Thursday, September 19, 2019

Ad Astra Movie Review

Brad Pitt stars in Ad Astra

A One-Way Voyage

Rotten Tomatoes Plot: Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in the cosmos. Directed by James Gray.


Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler and Donald Sutherland

What's Good: The first hour and a half is really, really good. First-rate cinematography, impressive sound & special effects, and Brad Pitt, in all his (Oscar-worthy) glory. The story has a few noticeable holes (breaks in protocol, common sense, etc.) but it's compelling to watch. Until...

What's Not: The ending sucks (sorry, but someone has to say it.) Implausible to a fault, Tommy Lee Jones in outer space, almost 20 years after Space Cowboys is a bad idea. I understand Pitt's father has to be a certain age, but that part of the storyline is impossible to swallow. Ditto for Donald Sutherland, no matter how much I like him. Just how old are these guys?

Budget: $80-100 million

Runtime: 124 minutes.

Target Audience: Fans of Brad Pitt and/or science fiction.

Bottom Line: Pitt's journey looks and sounds a lot like Apocalypse Now, only in outer space. Lucky for all involved, Pitt is one of the few actors who can carry a film all by his lonesome. Simultaneously confident, yet modest... it's almost impossible to take your eyes off him, even when he's droning on about the meaning of life (or some not-so-subtle daddy issues.) See it on a big screen (IMAX, if possible.) You'll be glad you did.

GradeB (The ending is disappointing, but the rest of the film is downright mesmerizing.)