Despite feeling like an introspective space drama, Ad Astra is really action-packed and works as an adventure movie in a future very well-derived from the space programs we have now. If there are plans for it, they're in this movie and they feel like exactly what would happen (and how it would LOOK) if we keep investing in space. The realism is perhaps the film's greatest strength, taking its cue from 2001's second act and actively showing us the future, making it look brilliant, and using real physics to complement the experience (the way sound works is especially well done). It's also a father-son story writ large, about a deadbeat dad who left his family and never looked back, and a son who's had to live in his father's shadow and has only nominally learned to deal with it by ignoring it rather than facing it. The entire journey, across an impossible distance, is a therapy session (which sometimes dovetails into narration, a cinema sin when it's all pretty obvious) in a world where space travelers are constantly required to keep in chill. Mental health, one of this century's big concerns, has its fingerprints all over this. And then you can also look at it from orbit and see that questions of isolation and interconnectivity are really broader human issues, and that human pettiness is at odds with human reality in the grander scheme, the need to reconnect with a father really the need to connect with people as a whole, as opposed to seeking something else, something necessarily better to our misanthropic idea of humanity, out there. In the film, that's the cosmos, but in our world, it may be fiction, or hobbies, or materialism, or whatever. Ad Astra is pretty thought-provoking for what is on the surface of it an exciting space adventure.
Ok so first the good stuff. Visuals are pretty brilliant, and there were many scenes where I felt truly isolated and exposed out in space on the other side of the solar system. The soundtrack also did a great job of backing up what was being shown. Very ethereal and not over the top at all. That brings us to the bad. The theme of the movie is essentially a father/son plotline, though it doesn't focus well enough on it for it to carry the film, and the script needed a bit of work. It's eye candy to the max, but the foundations are lackluster. In the end we are left with a bunch of odd scenarios in space that Brad Pitt finds himself in and Tommy Lee Jones as a kind of space hermit who isn't quite crazy but hardly interesting.
There were many points in the movie where the plot could have gone the cliché route but opted not to. The almost humorous part is that the cliché option would have probably made more sense and also have been more interesting.
Perfect example of this are the mysterious "surges" emanating from the Lima Project. The more interesting (albeit cliché) explanation would have probably been his father disillusioned with his search for ET's and deciding to wipe out the human race for some kooky reason. Instead it's just a weird effect from the mutiny, just a technological glitch at best. It truly felt like the mystery and reasoning as to why the "surges" were happening was a driving point in the film, but ultimately it comes to nothing.
I really liked this. Slower-tempo than I expected from a space adventure/drama movie, but it was a nice change. The action was gritty and realistic, and the abandoned child/absent father relationship was different from the usual.
James Gray tried to make a mixture of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Interstellar but he couldn't be successful about that. This story turned to an common father-son issue from endless space and unanswered questions so quickly. I think Ad Astra is a waste of very successful cinematography
Unfortunately, I have to agree with some of the most critical comments already posted. We were 2 people excited to see this movie and 2 people disappointed by it. It tried but did not quite deliver, and it all boils down to one simple reason: the writing left it lacking. If you ask us, it is an "okay to watch once but coulda done better".
While the cast is great, with surprise guest stars at every turn, it is severely under-utilized. Every known head shows up for a flat one-liner. The realism of the movie, as depressing a reminder of men's pillaging habits as can be, leaves every scene very predictable
(oh, there are pirates in the area! Guess what the next scene is... oh, there are animals in the area! Guess what happens next...)
. There are women sprinkled in the background, and yet only one woman in the whole movie plays a significant role -
and it is not Brad's love interest
. But mostly, despite the great CGI and acceptable acting, the point the movie tries to make about human connection never quite lands because of a lack of depth. The dialogue is kept to a minimum and very far away from tear-jerking capabilities. The characters lack dimension, and therefore the viewer cannot connect to them fully. While Brad Pitt's protagonist is ingenuous and has some intriguing thoughts, we only scratch the surface of his mental state and never really reach the truth of his experience. Some of the reactions he encounters are almost too easy, when a few little tweaks could have given him worthier opponents. And while it is obvious that the filmmakers were omitting some of the backstory as a way to build suspense, adding some scenes back at the end to fill in the blanks could have made the movie much more impactful.
Last but not least, the end could have easily compensated for some of these issues and wrapped it all up in a neat little bow, if only it showed some real change
in the main character
after the adventure - or referenced the lineage theme
by making him a father himself for example ! If only Liv Tyler had held the hand of a little blond boy...
-4
Nice sci-fi. Quiet. Slow, but not disturbing. Exciting. Good music. Interesting theme. Neat photo. Good length. Nice way to use Pitt's character narrative because he rarely has people to have a dialogue with in the space where the action is usually presented by just that.
Shows the enormous pressure that lies on an astronaut. Also on the loneliness in space that can drive some crazy.
Very disappointing and completely overrated movie.
I love slow and introspect movies but this one is just bad and full of errors.
Monologues are empty and pretentious, with no philosophical depth, just big words.
SPOILERS
Brad Pitt seems lost during the entire movie, the relationship with its father (if that is what seems to be its motive) does not support its character.
There are rabid baboons in space and moon pirates? why perfectly trained astronauts shoot inside an spaceship? One flight is lost in the world right now and everybody panics, but there are floating spacecrafts in with people dead and no one cares? All the bodies are dumped into space, really? no one is going to try to send them to their families for a proper burial? specially when everybody seems to be religious? Who is this character that gets a heart attack in the moon? Cannot they record the message on earth and send it to mars?
May be if you had a father that abandoned you, you will feel related or even entertained, for the rest of us is just boring and stupid.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 19
Siskoid
Despite feeling like an introspective space drama, Ad Astra is really action-packed and works as an adventure movie in a future very well-derived from the space programs we have now. If there are plans for it, they're in this movie and they feel like exactly what would happen (and how it would LOOK) if we keep investing in space. The realism is perhaps the film's greatest strength, taking its cue from 2001's second act and actively showing us the future, making it look brilliant, and using real physics to complement the experience (the way sound works is especially well done). It's also a father-son story writ large, about a deadbeat dad who left his family and never looked back, and a son who's had to live in his father's shadow and has only nominally learned to deal with it by ignoring it rather than facing it. The entire journey, across an impossible distance, is a therapy session (which sometimes dovetails into narration, a cinema sin when it's all pretty obvious) in a world where space travelers are constantly required to keep in chill. Mental health, one of this century's big concerns, has its fingerprints all over this. And then you can also look at it from orbit and see that questions of isolation and interconnectivity are really broader human issues, and that human pettiness is at odds with human reality in the grander scheme, the need to reconnect with a father really the need to connect with people as a whole, as opposed to seeking something else, something necessarily better to our misanthropic idea of humanity, out there. In the film, that's the cosmos, but in our world, it may be fiction, or hobbies, or materialism, or whatever. Ad Astra is pretty thought-provoking for what is on the surface of it an exciting space adventure.Minamu
If you love the high speed tempo of 2001, Blade Runner, and the original Solaris, you will also love this stepchild :) I certainly did, it was great.DisneyStitch
Ok so first the good stuff. Visuals are pretty brilliant, and there were many scenes where I felt truly isolated and exposed out in space on the other side of the solar system. The soundtrack also did a great job of backing up what was being shown. Very ethereal and not over the top at all. That brings us to the bad. The theme of the movie is essentially a father/son plotline, though it doesn't focus well enough on it for it to carry the film, and the script needed a bit of work. It's eye candy to the max, but the foundations are lackluster. In the end we are left with a bunch of odd scenarios in space that Brad Pitt finds himself in and Tommy Lee Jones as a kind of space hermit who isn't quite crazy but hardly interesting.There were many points in the movie where the plot could have gone the cliché route but opted not to. The almost humorous part is that the cliché option would have probably made more sense and also have been more interesting.
karuss
Gray transforms the cliches into something truly beautiful. Bonus points for the max richter score.TheOnlyRogueAngel
I really liked this. Slower-tempo than I expected from a space adventure/drama movie, but it was a nice change. The action was gritty and realistic, and the abandoned child/absent father relationship was different from the usual.royalspikey77
This is how I like my sci-fi!! Could watch this all day long and twice on Sundays.Visually it is something special and the character is just the right fit for Mr Pitt..
isilay
James Gray tried to make a mixture of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Interstellar but he couldn't be successful about that. This story turned to an common father-son issue from endless space and unanswered questions so quickly. I think Ad Astra is a waste of very successful cinematographychunkylefunga
Very average, will be forgotten in years to come.wonderliv
Unfortunately, I have to agree with some of the most critical comments already posted. We were 2 people excited to see this movie and 2 people disappointed by it. It tried but did not quite deliver, and it all boils down to one simple reason: the writing left it lacking. If you ask us, it is an "okay to watch once but coulda done better".While the cast is great, with surprise guest stars at every turn, it is severely under-utilized. Every known head shows up for a flat one-liner. The realism of the movie, as depressing a reminder of men's pillaging habits as can be, leaves every scene very predictable
Last but not least, the end could have easily compensated for some of these issues and wrapped it all up in a neat little bow, if only it showed some real change
Earring72
Slow burner. Great looking Sci fi drama. Very fine movie with a terrific Pitt. Not for everyone but I really liked it. Heart of Darkness in space :-)heat_
Most of the boxes ticked, worth watching.Aeon Rio
I think this movie is underrated.Emiam
-4Nice sci-fi. Quiet. Slow, but not disturbing. Exciting. Good music. Interesting theme. Neat photo. Good length. Nice way to use Pitt's character narrative because he rarely has people to have a dialogue with in the space where the action is usually presented by just that.
Shows the enormous pressure that lies on an astronaut. Also on the loneliness in space that can drive some crazy.
Ebbywebby
I don't know which random element was more puzzling:wakep
Very disappointing and completely overrated movie.I love slow and introspect movies but this one is just bad and full of errors.
Monologues are empty and pretentious, with no philosophical depth, just big words.
SPOILERS
Brad Pitt seems lost during the entire movie, the relationship with its father (if that is what seems to be its motive) does not support its character.
There are rabid baboons in space and moon pirates? why perfectly trained astronauts shoot inside an spaceship? One flight is lost in the world right now and everybody panics, but there are floating spacecrafts in with people dead and no one cares? All the bodies are dumped into space, really? no one is going to try to send them to their families for a proper burial? specially when everybody seems to be religious? Who is this character that gets a heart attack in the moon? Cannot they record the message on earth and send it to mars?
May be if you had a father that abandoned you, you will feel related or even entertained, for the rest of us is just boring and stupid.
Visuals OK though.
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