critics are tripping over themselves talking this one up
5 star reviews, best movie of the year, cinematic epic, etc, etc
i do enjoy sci-fi occasionally and 3 hours this saturday arvo to kill
some slight reservation as it starts - the fear of being hollywood-duped
prime suspect matthew mcconaughey plays cooper - a solo father of two
set sometime in the near future with them living on a dust-infested farm
their large corn crop at risk of devastation from environmental disaster
which doesn't stop cooper pursuing an airborne drone through the crop
kids on board the truck as he hauls out the laptop and locks onto the drone
lands it, unscrews a panel, pulls out the controller and loads it into the truck
cheap props, a vehicle chase and a good-looking hero - yep - hollywood
back home a dust-storm leads to strange patterns on daughter murphy's floor
somehow cooper determines the dust lines to be digital compass bearings
and off he goes - a secret base - nasa - they want the ex-astronaut back
a secret mission planned through a new worm-hole to find a new planet
trouble is - no known timeframe and murphy in particular is devastated
placated somewhat with a promise that daddy will return to her one day
and then - liftoff - what looks like real footage of a rocket being launched
on-board it's cooper, amelia (anne hathaway) and principal (david oyelowo)
perfect - man, woman, african-american - accompanied by a speaking robot
tars - looking much like a cast-off of a bad prop from a doctor who series
they travel through the worm-hole - first stop is a water covered planet
more underwhelming scenes as they first land and then wade out on it
the craft they are in looking like a cast-off of an old thunderbirds series
i expected at least some amazing special effects not something so dated
and what about the actual physics of the effort to land on another planet
but as one reviewer suggested - just go with it - don't expect anything
ok - how about some decent/convincing acting or a believable plot
no and no - the main man - mm - southern drawls his way through it
his dialogue indecipherable at most times - and his manner - pul-lease
punching the wall behind his co-star and 'god dammit' - tantrum stuff
they take off from this planet and head to the next looking for a dr mann
he in some state of suspension in a plastic bag sliced open by our hero
lo and behold - matt damon - crikey - is his star status on the wane now?
but he's a baddie so there's an almost laughable space-suited fight scene
on and on and on it goes - loud bombastic music reminding us to be in awe
back on planet earth mm's daughter now fully grown and a famous scientist
we know this as we see her make the final mark on a formula-filled blackboard
apparantly mm can get signals but not transmit so he gets messages from home
time travel meaning he is ageing at a fraction of the time that his kids are
the tears flow as he views the messages - tick - film must have emotion
an hour left and i'm well over it - please just let it end - i ain't digging it
more so with extended scenes of some kind of parallel universe thing
mm in his spacesuit looking in on mm saying goodbye to his daughter
screaming for him not to do it - daughter senses his (future) presence
all kind of weird/strange/silly and certainly drawn out far too long
we endure more unlikely scenes/plots/twists and then the big ending
daughter realises he ain't coming back - but what about his big promise?
well she the famous scientist is transported to him now circling saturn
but the time travel thing means he is still the young and handsome hero
daughter an old woman and the final cloying scenes as she is dying
i knew i'd see you again - how - cause my daddy promised me
now dad - off you go and hook up with amelia - you deserve it
pass the bucket please - o-t-t american schmaltzy sentimentalism
i just don't get the rave reviews - maybe a repeat viewing - nope
if this goes down as the best film of the year then i will despair
the biggest con of the year i could cope with - what a crock
couldn't help thinking of the last scientific film i have seen
particle fever - so much better in just about every way
not least the clear and convincing expose of physics
interstellar - more interested in effect than cause...
