Interstellar Review

     There's an old say that when an animal’s back is against the wall it is at its most dangerous, that statement describes humans perfectly. Faced with our own mortality, people will go to the end of the earth to survive; but what happens when there is no where left on earth to go to. The only logical answer is to look to the stars. That is exactly what "Interstellar" is about. Directed by one of the best directors currently working, Christopher Nolan, this has been the most anticipated movie of the year for a lot of people. It had a great cast, an interesting premise, and the fact that it was a Nolan movie only brought more attention to it. Since the first trailer, I couldn't even contain my excitement. I was convinced that this was going to be the next sci-fi masterpiece and would be the best movie of the year. So after waiting more than a year, "Interstellar" has finally taken flight. 

     Taking place in a not so distant future, Earth is dying. After years of trying to sustain billions of people, the entire world has entered into a sort of dust bowl; the soil is no longer fertile, and we are having trouble feeding so many people. Cooper, a farmer and former astronaut, lives with his two children and father-in-law; one day after a huge dust storm Cooper comes upon some sort of anomaly. After decoding what appears to be a message, it takes him to a secret base run by the government. He learns that about 50 years ago, a wormhole was discovered near Saturn that could lead to another galaxy with habitable planets. The people behind the mission ask Cooper to pilot the ship; reluctant about leaving his kids, he ultimately agrees since it might be the only way to save the human race. So along with a group of scientists they head out knowing that if they fail, all is lost.

     Going into 2014, I don't think there was a single movie I was more excited about seeing. I am such a huge Nolan fan, I was hoping this would be the next "2001: A Space Odyssey." Unfortunately though, it is not. One thing that really got me excited was seeing some of the cast, a lot of A-list actors with Matthew McConaughey at the helm. And as expected, everyone does great. There isn't a bad performance in the bunch. Even the kids do a really good job. They're assisted by the fact that the characters are so likable. You want nothing more for these characters to succeed because you see the hardships that they go through and you just want them to catch a break. The movie is also very emotional, on more than one occasion it had me almost tearing up. I did hear a few people in the theater full on crying. What really helps would be the musical score by Hans Zimmer, who always known the perfect piece to assist the scene. One thing that Nolan has become known for would be how beautiful his movies are, and "Interstellar" is no different. The cinematography and visual effects are gorgeous and Oscar worthy. There are multiple shots in this movie were you're jaw will drop of the sheer beauty. The film also has really great production value; Nolan really like to use practical effects and actual sets instead of having too much CGI, and it all looks really good in this movie. I think one thing that this movie really has going for it is that it is ambitious. The scope of the movie isn't something you see every day, and you can tell that Nolan had a vision for what this movie could be and went after it. And that just shows how great he is, and he really does an amazing job directing this movie. And while he does a great job, the movie doesn't always match stack up. The movie is very though provoking, I don't think anyone can deny that, but at times it tries too get a little to philosophical. It wants to be this incredibly deep thematic movie all of the time, but at a certain point you role your eyes and want it to hurry up. Also, this movie is very long; much more so than needed. At 169 minutes, they could have cut out about half an hour of footage. Personally, I think the last ten minutes shouldn't have been included at all. You think the movie is over but there is one more scene, and I think the movie would have been better without it. But the biggest problem would be the plot, it's jumbled. Nolan tries to fit so much into this movie that at times it loses itself in its own ambition. It just kind of jumps from one plot line to another; and towards the end it tries to tie a nice little bow on top, but you still might leave the theater confused and a little frustrated. "Interstellar" is not perfect, it suffers from a few problems that hold it back from being the next great space movie; still though, this is something I would recommend if you are at all interested. It is a beautiful, well acted movie that will make you think about your place in the universe when you leave the theater. It might not be the masterpiece I was hoping for, but it is another solid addition in Christopher Nolan's filmography. 

Pros: Great performances from the entire cast, likable characters you root for, beautiful cinematography and visual effects, solid production value, great directing from Christopher Nolan, very ambitious, thought provoking, really emotional at times, beautiful score. 

Cons: Half an hour too long, plot gets jumbled, tries a little too hard to be philosophical.

4/5 Stars