Oblivion - Part 1

[DA_Champion]

Why don't you think Americans know what drones are?

It's a fundamental transformation of warfare equivalent to the discovery of gunpowder, and it's only a few years later. That sort of change never resonates immediately.

A few years from now the US military will undergo massive cutbacks in troop size, that will have unbelievably large repercussions on the public consciousness.

People in parts of the rest of the world (middle east, africa) might know better if they have been attacked by drones. Meanwhile, Europe, Russia, Latin America, East Asia often have a more rigorous media when it comes to foreign reporting.

Finally, Americans are renowned for their limited awareness of international affairs.

 

[Teelie]

I think it's a perception problem that people see Americans as "dumb" or "ignorant" or any number of negative biases where it's largely the same media who perpetuates those stereotypes is responsible for it.

Most Americans are aware of drones. They're in the news constantly and there is a lot of debate about their use and effectiveness but not everyone sits around discussing them either.

It's a sweeping judgement on an entire nation, something I think is a dangerous assumption to make. I can make comments on other countries renowned to their awareness or ignorance on many things but it doesn't make them true, or accurate.

Also, who cares about the reality of drones now in a sci fi movie about the future where aliens have decimated the planet?

 

[MrMaooz]

The movie had a nice opening weekend. Just didn't hold great legs domestically.

 

[moviedoors]

I wonder if this movie did poorly simply because most Americans don't know why a drone is, and thus had no idea what the movie was about.

No, it did ok because it was boring and overly self-serious. I think you're giving it way more credit than it deserves anyway. This movie had nothing thematically coherent on it's mind.

And further, you're being insulting with such blanket accusations.

 

[DA_Champion]

Also, who cares about the reality of drones now in a sci fi movie about the future where aliens have decimated the planet?

Because the movie is an allegory for drone warfare.

"The Tet" could be argued to be the pentagon, or alternatively, capitalism in the era of drone warfare itself.

A lot of the "plotholes" that people point out in this movie are actually part of the allegory... they also don't make much sense in the real world.

 

[DA_Champion]

No, it did ok because it was boring

It's boring if you don't get the theme, which a lot of people didn't. A common complaint is that they didn't know what the movie was about. Hello ?!? it's a diligently-constructed allegory for drone warfare.

It's equivalent to showing the movie Rush to someone who has never had a competitive fire, they won't understand it.

and overly self-serious.

It's a serious subject.

 

[Kane52630]

I bought the bluray last night. I can't wait to see the extras.

 

[Teelie]

I understood their allegory just fine but it didn't change it was just an average movie trying to cash in on a controversial topic.

 

[dustbros]

^ u mean cloning thing? they were victims by alien techs. a pure scifi setup.
not some misjudgement by arrogant mankind against mother nature like controversy at all.

 

[moviedoors]

It's boring if you don't get the theme, which a lot of people didn't. A common complaint is that they didn't know what the movie was about. Hello ?!? it's a diligently-constructed allegory for drone warfare.

You can repeat yourself all you want. I don't agree. I find it to be thematically incoherent, a bland pastiche of ideas and images that never add up to much and I think you're putting more thought into the drone allegory than the filmmakers did. I'm willing to have a conversation about it (though I've only seen it once and I don't plan on changing that anytime soon, so I can only go so far) but if you're just going to passive aggressively suggest that I'm a stupid American because I don't agree with your take on it, forget it.

 

[DA_Champion]

You can repeat yourself all you want. I don't agree. I find it to be thematically incoherent, a bland pastiche of ideas and images that never add up to much and I think you're putting more thought into the drone allegory than the filmmakers did. I'm willing to have a conversation about it (though I've only seen it once and I don't plan on changing that anytime soon, so I can only go so far) but if you're just going to passive aggressively suggest that I'm a stupid American because I don't agree with your take on it, forget it.

What you knew explains how you respond. I'm talking about the general audience reaction. Most of whom have no idea about the implications of drone warfare, so obviously they won't understand the movie. It's like a six year old watching a romantic comedy, he won't get it as the romance part of his brain is undeveloped.

The filmmakers put plenty of thought into the drone allegory, otherwise it wouldn't work.

As for the movie being a pastiche, I'm not aware of any science fiction which is completely original. Out of what I watched this year, I can't possibly argue that Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Man of Steel, Star Trek into Darkness, Riddick, Elysium, Gravity, or Pacific Rim were more original. Oblivion was at worst the third most original of that bunch, behind Elysium and Gravity.

But, since you think it's unoriginal and shallow:
1) What is the meaning of "we are an effective team"?
2) Where has this storytelling strategy been plagiarised from?

 

[MrMaooz]

So in the end, your point is that Americans didn't watch this movie because they don't care for drones?

 

[DA_Champion]

So in the end, your point is that Americans didn't watch this movie because they don't care for drones?

More or less.

 

[MrMaooz]

More or less.

I don't think that's the case.

 

[Octoberist]

I don't think that's the case either. I think it was due to the marketing and dare I say it, Cruise himself.

 

[MrMaooz]

I'm a big Cruise fan, but the movie didn't really appeal to me at all.

 

[Octoberist]

I like Cruise too but let's face it, there's a stigma with him. Jack Reacher barely made its money back. Knight and Day was a miss.

And Mission Impossible 4 made money because..it was Mission Impossible.

And as much as I enjoyed Oblivion, I think most folks figured out the story in the trailer. It's not the most inspired film but it has beautiful visuals.

 

[moviedoors]

Or maybe because it wasn't all that great.

 

[MrMaooz]

I like Cruise too but let's face it, there's a stigma with him. Jack Reacher barely made its money back. Knight and Day was a miss.

And Mission Impossible 4 made money because..it was Mission Impossible.

And as much as I enjoyed Oblivion, I think most folks figured out the story in the trailer. It's not the most inspired film but it has beautiful visuals.

I thought Jack Reacher did fine. Knight and Day, well I don't what to say about that. Oblivion did have potential for more Box Office. To be honest, if marketing is done right, Edge of Tomorrow could land him a really big blockbuster domestically(Cruise movies have usually been fine OS).

Or maybe because it wasn't all that great.

Same. It wasn't anything special, but I liked it.

 

[Octoberist]

Jack Reacher barely slugged away before it was able to become a profit.

But I do agree that Edge of Tomorrow might do pretty well.

With Oblvion, I just think that Joseph Kosinski isn't a great storyteller. He's great at world building but gets lost in it.

 

[dustbros]

that miss[knight and day] was the most earned movie of Fox of the year.
and topped domestic scores of the other actiony rom coms such as bounty hunter, killers, and the tourist.
in other words, the man is doing his job. thats for sure

 

[Octoberist]

Thank God for international Box Office because it merely did okay in the US.

 

[dustbros]

and yet it scored a top number among same genre movies in the us.
saying people do not see a film due to cruise is a utter nonsense.
its not 2005 anymore as u know.

 

[DA_Champion]

I don't think that's the case.

At least, what I appreciated of the movie was the subtle metaphor, but I know I'm the 99th percentile of the population, in terms of being too much of a political junkie.

It was such a fresh air from the standard liberal democratic propaganda we usually get from Hollywood, like Avatar and Independence Day.

 

[Octoberist]

and yet it scored a top number among same genre movies in the us.
saying people do not see a film due to cruise is a utter nonsense.
its not 2005 anymore as u know.

Can't wait for your take on 'Lion for Lamb's success.