Movie Title - Gravity
Genre - Sci-Fi
Starring - George Clooney, Sandra Bullock
Starring - George Clooney, Sandra Bullock
Studio - Warner Brothers
Release Date - October 3, 2013
Running Time - 91 Min
Rating - 2 1/2 Golden Bridges
Reviewed By - Mauricio Segura
Comments
You have to give credit to the marketing geniuses at Warner for hyping this film as the sci-fi blockbuster of the year. Unfortunately, the reality is as far-fetched as the storyline itself.
Let's look at the good first. If you're into sci-fi space movies, the visuals in this film will truly play on your inner eye candy meter. The effects and computer generated graphics are simply amazing, and with an estimated budget of $100 million, they better be. In 3d, the beauty of the Earth from orbit will blow your mind, while in 2d, though still breathtaking, it's not much different from your typical space movie. Bottom line, if you really want to enjoy the visuals, pay the extra $5 to watch it in 3d, otherwise, wait for the dvd.
Aside from the 3d experience, the rest of the film has very little substance to keep it afloat. Sure Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are amazing actors, and it's enjoyable to hear Ed Harris' voice as the Mission Control Director ala Apollo 13. However, most of the dialog seems empty and unstructured, 20 minutes of which is Sandra Bullock just breathing heavily, moaning, gasping, and it's not even a sex scene.
The storyline itself is completely unrealistic. If you know nothing about astronomy and see this movie "as is", you may find it enjoyable. A space or sci-fi enthusiast on the other hand will be able to pinpoint all of the unrealistic errors which are strown together from beginning to end. Bullock's character, Dr. Ryan Stone, is so unprepared and emotionally distraught through the entire film in fact, that it's hard to believe NASA would have chosen her as the mission specialist. However, by sheer luck she still manages to climb into a wrecked space capsule while the entire space station is burning out of control around her, detach, fly it to catch a second capsule 100 miles away without charts or gps, climb into it, and successfully pilot it as well. Not to mention that the second capsule is Chinese, the manual is Chinese, yet she manages to turn on the correct systems by literally using an "eeny meeny miney mo" selection method. The Muppets In Space was slightly more credible.
Gravity does provide a few tense-filled moments here and there that draw you in, but they're few and far between. Overall, Warner Brothers should just cut out all of the acting, dragged out dialog, fillers, and leave an eye pleasing 15 minute 3D IMAX movie of Earth views from orbit. Get Bullock and Clooney to narrate, and there would be no need to even change the title for an equally successful documentary.
