Ad Astra (2019)

[crazed 9.6]

Director: James Gray
Writers: James Gray, Ethan Gross
Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland

The title means "to the stars" in Latin.
"Per Aspera Ad Astra" ... Through the hardships to the Stars.

The film is set in the not so distant future (according to the narrative).
In this time period, there are regular public flights to the Moon and to Mars and they have also visited Saturn and beyond.

The plot of the movie is that there was a mission sent to Neptune some years prior, but something went wrong, which could destroy life on earth if not fixed.

Brad Pitt plays the role of Major Roy McBride, who is being sent (from Earth) to Mars to help with the problem.
Tommy Lee Jones plays the role of Roy's dad and the commander of the Neptune mission.

It's not a space movie like some other recent space movies may have been, like Gravity or Interstellar. It's more of a drama story that just happens to be set in space.
Space travel and even being on the Moon is almost mundane in this movie. They have flight attendants on them Moon flights and you can watch a movie or get a pillow and a blanket and get some sleep or have a snack and enjoy the trip.

It could be easily criticized at many turns for not really showing realistic events. But it is otherwise a great movie.
The cinematics and sound score are outstanding.

Brad plays the role great, if you ignore that the events would probably not really be how they would take place.
The scenes on the Moon in the Moon buggies is one example. And there are others. But ignore that and simply enjoy the special effects and it will be fine :)

C/P Quote from a critic...
'It is a movie more for the critics and lovers of cinema art , and less for general public wanting some space sci-fi epic.
But everyone will find something to enjoy in this film !'

Donald Sutherland plays the role of an aging Commander .
And wasn't there another movie some time ago, with Sutherland and Jones, and they were also aging space flight Commanders in that movie too.
It was with Clint Eastwood... "All the Right Stuff" I think it was called :)


https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTllZTdlOGEtZTBmMi00MGQ5LWFjN2MtOGEyZTliNGY1Mz FiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODk4OTc3MTY@._V1_.jpg

[Kimbo]

Just watched it the other day, I completely agree it is a drama that happens in space. This movie for me had its moments, enough to say overall "okay to watch even for a scifi geek as myself"

[crazed 9.6]

I forgot to mention another tid bit I had noticed.
Liv Tyler plays the role of Roy McBride's love interest (Eve), but they had split up long before the onset of the events in this movie.
Liv tyler also played the part of Ben Affleck's love interest in that 'space' movie Armagedonn.
In that movie she played the part of a woman waiting for her man and her father to return safely from space. Her father (Bruce Willis) died in space.
But In this movie, she would have none of that and left the relationship before she had to wait any longer or see her husband (or father) die or be lost in space and Major McBride did and would make her wait and wonder. Space travel is what he did.

Just another small tid bit that may not have been on purpose, but I thought it was interesting that they cast Liv Tyler as Eve

[4me2c]

Surprised that Roy wasn't Adam...!

[Marley]

they gave this movie 4 out 10 i can see why

[Kimbo]

they gave this movie 4 out 10 i can see why

It help that i was medicated. and lots of space scenes :cool:

[zaang83]

Medication needed for sure........;)

[Orziz]

Donald Sutherland plays the role of an aging Commander .
And wasn't there another movie some time ago, with Sutherland and Jones, and they were also aging space flight Commanders in that movie too.
It was with Clint Eastwood... "All the Right Stuff" I think it was called :)


I think the movie you’re thinking about is called “Space Cowboys”