Oblivion

Oblivion begins with a mystery and ends with a bang, but also a satisfying coda. I saw Oblivion in the theater, but did not fully appreciate it until just now at home. The audio has soft parts, with little more than soft wind blowing and bird chirps. In other places, there are combat explosions and gun fire. The multi-track audio includes the default 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio (48 kHz), other languages in lesser, lossy formats, and a music only track in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (96 kHz). The modern classical music track is another form of enjoyment that BD can bring to your A/V experience. I found the music wonderful, but for the dialog and effects, one must listen to the main audio track. In the theater, the audio was very loud, while at home, one may choose a pleasing volume level to hear the quality in both soft and loud passages. The story spins out in bits. The main part starts with the two main characters, a drone repairman [Cruise's character] and his female comm officer. As it progresses, you come to understand the situation and characters more, although there are apparent dream sequences and/or flashbacks that are not explained at first. Near the end, in a flashback/blackbox replay sense, the arc of the historical story becomes clear. I have a sense of Bob Seeger's words in "Against the Wind", "what to leave in, what to leave out" about the pacing and content of the film. The extras include several omitted scenes that are interesting for what they additionally disclose about the story, from which one may consider why they were omitted. The director, Pete Hammond, also directed" Tron: Legacy" and was a producer for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", to give some sense of the quality and sensibility of the movie. The superb story starts simply - perhaps even a minimal, mystical sensibility, with the two main characters. Later another female character is discovered, after which the story starts snowballing. To avoid spoilers, I'll add little more. Yet, in how many movies does a quote from ancient Rome, from "Lays of Ancient Rome" by Lord Macaulay, "how can man die better than facing fearful odds," serve both to educate or remind viewers of ancient Rome and advance the story line? This is a smaller story, rather than a grand tale with a cast of thousands. Yet, this is far more than a summer fun, sci-fi shoot-em-up. From the excellent video [note- the palette is somewhat subdued rather than bright Technicolor, to match the story and dystopian, post-war theme], through the fine story and excellent audio, this one is a keeper in my view. Sci-fi is best when it makes one think of possibilities, and this movie has it in spades.

I waited many months until Oblivion was available to rent for under five dollars rather than buy. The wait was worth it! This is an amazing movie. Oblivion and Edge of Tomorrow are two of the best movies that I have seen in years and both have Cruise as the lead actor. Both movies are incredibly smart and unpredictable. Obilivion is not like Cruise's flat War of the Worlds. The nemesis is much more intelligent containing multiple smart hooks that surprise the viewer until the end. Cruise does a great job acting and is one of the only aging a-listers that can still carry a great performance (unlike Brad Pitt, Mel Gibson, John Travolta, and others who seem to have grown complacent and big-headed). Oblivion is better than the preview indicates. I thought that Morgan Freeman was going to end up being the bad guy, but the real enemy is surprising and complex. The error of War of the Worlds with Tom Cruise (and other sci-fi movies) is that the nemesis doesn't have a personality and is too general in its scope, but in this movie it is very unique. At only one point did I think the plot line started to meander when the clones started to arrive and I thought that movie would drift into weirdness, but then it made sense as the plot continued to unfold, and then made perfect sense at the end. A sci-fi movie is best when it makes the fiction seem plausible and gives answers to questions at the end of the movie while keep the viewer trying to answer that question throughout the movie. Cast: five stars, Plot: five stars, Cinematography: five stars, Love story: five stars. The movie also contains a lot of hints at potential globalist plans for the future of America. I believe that movies are often used as predictive programming by the elite. What does the blown up Super Bowl Stadium in 2017 mean? What do all of the numbers mean? In closing, I would definitely rent this movie, and could even buy. So rare is it these days to find a movie that I would like to watch more than once. Then, I would rent Edge of Tomorrow after it as both are excellent and both contain uber-fresh sci-fi plots lines that will keep you guessing until the end.

Oblivion on 4K UHD is a beautiful disc from an audio-visual standpoint. The HDR presentation delivers crisp detail and a clean, cinematic look with excellent contrast and depth. Blacks are deep, highlights are controlled, and the overall picture quality remains consistently sharp throughout—though not quite in the top reference tier compared to some newer HDR transfers. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is “near” reference quality, offering excellent clarity, precise imaging, and immersive use of the height channels. Dialogue remains crystal clear, and the film’s sweeping score blends beautifully with environmental effects. However, it doesn’t quite have the same aggressive, room-filling presence as titles like Blade Runner 2049 or the DTS:X powerhouse mixes of Jurassic Park and Van Helsing. At 0.0 dB reference level, the mix feels a touch restrained, particularly in the low-end and overhead activity. I found this movie truly came alive when played slightly above 0.0db reference level, around +3.0 dB, where the Atmos effects expanded and the soundtrack’s dynamics became far more engaging. Overall, Oblivion remains a four-star AV experience—beautifully mixed and mastered but a bit too polite to reach the absolute reference benchmark. Highly recommended for fans of pristine visuals and clean, immersive sound who don’t mind nudging the volume a little higher.

In truth I wasn't expecting all that much from this movie; I don't do theaters these days since most of them are owned by some faceless corporation that is more interested in herding moviegoers in and out like cattle to the feed trough, and raping one's wallet all the meanwhile. So I'm one of those who settles for renting or even buying discs long after the film is cast off as dead and forgotten at the multiplex. Since this film was released years prior to me buying this Blu Ray package, that last bit is well-covered. 'Oblivion' was cheap in price for the Blu Ray pack and the customer reviews posted here on Amazon sounded quite positive so I bought in. And for the most part I found that I wasn't disappointed in the decision. I had missed all the promotion and hype for the film when it was first in general release. I had no idea if the film did well at the box office (still don't), nor did I have any clue about its storyline or premise. I did see that that whack job Scientology dude from the Mission Impossible movies was the lead, with Morgan Freeman in backup. Since decades later I still get all warm and fuzzy over feeling "the need for speed" (Top Gun), Jack Reacher was kind of a likable badass of sorts and watching Cruise die over and over was somewhat perversely satisfying (Edge of Tomorrow), all that prior content was good 'nuff for me to pull the proverbial trigger on buy button. As stated earlier I was genuinely entertained by the film, although the ending of the movie was somewhat predictable given certain earlier sequences in the film. This movie was done and released a few years back at the time of this (ahem) "review", but I still won't go into any details since I suspect already too much has been said by others that no one needs a hack like me to pretend as if moi can be a movie critic (no, I won't go there). As for the quality of the 'hard', kinda boring stuff: both Blu Ray and DVD discs were physically in flawless condition upon opening, and the content was easily readable by multiple player devices in our household. The visual and audio transfers to both formats seemed pretty good to my old eyes and ears; I didn't see or hear any technical flaws or glitches with their respective data streams, and both the visual effects and surround sound elements seemed pretty convincing and engrossing. As for the filmmaker's score, I didn't encounter any really annoying "mumble moments" in this movie (you know, those scenes where you wish the actors would SPEAK UP, or the sound guy would've turn up the gain on the mics), and in general I could leave the volume control on the remote and other devices set at one level throughout the film. As I said earlier, I'm no movie critic. Not in any sort of way, whether in the closet or overt wishful thinking. So no spoilers or plot/storyline narratives from me. Not My Style, and I'm happy for it. I was entertained, the physical quality of the discs was great and that's all that needs to be said as far as I'm concerned. Movie (content): 4+ stars Physical media: 5 stars Lack of overpriced, underwhelming concessions, lines and crowds, ridiculous parking costs, climbing into the car and enduring traffic: Priceless -------------------------------- Overall: 5 stars

When I first saw a trailer for Oblivion, I felt like it was custom made for me. Then, last night, while watching it in IMAX,they started playing a Led Zeppelin song in the movie, I knew it was made for me. Oblivion was a mix of the greatest Sci-Fi already made and yet it was still unique in its own way. Other reviewers have said that the writing is better in the first half and that the movie becomes predictable or not as strong in the second half. I completely disagree. I felt like the script, while borrowing bits from other Sci-Fi, remained engaging and well-done through out the whole movie. If you see this movie in IMAX, in addition to being blown away by the incredible surround sound, you will actually see more of the picture than in a traditional theater. They opened it up for most of the movie. There were a few parts (only one I noticed was around the beginning) where it was the more narrow widescreen picture. For the rest of the time it filled up the huge IMAX screen. The special effects, details, set design, sound design, music, and acting were all top notch in Oblivion (well, Olga was about as good as you can expect from her). The best part about this movie was that my wife liked it. She said it didn't stress her out too much. She also loved the way the music went with the movie. She thought the surround sound and sound effects were some of the best she's heard in a long time. She said she wants to see it again just for the sound. I highly recommend this movie. I liked how by the end, all loose ends are tied up and everything makes sense. This movie does give you the opportunity to think deeper on the meaning, or you can just take what they give you and be totally fine. Go see it in IMAX. I wonder when Tom Cruise will start looking his age...? A note on the CONTENT of the PG-13 rating: Sci-Fi violence on a Star Wars level of graphic-ness. Language that is Low to Middle of the road for PG-13. There is 1 "F" word, as is normal for PG-13 now-a-days, and a few "S" words and "SOBs." Religious exclamations were very minimal, like two I think. There is a pool scene where you see a dark silhouette of rear female nudity then you can see it through the water for a short time also. In another scene, we see a bare female back from the waist up. Thanks for reading, now go watch this in IMAX. Go in with an open mind and be ready to have fun! BLU-RAY UPDATE: I'll keep this brief. The picture and sound are PERFECT. The only downside is that the blu-ray does NOT include the IMAX aspect ratio change, it stays in 2.39:1 the whole time. The special features are actually really satisfying. And it doesn't take that long to get through them. If you want to see how any aspect of this movie was made, you will see in the making-of portion. If you are like my wife, and feel that the behind the scenes stuff ruins movies, then don't watch this part, because it definitely uncovers the magic behind key scenes. The Audio commentary with the Director and Tom Cruise was extremely interesting and entertaining. The musical score isolated audio track was actually really engaging and showed off the beautiful score. The deleted scenes added a bit of depth. Overall, it is a fantastic blu-ray of an awesome movie. This movie holds up to repeat viewings because you'll notice new stuff each time. Enjoy!

Hello everyone! Even though this is my first Amazon review, it is definitely not my first movie review. I must say that this was an AWESOME movie! To start with, the casting was well done. Tom Cruise played a character named Jack, a clean- up crew guy who fixes drones. If you don't like Tom Cruise as an actor,then you can at least like the character he is playing. Jack is a totally believable character, a confused man trying to remember his life before his memory was wiped. While he would go out to fix drones, he would also try and find things that reminded him of his previous home. He can't exactly choose what he does, he kinda just has to do his job and then leave, which he really doesn't want to do. I like that about the movie; it always seems as though the characters are real, it was like Tom was born to play the role. The rest of the crew,consisting of familiar faces like Morgan Freeman and Olga Kurymento, also fit their roles quite nicely. The plot was interesting, and I think the trailer explains it pretty thoroughly, but I'll tell you anyway. So there is the huge war between these aliens and humans, and (yay!) the humans win. They didn't really save the earth though... only half of it remains somewhat liveable. With what they are given, most of the human race moves to the Moon Titan, the one that revolves around Jupiter. As I said before, Jack comes along along with Victoria, both led by Sally, who have to clean up up Earth a bit and fix the drones that they made to analyse for the aliens. That's all I am going to say because I really don't want to spoil it for you. The graphics surpassed all of my expectations, everything in the movie looked real. It was all so futuristic and high tech, but it all looked plausible. You felt like you were flying in that jet sometimes, and that was also a nice feature. So, as a whole, I can't exactly tell you how I feel about every part of the movie, but I did enjoy myself while watching it. You should watch this movie if the following traits fit you: You are above 13 years of age(for violence, brief nudity, and language), you like sci-fi post-apocolyptic worlds, stuff that blows up, amazing graphics, and scenes that may make you cry from loveydoveyness. 5/5 stars!

This is not a great movie. It is a fairly interesting concept with really spectacular visuals and Tom Cruise acting as Tom Cruise, but it is the overly ambitious script that leaves the movie wanting. It was just too derivative of too many other movies (warning Spoilerish): the Matrix, Reign of Fire, Planet of the Apes, iRobot, and even a hint of The Truman Show with too many strands to pull together via too many plot holes to really be a cohesive project. Morgan Freeman, perhaps too frail and old, is underused. The ending is contrived and hoaky a la (Spoiler again!)... Independence Day. The movie does a great job of immersing you in this new world and the thin mystery behind it is slowly, if not deftly, revealed over the course of the film. It's fun escapism, but the film does not have much to say really, about the human condition. Neither did Aliens I or II or Star Wars but great sci-fi films either introduce something entirely new and make a fictitious world very real with a great story to tell, or use that world as a backdrop to comment on something about mankind (Signs, for example, where the new world of aliens was used as a backdrop for how a torn and hurting family could come together and renew faith in each other and God). One or both of those elements need to be present in sufficient quantity for a Sci-Fi film to move from "Fun!" to "Amazing!" "Oblivion" had some neat elements of a new world with very effective visuals and it had a little something to say about what makes a person human (memories? love? the will to survive?). So that makes it a somewhat disappointing: 6/10. This film was fun and not amazing and a little bit of a missed opportunity. Worth a rental for sure, but not in the pantheon. Those who gave it 5 stars leave little room for actually great science fiction.

I just can't say enough about this movie.. And couple that with the fact that I'm not a huge Tom Cruise fan and I think that Morgan Freeman phoned it in and is currently over-saturating celluloid. I think that it's just a combination of all things comprising the whole which knocks my socks off. I love the minimalist art design, The muted colors of the environment and the structures create a unified colour scheme that helps to bind The imagery to a common thematic thread. And while it does have this mono-chromatic feel, It never comes across as forced, but rather the natural result of the devastation left behind and the soulless reconstruction of the 'man-made' structures. And the cinematography beautifully and deftly aids in its execution. I found the story both fascinating and quick to get its point across without becoming a cliché action movie. The direction was spot on and flowed perfectly. And last but not least the music by M83 perfected what was an already visually beautiful film. If I had to give one very minor nitpick it would be that the whole human underground subplot felt like it wasn't as smoothly incorporated into the film as it's other elements. I'll even swallow a little pride and say that Tom Cruise pulled off a brilliantly understated yet very convincing performance. Not that it has anything to do with anything at the end of the day, but I hear that he was served his divorce papers if not at least signing them while he was on the shoot. Nothing like a cold, hard shot of reality to temper an actors performance. In my book, the man's stock raised quite a few points from the bottom where it had come to rest over the last few years. I've heard rumors of people Coming away from this movie with ideas that it is purveying a Scientology dogma, if not in a subtle metaphorical way. I didn't see that at all but then I don't think I had any kind of agenda going in except to enjoy what looked to be like a really good movie. I think that this observation ,in many instances came from people going in ultra-aware of Mr Cruis' past with the dubious organization. Idk. All I can say at the end of the day, is that in my opinion, this was a fantastic science-fiction movie with a great story, great imagery, fantastic music and very competent acting. Directed in such a way that the movie seemed to end almost as soon as it had begun, as it was such a blast of a ride.

The movie is amazing.. but Amazon did not send me the version shown in the image for the product: it does *NOT* include a Digital Download. It's a pity not enough care is taken to makes sure clients actually receive what they ordered.

Nicely done, high quality Hollywood movie. The actors are great, the rythme is good and the story is strange and interesting. Jack is learning the truth slowly, about this gigantic illusion of what he has been told. But he doesn't know what he is really fighting, and as the story goes on, he learns that his whole life is a lie, as well as all the rest of the world he is living in. It is not his world, nor his wife, and certainly not the future he was expecting. The way he travels through his dicoveries is smooth, understandable, and he never gets desperate about what he finds out. In the end, he controls the game, playing by the rules of the invader. He looses his life, or one of his numerous lives and capitalises on this to defeat the beast. One must Watch this movie at least once, hoping that he or she will appreciate the imagination and intelligence of this incredible story, that seems so real or possible at times. It is not the usual invasion by monster who kill the humans without trying to understand them. The most ironic part is that the humans have been told that they won the war against the invaders; in fact, they must have lost simply because the were fighting against themselves. I certainly will be watching this one again in the future. Splendid.

I just love this film! Losing count how many times I have seen it and knowing I will wear it out one day. This is no Oscar winner (although the breath-taking landscapes deserve to be). There are plot holes deeper than the Icelandic Volcanic craters and the acting gets a bit clunky (even Morgan GOD? Freeman manages an off-day.) But who cares? For dark humour, it’s a hoot AND I LURRRRVE IT!!! First Monsieur Cruise - someone far more qualified than me made the assertion that TC works much better leading the cast from the bottom up, than he does as pre-eminent all conquering hero. Here we have him perfectly appointed the role of "generic bloke" best friends with a dummy called "Bob." As such he is outstanding switching from unflinching hard man to childishly flawed irreverence and possessed of the best man-cave you are EVER going to see. At his side is the eloquent Geordie beauty Andrea Riseborough who easily steals the show from under the nose of OLGA KURYLENKO. Full marks to KOSINSKI for selecting deliberately alternative faces to play the female leads and romantic interest. Both definitely do not look like they were made in Hollywood. It works for Riseborough as resolutely corporate VIKA in a way that misses by miles for Kurylenko awkwardly trying to hold up the mystery of JULIA. The basic tenant of Science Fiction is some of the underlying "science" is more fictional than it ought to be. And so we are asked to suspend believe, occasionally beyond the point of credibility but in the good cause of enjoying a no-nonsense tale that is entertaining in way that it plays out rather than any grand notions of pulling the fleece over your eyeballs. MOON is more intriguing, and decidedly darker. INTERSTELLAR is more detailed by an order of magnitude, but both take themselves way too seriously for this. OBLIVION is no comedy, but is intended as a tall tale to be "enjoyed" if you let it go where it asks without question. Acting honours go to Cruise edging Riseborough by a nose and for being so refreshingly human. Special mention goes to Melissa Leo as the wretchedly irritating SALLY. Without the contextual justification of the final act, voice acting of this type could easily earn a Razzie. MORGAN FREEMAN? Sorry, just not your day this time. He looks somewhat out of place in a way last seen in HARD RAIN. This film just doesn’t NEED him in the way others do. The villain’s award must go to the menacing clones. A deviant blend of Steve Jobs styling with "personality" added courtesy of ED 209 (Mk I). Rotten to their APPLE-esque core. OBLIVION from the start strolls along at its own pace, gently developing a simple plot that occasionally threatens to divert you, but ultimately becomes vividly clear once you discern good from bad. Its patient emphasis of the barren scenery is entirely keeping with the plot and focuses the eyes during the frequent occasions when the story meanders more than it should. The tech, is restrained and a measured counterpoint the bleak world we are presented with. The cast pared back to leave no choices but the obvious where this is off to. OBLIVION is not cerebral sci-fi in the way of CONTACT, but lighter in the way that gave us HAN SOLO or ALIENS, albeit without the drama of either. Watch once to "get-it," twice to double-check, but over and over for sheer entertainment as the perfect antidote after the let-down the unrelated PROMETHEUS proved to be. It’s not a guilty pleasure, just a movie that delivers so solidly it is excused its many flaws.

Confesso che quando ho acquistato Oblivion in Blu Ray non mi aspettavo molto: un buon prodotto e niente più, anche perché mia moglie mi aveva detto che la critica a suo tempo non era stata particolarmente favorevole. Ho quindi iniziato la visione piuttosto prevenuto, ma presto sono stato catturato dal grandioso impatto visivo, dalla perfetta recitazione, dalla trama avvincente ed originale del film. Sicuramente ci sono influenze di tutta una cinematografia sci-fiction del passato, ma questo è secondo me un pregio, non un difetto. Qualsiasi espressione artistica si nutre delle esperienze del passato, bisogna vedere in che modo viene utilizzata questa cultura. Oblivion è un'opera di altissimo livello, estetico e culturale, probabilmente il miglior film di questo genere degli ultimi anni. Anche la realizzazione in Blu Ray è di riferimento assoluto, sia nel comparto audio che video. In poche parole: un'esperienza da non lasciarsi sfuggire.

Très beau film avec des images 4K superbes.