Written by Jonathan Klotz | Published
The fate of humanity is at stake, and only Brad Pitt, in a rare sci-fi role, can save the known universe. On paper, Ad Astra It looks amazing; Run by James Gray, award-winning administrator We own the night and Lost City Zand includes both Tommy Lee Jones and Donald Sutherland in the expanded cast, so all the parts were in place for it to be a huge hit. Instead, the film is too well-made to be a good film, too bad and too boring to please audiences, leaving it stuck in the middle where no film wants to be: great shots, competently made and well-acted, but met with mass shrug Of indifference.
A visually stunning journey into space
Ad Astra Humanity is on the verge of collapse due to a strange force emerging from the depths of the solar system and shaking planet Earth. However, there are no aliens, it is a floating space station in Neptune’s orbit responsible for the surges. Brad Pitt, as astronaut Roy McBride, is sent in charge of a team to find out if there is anyone still alive on the space station “Project Lima”, which is supposed to include his father, project leader Clifford McBride, who plays Tommy Lee Jones. .
Getting from Point A to Point B proves difficult, thanks in part to monstrous lab monkeys, space pirates, a power surge that hits their ship at the worst possible moment, and a series of double crosses. Ad Astra He manages to cram a lot into it, but at the same time, very little of consequence. The escaped apes have little to do with the fate of the galaxy, so by the time the film gets to the story’s real themes, the bond between father and son, and humanity’s hopes for space exploration, most viewers have switched off.
Ad Astra does a lot
When a film is described as “slow”, that is usually the reviewer’s code word for “boring” or “plodding”, and yes, Ad Astra It’s a slow film, but that’s because it’s a rare modern, contemplative piece of big-budget cinematic sci-fi. more 2001: A space journey Unlike Star Wars, there’s a potential cult classic lurking in the script and behind the gorgeous shots of outer space, but the focus is too broad to be brought out of hiding.
Astra ad The transition into the third act occurs with a great moment to focus on Roy, his relationships, what has brought him to this point, and what he hopes to achieve. This is what the film excels at, and if there had been more moments like this and less with runaway apes or space pirates, it could have reached the heights of other cerebral sci-fi films like Solaris or Access.
Brad Pitt isn’t usually busy with movies, but when he is, he brings his A-game Interview with the Vampire to 12 monkeyand Ad Astra is no exception. With a running time of 124 minutes, cutting back 10 or even 15 minutes would have tightened the pace to produce something more memorable and thought-provoking rather than a film that tries to do too much and loses itself in the process.
Ad Astra It is currently streaming on Hulu.