Random Thoughts While Watching "Oblivion"

Random thoughts while watching "Oblivion" (this is not a review, just random notes):

(1) So henceforth begins the end of world / apocalypse / post-apocalypse movie event, which will be followed by After Earth, World War Z, Elysium & Snowpiercer, to name just a few. Guess some movie makers were really disappointed it didn't happen in 2012. Read it here for my full article on this:

http://pauljustinlean.blogspot.com/2013/04/2013-end-of-world-sequel.html

(2) The trailer for this movie didn't exactly create much excitement for me, especially with all the same-old machines & shooting. Luckily for the movie, it's a big production which automatically goes into my watchlist. Luckily for me, the movie itself is so much more better than the trailer. Lesson learned: Don't judge a movie by its trailer.

(3) The last few movies of Tom Cruise (Knight and Day, MI4, Jack Reacher) had been so bland you couldn't recall the plot 2 hours after you watched it. I must write this while I still remember the movie, cuz' I have a hunch I will soon not be able to recall the movie. Maybe this is the problem of being a superstar: the audiences remember you more than the movie.

(4) The first 30 minutes of the film is kinda flat, nothing much happened except following Tom Cruise around the deserted area. But this will set up the plot for the rest of the movie. You'd have to be patient to sit through this part.

(5) Many years ago there might be lots of actresses hoping to get it on with Tom Cruise on screen. I don't think he's that much desirable nowadays. So watching Andrea Riseborough & Olga Kurylenko having hot scenes with him is just... eww!

(6) Forget team Edward / team Jacob or team Angelina / team Jennifer. It's team Julia / team Victoria. I'm team Victoria. Andre Riseborough made us feel pity for her. She cared about Jack deeply but did not get her happily-ever-after. The scene where she realized she'd lost Jack to Julia is 10x more emotional than other scenes intended to extract tears out of audience.

(7) Olga Kurylenko, on the other hand, is totally wooden. Throughout the movie. The end.

(8) Do you realize how good Morgan Freeman is at being the authority figure or someone who holds power? Few weeks ago he was in "Olympus Has Fallen" as Speaker of the House, and before that he was in The Batman series as President of Wayne Enterprises. Maybe it's the voice? When his voice first appeared in this movie (even before his face did) it was the moment this movie began to feel more exciting.

(9) Much like last week's The Host, this movie features a love story that is complicated and involves a non-human. Can Julia really love all the Jack Clones even if they are not really her husband? Even when she's aware that Jack 49 is not her Jack, and Jack 52 is not Jack 49?

(10) Final verdict: 3.5 stars out of 5. This movie has an advantage in which it opens earlier than other apocalypse movies, so we don't feel tired of the topic yet. This movie is surprisingly tamer than we expect a Tom Cruise's movie to be. No wild action, no crazy stun, just plain story telling.