AD ASTRA: Some are lauding its originality and epic scale: Apocalypse Now in space! Some are dissenting. A few even fell asleep! But that’s always the way with the annual SPACE movie!
Yes: a new tradition. Every year, to mark the Fall, we get a space film. It is serious science and not pure sci-fi fantasy. It is very worthy. Visually stunning. Well acted by big names. Possibly wins or at least gets nominated for Oscars. MIGHT be a BIT boring in a few places and make you sleepy, without ever undermining the brilliance of the piece.
See also..
GRAVITY
So long, Downey Junior dropped out. So GOOD that Clooney stepped up. Ok maybe it was a scheduling conflict but even so. Sandra Bullock BRILLIANT! Amazing visuals. VERY LONG.
INTERSTELLAR
Fascinating lecture in time travel dynamics via genuine relativity. Spielberg like visuals, notably the crop field. Michael Caine: great, especially with Anne Hathaway. Bit LONG, though.
THE MARTIAN
Had a GREAT viral campaign. Ridley Scott as vital a director as ever. Matt Damon a great leading man. An insightful science lesson and rousing call to action on space. VERY LONG.
PASSENGERS
Did not perform as well as should have, given the union of JENNIFER LAWRENCE to CHRIS PRATT, onscreen..two of the biggest stars, ever, back then. Maybe it was too LONG?
FIRST MAN
Ryan Gosling, goes to space. Not QUITE as LONG as his BLADE RUNNER 2049, but also no cameo from Harrison Ford.
And so, this year: AD ASTRA. See: time, on a loop. #Relativity 😉
There will be another long space film released in the Fall of 2020. AVATAR 17.
JAMES MURPHY IS..IN SPACE.