Gravity review

GRAVITY:

ONE CHILLING, INTENSE, AND HIGHLY ENTERTAINING RIDE THAT’S DEFINITELY WORTH ADMISSION!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Sandra Bullock drifting off course in Gravity

            Director Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) brings a haunting vision of survival in space to the screen in his latest sci-fi thriller, Gravity. The film may remind people of movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Alien franchise, or Duncan Jones’ Moon, but it offers plenty of intense surprises and twists to keep the audience engaged.

            Besides all the suspenseful moments with explosions and destruction, the subtle scenes in escape pods and shuttles look great, where all the equipment is flying around the place, 3D is the definitive way to experience the film.

            Sandra Bullock (The Heat, Miss Congeniality, The Blind Side) plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer who is on her first shuttle mission in space with veteran astronaut, Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney-The Descendants, The Ides of March, Burn After Reading). Just as progress was being made, a freak accident occurs, which causes the shuttle to get destroyed, all the astronauts are dead, and Stone and Kowalsky are floating through space, with no way to escape.

            While Gravity’s plot is pretty basic, the movie as a whole is not, everything looks big, epic, and filled with chilling suspense. The opening scene where the shuttle gets destroyed and everything’s flying around will deliver chills, even the quiet moments where Bullock and Clooney are maneuvering through space, trying to make their way to the escape pod or when Sandra’s activating the escape pod and calling mission control can send shivers and make the audience repeatedly think in their head “Something bad is going to happen!”

            Like Avatar, Prometheus, and several IMAX space documentaries, the 3D scenes are very impressive and really immerse the audience into the movie; it’s sort of like an IMAX 3D space documentary…on STEROIDS! The 3D, while amazing, I’m not sure whether or not it’s better than films like Avatar or Prometheus, that’s usually a good sign that the extra 3D charge was worth it.

            I enjoyed Gravity as a whole, but my only issue with the film is they didn’t explain exactly what happened to George Clooney near the end, perhaps a little more detail on that would make the movie a little stronger, but that’s the only problem I seem to have with the flick. So, I say buy a 3D ticket, go into “Gravity”, and experience it for yourself.