekte im Film Oblivion dienen auch die Schauspieler eher einem ästhetischen Zweck. Und wissen sie was? Ich pfeiff´ drauf. Die Skala ist episch, saubere, hochglänzende, klinische und bis ins kleinste Detail durchleuchtete visuelle Aspekte. Die hypnotischen Schallwellen des M83 verleihen dem Ganzen eine beinahe unpassende Tiefe. Ich erachte die erste halbe Stunde als eine packenden audiovisuellen Trip, den ich auch von einem aktuellen Science-Fiction erwarte (und üblicherweise nicht bekomme) ). Sobald das Unvermeidliche passiert und sich die Geschichte entfaltet, ertrinkt jedoch Oblivion in den abgekupferten Wendungen und nicht zu Ende gebrachten Ideen (wird jemand die Lizenzgebühren an Duncan Jones zahlen?)... Aber, so ist´s nunmal, die Action fließt dahin, die Bilder schwellen vor Pompösität über, wie ich sie seit langem nicht mehr gesehen habe (vergessen Sie die um Atem ringenden Experimente des Prometheus) und diese wenigen merklich erfolglosen Versuche, "eine spannende Geschichte zu drehen", werden durch einen Bulldozer des ultimativen Designs verdeckt. Endlich verstehe ich, was einigen Zuschauern bei TRON: Legacy gefiel - selbst Oblivion ist ein brillant gestaltetes "Science-Fiction-Musical" (meinem Kollege Stuchlý kommt da ein Credit für diesen vollends passenden Begriff zugute), diesmal auch mit Musik, die mich packte und manchmal gemeinsam mit dem Bild einen Geschmack der unverfälschte Euphorie von der großen Leinwand hinterließ. Wir merken zwar, dass das Ganze mehr als lediglich ein atemberaubendes Spektakel hat werden sollen / wollen, dass jemand den vielversprechenden Indie-Trend intelligenter Science-Fiction zu einem Blockbuster-Format erheben wollte, jedoch das ganze mit "Fanzine" -Erzählweisen niedergetrampelt hat ... aber manchmal kann selbst eine gescheiterte Absicht genug Raum für eine Zuschauereuphorie bieten. Ich und Oblivion sind ein effektives Team. [75%] (15.04.2013)

The mood-setting question provoking intimate first half with the visions of a postapo janitor is in sharp qualitative contrast to the second, cheap action-ridden (stupidly) explanatory half. And it just has no idea when to stop all of this with honor and so the hitherto pleasant Cruise is now faced with emotional scenes that mostly go wrong or else he becomes immediately out-acted by everybody, even the GLaDOS/Sponge Bob duo. The second half is simply a regular product, which just cannot be said of the first half. In any case, in terms of visuals, design, sound and music this is on a level rarely seen of late. (15.04.2013)

It already seemed that the timeline was falling apart and the individual actions and twists were contradicting each other, but Joseph Kosinski proved that he could pull it off. And that when he spent so many years trying to promote his material, he knew what he was doing. However, the real surprise remains the fact that more than the sci-fi touch or a successful romantic storyline, the central message about the power of spirit and human determination stays with me. It is precisely here that the gamble on an aging Tom Cruise proved to be a perfect hit. His Jack Harper is occasionally written as a relatively two-dimensional character, but Tom's acting makes him an admirable hero in the end. (24.04.2013)

The most interesting ideas from the best sci-fi fantasy movies blended like a smoothie from Jamba. Cruise plays a human version of Wall-E, but thanks to a large amount of evolution leaps, he has become the biggest boss on the planet. Other cast members worth a mention (apart from Morgan, he never disappoints) include the new discovery Andrea Riseborough, who won my heart in the scene in the pool. Paradoxically, Olga isn’t so impressive in this movie. But what makes Oblivion such a unique movie is the visual side. In terms of design, everything is very novel, it has the right massive scale and the final trip, combined with reminiscing about how it all began, is something so audiovisually/sci-fi-wise perfect (I want Kosinski to film “Rendezvous with Rama", or something by Asimov), that I was tempted to give it a fifth star. It bothered me a little bit that M83’s music wasn’t as wow was expected. It reminds me a lot of TDK and Tron, even so it sets a more than decent standard among the competition. P.S.: I was completely alone in the largest screen in the theater = no interference. :) (23.04.2013)

Based on the trailer, I was expecting the same concept as Prometheus, that is, a visually spectacular and utterly captivating experience for sci-fi lovers that in the end is not nearly as sophisticated as we would like. But Oblivion is different, it is much more minimalist and modest, with its biggest weakness being Joseph Kosinski as a screenwriter. I believe he did his best, but he is a much better director than a writer. The biggest drawback in terms of the script, in my opinion, is the fact that they drew inspiration from older films such as Independence Day or The Matrix. Some years ago, we would have been amazed, but things are different today. However, Kosinski confirmed his role as an incredibly talented visionary in terms of audiovisual execution, and many scenes are literally breathtaking, the scene in the pool for example, in combination with perfect lighting, music, and sound, provides the ultimate feeling of excitement and cinematic experience. Similar feats could also be seen in Tron: Legacy. Kosinski knows how to create a different world where the viewer is willing to forget for a moment about their own, only a very few filmmakers can do this. (27.04.2013)

Viele geheimnisvolle Versprechen, aber wenige Überraschungen (vor allem wegen den dummen Trailern), viele Fragen, aber wenige Antworten (genauer gesagt: wenige Antworten, über die sich die Autoren Gedanken gemacht haben)… Zum Glück wird alles auf eine wirkungsvolle Art und Weise dargestellt, das Design von all den Maschinen, Gebäuden und Gewehren ist wunderschön. Tom Cruise ist sympathisch und die Musik angenehm meditativ (obwohl man sie nicht im Gedächtnis behält). Dreieinhalb Sterne. Der Film Elysium, welcher die meiste Zeit nichts vorgespielt hat, hat mir mehr gefallen. (11.10.2014)

So many thoughts and so few words to describe them. :) Oblivion has no ambition to become cult sci-fi, nor will it probably ever become one, which is quite a shame. After the hideously glossy Tron: Legacy 3D, Joseph Kosinski is in charge of a visually and narratively unique post-apocalyptic adventure, whose greatest asset are once again perfect effects and the director's innovative vision of the future world, but while the aforementioned CGI fantasy was cold as a penguin’s butt and only for initiated connoisseurs, this one, with its fantastic atmosphere and interesting story, almost crosses the boundaries of the viewer's imagination and can be enjoyed by anyone whose hearing and eyesight are fully functional. There are no flashing monstrosities or spectacular action sequences, but a seemingly intimate story about the fate of an individual, set in a breathtaking desolate landscape and underscored by a perfect soundtrack that lifts you out of your seat every time the hero is picking up his gun. If there are any flaws to be found, it's only in the script, which is a bit leaky and unbelievable in places, and the bunch of twists and turns in the final sum don't look so dizzying. But that doesn't change the fact that it's an original and very, very well made sci-fi flick that deserves a few worthy successors. Cruise and Freeman are excellent, of course. (31.05.2013)

What I personally consider to be the biggest problem is the uncovering of the truth. It's not really anything big, groundbreaking, unexpected. When you look at it that way, it's actually a relatively simple solution that we had in front of us the whole time. It may not be that surprising, but it's at least acceptable. However, "Ignorance" does start to get boring towards the end and it's already something like "Independence Day", maybe a little bit like "Star Wars" as well. But I wouldn't consider "Ignorance" a disappointment. The first half, a beautifully constructed world and rules, excellent effects, that is still above average. The rest drags a little, but now and then a very pleasant nostalgia hit me. The scenes by the lake spoke directly to my soul. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2013/04/nevedomi-2013-60.html (21.04.2013)