Fantastically written, expertly acted, and hauntingly atmospheric, Ad Astra is a very unique, methodical, and overall great Sci Fi adventure.
The Premise:
16 years after the disappearance of his father, an Astronaut is sent on a top secret mission across the galaxy to find his father, and potentially stop a worldwide catastrophe.
The Upside:
Ad Astra has a fantastically dreadful atmosphere to it. It is very dark and very haunting, rivaling most atmospheric horror films. This pairs exceptionally well with the themes that are presented throughout the film of exploration, searching for answers in the unknown, and the more personal father son relationship that is explored. Ad Astra also relies heavily on the performances of its actors, as it is a very slow moving film, and both Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones give phenomenal performances. Finally, the score and cinematography is absolutely breathtaking and puts a great bow on top of an already great film.
The Downside:
The things I didn’t necessarily like about Ad Astra aren’t necessarily poorly done, but they stand out like a sore thumb. Specifically two scenes involving Rabid Monkeys and Space Pirates feel horribly out of place. There is also an odd voiceover and narration by Brad Pitt explaining the things going on on screen, which is especially awkward because those scenes are acted extremely well, making the voiceover fairly redundant.
The Verdict: B+
Ad Astra, although very slow moving, is intriguing, effectively haunting, and weaves its themes into the story in an expert fashion, making it a unique and overall very good Sci Fi experience.
The High Point: Brad Pitt’s character development.
The Low Point: Angry Space Monkeys
FlickFix 