Ad Astra
 

I watched the trailer earlier today online. My thinking is that hopefully the movie will be better than is the trailer...:)

Re: Ad Astra
 

I stopped watching the trailer about 38 minutes in, as it looks as if they've put the whole movie in.

Re: Ad Astra
 

This looks like a movie I'm going to enjoy in the theatre with a big bucket of popcorn in my lap.

Brad Pitt seems to be on a roll this year with 2 big movies. Hopefully, he'll win an Oscar for one of the 2 performances. Long overdue!

although his last one was not that good

Second trailer...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IygwvreBYn4

6/10.
I'm not sure what all the fuss is about this movie.
I almost fell asleep watching it.
It has the slow burn of other space movies that the critics love, like 2001 and Blade Runner 2049. But unlike those movies, this one builds to nothing and leaves us with nothing, not even questions.
There are some action scenes in it, but they almost seem thrown-in, just to give it some excitement.
I suppose it's a meaningful movie for people that are opposed to space exploration.
If you want to watch a movie about the wonders of space exploration, this is not your movie. This movie is about people - that's why on the poster, Brad Pitt is not looking up towards the stars, or out beyond the horizon, but right back at us.

Ad salt. Please. Needs spice; something to chew on and digest. ;)

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/htvVnHnroQ4/hqdefault.jpg

Two things that I would like to mention but I won't go into too much detail in case some people might not have seen the movie yet.


First of all, how did they manage to take enough food and water with them to last for the 30 years that they have been out in Space ?


Second point, just from exploring our Solar System do not make assumptions about the entire Universe. Like I said I can't say more about this because I don't want to give away the movie for those that haven't seen it yet.

They fasted a lot.

Re: Ad Astra
 

Starts on a good note. Visually stunning, firm in its science, perfect pace and good acting.

All holds together until they get to Mars. Post that, the movie dives down so badly that it ends up being ****e. It doesn't care for the plot and the science goes for a toss.

The problem with this flick was that it tried to be many things - an action flick, sci-fi flick exploring space, a sci-fi flick exploring answers for life in the Universe and a flick about human emotions and relationships.
And in the end it ended up being none. I have no issues with the final message, but the way it was delivered - it had no kick or punch.

Shame really, cause I thought visually the movie is gorgeous. And Brad Pitt probably gave one of his finest performance in it.

Re: Ad Astra
 

I liked Ad Astra, but it lacked x-factor to be truly a favourite of mine.

wow everything you just said is almost all the reasons why I loved this movie.. the fact it didnt turn into 2001.. or try to.. like so many others have and failed.. to just become a garbled convoluted mess but instead come back to something human and real.. I thought it was powerful. The action scenes with things happening silently on the edge of camera almost were gorgeous and artful and unlike anything Ive seen.. just added more... I'm still chewing on this film a month after watching it and I honestly had low expectation but just crept up on me and I was totally won, the ending just sealed the deal

I am not opposed to space travel if that is even a thing and to me 2001 was... nothing

Ad Astra (2019)

Having heard some negativity about this film, it was pleasantly surprising how absorbing this production was. The first half especially was impressive in its freshness and intrigue. The film periodically borrowed from 2001: A Space Odyssey, but then most space films have.

The story went a little off the rails in the second half, although it's tricky to pinpoint why. Each individual scene worked very well as produced, but the overall premise of the picture seemed too far-fetched for the stated time setting of "the near future". Having astronauts able to ply the far reaches of Neptune and the limits of our solar system wouldn't seem achievable until centuries into the future.

The performances were first rate, and it occurred to me while observing Brad Pitt's portrayal that he is a much better actor to whom I'd previously given credit. His character is reserved, subtle and nuanced, and always feels genuine. Tommy Lee Jones too is first rate in a performance that is more introspective than his usual roles. He has comparatively little screen time, but he makes the most of it.

The picture's special effects and cinematography are top of the line, which one might expect in this type of production. And once the premise is accepted, most of the action is impressive: the Moon chase sequences, the attacks within a biomedical research station, and the rings of Neptune are all memorable.

The PG-13 rating was appreciated. The film avoided the unnecessary trappings of R-rated triteness. This may be a "space opera", but it is solidly earth bound (in contrast to Star Wars and the like). So the draw of Earth as being home are never ignored, and is able to set up a gratifying ending.

This is my favorite of director/writer James Gray's pictures. Had I realized his previous film was The Lost City of Z, it would have caused me even more reluctance to see Ad Astra. But I'm a sucker for happy endings, and it appears as though Gray has the same predilection. We'll be looking forward to his next picture.

Doc's rating 7/10

I think it's because it all comes to nothing in the end, there's an intriguing sense of doom and tension 1st half that just kinda peeters out.

6/10

Re: Ad Astra
 

I liked it, but the trailer was a complete lie. It made it out to be a scifi action flick. Instead you get a story that takes you on a wander through the solar system and exposes you to various weird aspects of future life occurring throughout.