Movies: Buzz Worthy or Buzzer?
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ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
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You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
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Movie Reviews: Ad Astra
by Jeff Owens
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Generally, I have no problem with long, thoughtful science fiction films. Some of the best science fiction films are long and thoughtful. So, that's not why I didn't particularly like Ad Astra. For a movie that goes from here to Neptune and back, its overall story doesn't really go anywhere for me. Plus, it's a little depressing, not with its events, but with its overall conclusions about life in the universe.
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Brad Pitt is good as Roy McBride, an astronaut who goes on a top secret mission to locate his father, Clifford (Tommy Lee Jones), whom he previously believed had died during his own space mission. It's a subdued performance, due primarily to the character, someone who apparently had anger issues in the past, but certainly doesn't express them now. In fact, it's a repetitive plot point that his pulse never rises above a certain number.
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You'd expect him to blow and for the movie to reach a big, dramatic climax. Both things happen, but the emotional levels are so low that the overall peaks and valleys of Ad Astra are ultimately an even line with a few minor blips. It's not boring, and it's not really slow, it's just flat. It's a real shame because the plot is basically an intriguing one, with a heavy focus on mental illness and the repercussions from getting further from Earth and spending extended time in space.
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The opening is terrific, but I struggle with the circumstances. It's the "near future" and "we" have decided to build a giant antenna into space in an effort to contact extraterrestrial life. This is an Earth-bound antenna, though, a tower that extends through the atmosphere. There's no explanation for why we'd no longer use satellites and, as the story demonstrates, it's a very unsafe way to do it. But, it at least gives the movie some much needed action.
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Ad Astra has a great cast, but each person is squandered. Liv Tyler appears in only brief flashbacks as Roy's wife, Eve. (We would not have even known it was his wife if not for her listing in the credits, by the way.) Donald Sutherland (and his eyebrows) begins as Colonel Pruitt, a partner for Roy on his mission, but then disappears at about the halfway point. Ruth Negga participates in what's basically a glorified cameo…
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She plays Helen Lantos, who's in charge of an outpost on Mars. Her mere existence paints a vivid picture of a future where human beings may be born on planets other than Earth and may long to see their historic home world. She has a surprise relationship with Roy and helps him… to a certain extent. I would love to have seen her join him on the rest of the mission, perhaps filling the shoes of the departed Col. Pruitt.
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However, I'd probably then be complaining that Ad Astra was predictable and devolved into typical sci-fi action. Sometimes there's just no pleasing me. I hate to criticize a movie because it's not something I think it should be. I should evaluate the movie I'm given, not the movie I want. However, even on its own terms, this one failed to satisfy me. For strictly entertainment purposes, I can't recommend that you see it.
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Buzz Score:
Ad Astra = 2.5 out of 5
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Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School. He is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
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