I will give no spoilers in this review, since I went in blind and was pleasantly surprised.
Ad Astra is a really beautiful film. Not only in its stunningly gorgeous cinematography and visuals, but in its development of its main character, and his "hero's journey" if you will.
Brad Pitt, who gives a subtle and realistically somber portrayal of astronaut Roy McBride, soars throughout the Solar System in an attempt to stop and hopefully reconnect with his father, Cliff McBride, who might cause the death of the human race.
Along the way, the audience is shown wonderful depictions of The Moon and Mars, complete with social and consumerism satire, and gets to experience artistic and influential cinematography.
In the end, the heart of the film is really what makes it so spectacularly memorable and important. The message it says, which I won't give away, is somewhat frightening, but ultimately humbling and truthfully inspiring.
The emotional and mental voyage Cliff goes through within his relationship with his father is heartbreaking and engrossing. In space films, it's rarely ever full of quiet moments filled with thought provoking questions. But Ad Astra is filled with those important quiet scenes, and also contains swashbuckling action. It finds a fantastic balance between fantasy and reality.
Some complain that the science isn't correct, and that the film is too slow. First of all, of course the science isn't realistic. We don't have colonies on the moon. Does no one recognize what "Science Fiction" means anymore? It's fiction people!
The pacing could be annoying and boring for some. But I'm so used to arthouse films, and intense character studies that this film was truly incredible to witness. A space fantasy with the development of an arthouse film. It's really something that isn't around much.
For any negatives, I do feel that while the message is important and eye-opening, the writing sometimes is extremely unsutble, especially in dialogue. The plot is a little basic and bare-bones, but honestly, it didn't bother me that much. We're so used to increasingly bulky and complex plotlines these days that a simple plot stands out in a crowd. But just because something is simple on the outside, it doesn't mean it isn't complex on the inside. Luckily, Ad Astra is.
So, in this time of quarantine, I don't see what's wrong with exploring the stars a little. Taking some time to look inside ourselves and realize just how important we really are is something we can all do. Ad Astra is getting a lot of negativity, but it surely doesn't deserve it. If you want to think, and if complex questions and answers is what you dig, Ad Astra is for you.
Maybe if you're lucky, a trip through space will help you appreciate our planet even more.
Ad Astra is a really beautiful film. Not only in its stunningly gorgeous cinematography and visuals, but in its development of its main character, and his "hero's journey" if you will.
Brad Pitt, who gives a subtle and realistically somber portrayal of astronaut Roy McBride, soars throughout the Solar System in an attempt to stop and hopefully reconnect with his father, Cliff McBride, who might cause the death of the human race.
Along the way, the audience is shown wonderful depictions of The Moon and Mars, complete with social and consumerism satire, and gets to experience artistic and influential cinematography.
In the end, the heart of the film is really what makes it so spectacularly memorable and important. The message it says, which I won't give away, is somewhat frightening, but ultimately humbling and truthfully inspiring.
The emotional and mental voyage Cliff goes through within his relationship with his father is heartbreaking and engrossing. In space films, it's rarely ever full of quiet moments filled with thought provoking questions. But Ad Astra is filled with those important quiet scenes, and also contains swashbuckling action. It finds a fantastic balance between fantasy and reality.
Some complain that the science isn't correct, and that the film is too slow. First of all, of course the science isn't realistic. We don't have colonies on the moon. Does no one recognize what "Science Fiction" means anymore? It's fiction people!
The pacing could be annoying and boring for some. But I'm so used to arthouse films, and intense character studies that this film was truly incredible to witness. A space fantasy with the development of an arthouse film. It's really something that isn't around much.
For any negatives, I do feel that while the message is important and eye-opening, the writing sometimes is extremely unsutble, especially in dialogue. The plot is a little basic and bare-bones, but honestly, it didn't bother me that much. We're so used to increasingly bulky and complex plotlines these days that a simple plot stands out in a crowd. But just because something is simple on the outside, it doesn't mean it isn't complex on the inside. Luckily, Ad Astra is.
So, in this time of quarantine, I don't see what's wrong with exploring the stars a little. Taking some time to look inside ourselves and realize just how important we really are is something we can all do. Ad Astra is getting a lot of negativity, but it surely doesn't deserve it. If you want to think, and if complex questions and answers is what you dig, Ad Astra is for you.
Maybe if you're lucky, a trip through space will help you appreciate our planet even more.