Ad Astra (2019) Review

 

Ad Astra (2019)

Ad Astra focuses on Roy McBride, an astronaut sent on a dangerous mission across the galaxy in search of his father Clifford, who’s missing voyage now threatens all life in the universe.

One of my biggest pet peeves with science fiction movies and movies set in space, is how the world as we know it in them is so vastly different. In this, we have a world that is the same, plus a few technological advancements, but all advancements that seem possible in the next 15-20 years. They get it really right, from the space travel, the various terrains and planets, and the predictions of things that would happen if we started colonizing on other planets. It’s all naturally built within the story, with this essentially being Apocalypse Now in space.

I’m not usually big on Brad Pitt outside of Tarantino films, but he played Roy really well here. He prides himself on feeling nothing and always being calm, fittingly though, this is not the case when it comes to his missing father, a fact he tries to dismiss. He’s a seasoned vet of the space force who will do whatever it takes for his mission, even if in this case it’s accidentally murder, letting his father die, and nuking a spaceship off the pull of Neptune to save mankind. Tommy Lee Jones, however briefly he was on screen, has such an aura over him the entire film, with his eventual appearance packing a very emotional payoff.

This film is a slow burn. Yes, there are action pieces there to keep your attention and make things continue to seem daring, but it all leads up to Neptune, which is stunningly the most visually beautiful part of this film, with the color, and accuracy in which the VFX team did at making it seem grand, but not super intense, same as with the Moon and Mars, with both looking fantastic. The ending was a little hokey, not seeming possible, but for suspension of disbelief sake, it was still super cool.

At it’s heart, this is another masterfully done space film that tells the story of a void left by a father, so dedicated to his work, that he is too far gone in the end, in the endless void of space. It’s deeply personal for me, making me appreciate this film a little more.

7.9/10