Oblivion (2013)

"Oblivion – it is a sci-fi movie of one actor, two actresses and at the end - bunch of guys wearing middle Ages outfits… But all those futuristic technologies and drones are good though" - that was my first impression, but then it changed. 

Plot summary.

The plot of this movie is complicated.  Aliens have striked the planet and destroyed countries and cities. They have kidnapped astronauts Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) and Victoria Olsen (Andrea Riseborough), brainwashed and clone them, so they can serve for their purposes. Jack Harper became a technician 49 and Victoria Olsen - a flight officer. They also were lovers (I don’t know was it part of their duties? ;) ). 

After planet's army has lost the battle some of them became dead while other became outlaws – savages. Aliens installed hydro rings to convert water into the fusion energy.  Drones were protecting them and hunting down savages which were hiding in abandoned buildings and tunnels and making diversion at night. 

Savages crashed remains of Jack’s vessel (when he was an astronaut) and that’s where Julia Rusakowa came from. Jack Harper has realized that she is his wife, so he “broke up” with Victoria Olsen, betrayed the aliens, joined savages and made peace on Earth by blowing up alien’s ship on the planet’s orbit. Afterward everybody lived long and happy.    

First impression…

You watch this movie and don’t know what is going to happen next…Special effects are very spectacular. When you see Sky tower 49 you think: “WOW!!!”.

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All those clouds and landscape make you think: “What a great place to live…” and then you see those futuristic technologies and you very impressed. During the movie situation becoming very complicated and try to figure out what is going on.  Where are good guys? Who is bad in this story? Where is truth? You are  just enjoying the movie while waiting what is going to happen next.      

Plot.  Now long version…  

Story and plot. According to survivor – technician 49 Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) who is narrating the story in the beginning of the movie, Earth was attacked by savages. They’ve destroyed Moon which caused of earthquakes, tsunamis and other disasters that swiped off a half of planet’s population. Then savages have made an invasion. Humans used nuclear weapons and won the war which made Earth mostly uninhabited.

Afterwards humans have no choice but to leave the planet. To do that they’ve built gigantic Tetrahedron space station, named Tet which were used as mission control during the evacuation to Titan – Saturn’s moon.

Only two humans stayed on Earth technician 49 Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) and communication officer Victoria Olsen (Andrea Riseborough). They have been living and serving on Sky tower which were located 914 meters (3000 feet) above the ground.  Their mission was to repair drones that provide security and to monitor enemy’s activity.

Drones protected hydro rings that have been converting water to fusion energy for almost sixty years – basically draining Earth’s water supplies.

Except humans on the planet also stayed aliens – savages which attack drones , try to attack hydro rings at night and to kill technician 49 during the day.

But something wasn't ended up in this story from the beginning!!!

The true story was next. In one day a huge alien Tetrahedron space ship has come. And NASA decided to sent a space mission called Odyssey to explore and learn more about that object. Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) and Victoria Olsen (Andrea Riseborough) were an astronauts with others who were in special cryo-chambers in delta sleep. While approaching to the Tetrahedron Jack Harper ejected a module with the sleepers and moved to the opening gate with Victoria Olsen. Then… bright light and oblivion. 

 Alien ship moved from planet to planet and used they resources. From the look of things we can say, that aliens have erased astronauts’ memories then, brainwashed them and cloned them.

Jack Harper and  Victoria Olsen thought that they are working for humans, which need an energy to survive on Titan...

Those creature, that Jack Harper called savs (short from savages) where humans. They were hiding in destroyed,  abandoned buildings and tunnels and using old-fashion stealth technology to stay under alien’s radar.  

During sixty years they were thinking and planning defense and offence strategy. Therefore, they attack drones, steal drones’ power elements to make explosives.  

Once savages have tried to capture Jack Harper, so he can help to install powerful explosive into the drone.  They wanted to sent it into Tetrahedron and make it gone. For that propose, they have landed in uncivilized way (just crash it into the ground) Odyssey’s module with sleepers.

Technician 49 Jack Harper has come to that place and witnessed drones killing them.  He saved only  Julia Rusakova for whom he dreamed all the time.  

After some time Julia Rusakova wanted find out what happened? So they went together to the place of crash. Later, after a little action they were captured by savages and that’s where their leader Malcolm Beech (Morgan Freeman) told them who those savages are. To prove his point he recommended Jack to go to the prohibited  “radiation zone”…

Jack and Julia went to destroyed Empire State Building to call for pick up. In this point Julia tells him all the truth and they hugged. In this moment futuristic Bubbleship has arrived. Flight officer  Victoria Olsen saw them together…  And that’s where jealousy joined in to this movie.

Victoria try to inform mission control that Jack have betrayed all those aliens. But they ordered  drone to kill them all. But after machine did its job by killing Victoria, Julia Rusakowa  screw up the drone by using Bubbleship  gun.

Movie goes on… After a hot pursuit with drones Jack and his wife went to “radiation zone” and met his clone and later clone of Victoria Olsen. So, decided to joint savages, blow up the aliens’ ship on the orbit (Tet).

Unfortunately, they were discovered and drones came to execute them all. During the fight in the abandoned New York public library, captured drone was destroyed. So Jack has decided to put old man - Malcolm Beech with the powerful bomb into the cryo-chamber. After that those men went to gigantic Tetrahedron, fooled most important alien and blow up everything including themselves.

Afterwards harmony came into the Earth. All those savages became civilized and lived long and happy in a peaceful place… looks like some kind of national park or something.  And most important thing that Jack Harper’s clone technician 52 showed up and realized that he is Jack Harper.   

Environment. Movie was shooting in Iceland. This country is famous for its virgin nature and many geysers all over across the land. The surface is amazing. Mountain ranges, plateaus, lowlands everything I mixed up in this country. Landscape is fascinating.

Movie makers chose interesting places have made footage and them and some special computer effects and that how we got East Coast of United States that you have never seen before.

Vehicles 

Bubbleship. One most amazing aircraft with space travel abilities is Bubbleship. At first look it is very similar to helicopter Bell 47 but then you see that it is something new and amazing. This ship is kind of glamorous. It maybe because of its white fuselage or rounding edges who knows? But it looks amazing. It has all civil and military abilities – guns and maneuverability (fast-moving). It is just one piece of great aircraft.  There were a place for additional power elements for drones, repair kit and a motorcycle.

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Drones.  Those are kind of huge bubbles-war-machine. They were made by Tetrahedron superior intelligence to hunt down people and protect hydro rings. Those machines were pretty intelligent during their tasks. Mission control (Tetrahedron) controlled them. But they also responded to Sky tower 49 if needed. They had only one weakness – a little spot in the back. So savages used it as advantage during the fight.   

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Jack’s motorcycle.  It is kind of hi-tech dirt bike. It was convertible. So Jack could unpack it from the Bubbleship’s trunk. He used it just two times: when he was looking for drone 172 and when he and his wife - Julia Rusakova were going to Empire State Building ask for pick up.    

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Objects. 

There like 10 main objects. 

Tetrahedron space ship – it is an alien ship that has attacked the Earth and caused all those damages. That is a working place, maybe a home for superior intelligence which has a shape of  smaller Tetrahedron and a big laser eye in the middle. Also, that is the biggest drone station (probably plant) that you can possibly imagine. In this starship aliens also were making humans’ clones. It stays on orbit in one place for some reason. That is all we know.

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Sky tower 49 – this is the most impressive creation. This tower is located on the three islands and elevated to 914 meters (3000 feets) on the ground. So, all the time it is surrounded by clouds. You can see a wind flow, weather changing and enjoy sunrise and sunset. Special effects have made this picture  very beautiful and glamorous.  As far as we can see there are two ways to get up there: first one on bubbleship or some other aircraft or stairs form the ground to tower.

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Technically Sky tower 49 is a base where Jack Harper and Victoria Olsen live and serve.  Also there is Bubbleship landing pad. One level down there is some kind of shop, where Jack Harper repairs broken drone. 

3 hydro rings – those are very futuristic hi-tech rings that are located far away and protected by drones. They were designed by aliens to drain the water and create fusion energy. 

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Destroyed New York public library – was savages’ base and hideout.  All those who has survive war were there: men, women and children.  In this place savages  tried to  capture Jack Harper at first time. In this place they kept captured drone 172. Also there were last battle with drones before savages and Jack Harper blew up the Tetrahedron space ship. 

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Destroyed Empire State Building – this is just a top floor of this famous building. It is abandoned. There is nothing but remains of past… This object were used two times: one when savages landing last module of Odyssey vessel and second time when Jack Harper was letting to know that he is alive and requesting Bubbleship for pick up. 

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Remains of Golden gate bridge – remains of Golden Gate Bridge which were shown a few times.

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 Cracked football stadium – a place where drone 166 was shot down. Jack Harper came to repair it and was thinking about past…

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Sky tower 52 – this is base where clones of Jack Harper and Victoria Olsen serve. It is located in “radiation zone”, on the mountain range and surrounded by desert.  Landscape from this watch tower not so beautiful like from Sky tower 49 because all you can see is other ranges and sand. 

Odyssey spacecraft – it is some kind of shuttle with an additional module that NASA has sent to explore and learn more about Tetrahedron. It is hard to say how many crew members were there. Sure thing is that Jack Harper, Victoria Olsen and Julia Rusakova were on board of that vessel.