WATCH: Oblivion [2013]

I've noticed I have a habit of referencing previous works or franchises that I feel a director's work reminds me of. I also have a habit of spotting subliminal (intentional or otherwise) symbology throughout these works. With that in mind, I'll try and be as obvious as possible. Oblivion is full of blue skies, glorious technology and tectonically sculptured greys and browns. It's also full of intentional nods to sci-fi favourites 2001: A Space Odyssey and Moon as well as current-gen console game Enslaved (can you tell I was lying about not referencing franchises?). There were particular shots throughout the final act that reminded me strongly of imagery such as the Starchild and HAL-9000.

Tom Cruise doesn't sit well with me these days, not since his outburst on Oprah and his step into the world of Scientology. The latter mainly because he pins his choice in film roles down to the relevance of his belief in this celebrity religion. Nevertheless, he came as completely a fresh surprise in this sci-fi epic. The film's score and visuals, in particular, delighted me as we romped through this post-nuclear Earth in 2077 as detailed in Jack Harper's audio logs. Jack is known by his callsign Tec 49 to his colleague and lover, Victoria, who in turn contacts Sally, their 'mission control' aboard a colossal tetrahedron known as the Tet hanging in space above Earth. The Tet is humanity's last beacon as it was constructed in the aftermath of a war against an alien race known as the Scav's. Jack's job is to ensure there is no more Scav interference as robotic flying Drones continue to aid mammoth hydroplants to convert the Earth's oceans into fuel for the Tet's final journey to colonise Titan, one of Saturn's moons.

Jack is essentially a technician and a part of the final cleanup before leaving the battle scarred Earth which is littered with familiar landmarks piercing the wastelands. His journey across these endless horizons by motorcycle or by bubble jet are visually astounding. Familiar monolithic structures are buried to their peaks and the oceans are drying up as evidenced by oil tanker graveyards. The Icelandic filming locations put to greater use and to a wider scope than in Prometheus.

Problems arise when Drones are not returning to their points of origin and are being destroyed by remnants of the Scavs. Jack is also plagued by nightmarish flashbacks to modern-day New York and the face of Olga Kurylenko. Impossible surely? From here, you can tell where the story is going to venture. Down the path of nothing is ever what is seems and no one is truly who they say they are. The monstrous sounds of the Drones are sinister and memorable when they signal their presence to eliminate possible threats. Designation 166, in particular, crops up as the film's would be antagonist. The design of these Drones and the technological world they are a part of in this apocalyptic wasteland is very factory floor sleek and clean. I hear War of the Worlds and see Portal.

Eventually Jack begins to distrust his own actions as well as his lover's upon the discovery of the woman from his dreams in a cryogenic pod that has crashlanded on Earth. Upon their capture by the Scav's when hunting for her ship's flight recorder, some truth's are revealed. The twists were plentiful but seperated up adequately by memorable scenes of Jack's secret hideaway in a forest where he keeps old books, trinkets and fish. Olga Kurylenko's portrayal of Julia was wide-eyed and sullen, but evidently appropriate for a woman who has woken up 60 years after being put into stasis to discover the world and husband she loved changed completely. Morgan Freeman and Game Of Thrones' Kingslayer Nikolaj Coster-Waldau felt slightly underwhelming considering the character roster isn't particularly filling.

That's as much as I'll say in regards to the twists and turns as there are a few more which reveal themselves similarly to Arthur C Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama. That alone, if you know the work, should be enough to point you in the right direction for where this film will take you. The design of the many vehicles looked functional and felt very much a part of this universe that didn't need explanation. I was adamant when Tron: Legacy premiered in 2010 but Joseph Kasinski has quickly become a new favourite sci-fi director after Duncan Jones. The inclusion of M83 to score the soundtrack was a perfect move and resonates the action on-screen beautifully. This perfect pairing and the predictable but fun storyline make for a harmless sci-fi romp.