Oblivion (2013)

A generous step up from SyFy Channel fare, but a step down from genuinely good science fiction action, Oblivion is an ambitious misfire. Tom Cruise stars as one of a two member crew assigned to maintain drones on Earth. They answer to a commander dispatching from a enormous structure in the sky called the Tet. It's an idiotic premise right off the bat. Fortunately, this problem is slightly remedied as the film progresses and the conspiracies / twists are revealed. Slightly. The main characters are, on the whole, bland with Tom Cruise playing his screen self and the supporting characters not really adding very much. Not even Morgan Freeman, whose role in the film was short and somewhat disappointing. Everyone appeared to be trying, but no one really stuck out. The aesthetic of this future is ripped out of other sci-fi films (the future is always sleek and white), and the special effects are heavily reliant on CGI (yawn). The soundtrack was a definite cut above the usual contemporary action film soundtrack as it showed some signs of good production and was reminiscent of Tangerine Dream at times. Probably not something I'd listen to on its own, but it was nice to see some thought put into the music for a change.

6/10

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)

The fourth entry of the Mission Impossible series does not fail to disappoint. Tom Cruise's team is blamed for blowing up a portion of the Kremlin and disowned by the United States government, which causes the team to go solo to uncover the conspiracy and complete the original objective. The film is absolutely ridiculous, with grand action scenes and very tense moments (Cruise scaling the Dubai skyscraper, among others). The humor is kicked up quite a bit in comparison to the first and second films (haven't seen the third), but it neither enhances nor detracts from the experience. Ultimately, MI: Ghost Protocol is a fun popcorn flick that is worth watching once, and a worthy entry in the MI series.

7/10