I am OK with boring, as long as I am given some awe of the production values or the setting or the performances. I am not OK with being bored while in the midst of a sloppy story full of nonsensical, barely scifi elements that are trying to be grounded in real science. The movie opens with Roy McBride (Brad Pitt, Twelve Monkeys) working on a giant space structure in low orbit. McBride's work is interrupted by bright flash in the collective sky which causes overloads to the space station cum giant antenna cum space elevator. Things explode and McBride parachutes back to Earth, from orbit. Thus begins the lead-head-to-side-and-say-really grasp on science the movie maintains.
The flash has come from somewhere deep in space, likely related to McBride's father who was lost on a mission 16 years earlier. He is asked by Space Command (established by Trump?) to head to Mars where a very very strong communications array exists -- it can send a message from Young(ish) McBride to Old McBride, to find out what the fuck he is doing. Apparently these surges, generated by a man-made machine could lead to the end of all life on Earth. Somehow. Getting to Mars involves moon pirates and angry baboons.
As we experience the world Young McBride lives in, we are exposed to him, his mental state, one that is tightly connected to his memories of his father and his extreme desire to keep all emotions in check. He is known for always keeping his heart rate low. We are supposed to see him as completely in control, but I only saw him as always on the delicate edge, always able to fake the computer moderated psyche evals, and always just about to crack. This is supposed to strike us, emotionally, but forgive me for just sighing and not being moved by his daddy issues.
As for the rest, the science fiction was not fantastical enough to be overlooked nor strict enough to be marveled at. And there were just so many moments I shook my head as to why. Sure, the moon buggy chase scene looked good out of context, but the context they provided was so thin it seemed added so there would be some action, i.e. Space Pirates!! As well, the baboons. I can accept the Mars flight being diverted to a random space station sending out a mayday -- there cannot be that many safe flight paths from the Moon to Mars, but once McBride loses a man to a mad monkey, he just runs away, back to the ship and onto Mars, one man down. Again, why even show the scene? Why?!?!
McBride is led to his inevitable confrontation with his father (Tommy Lee Jones, Volcano) on the never-really-lost deep space expedition. Yes, their technology is sending out the flashes that move very fast and are causing lots of damage on Earth. Why does this exist? Why can't it be turned off? Why can't he just tell people "oops" and get assistance? All because he has lost it emotionally, having the crux of his journey into deep space (find evidence of alien life) failed and thus lost his will to accept human reality. Dude, space is big, REALLY big. Just because you cannot find it doesn't mean its not out there. Young McBride finally has to really, truly let go of his father and this emotional catharsis is also supposed to save the human race. But, by this time, I really didn't care.
The whole movie seemed to be about the emotional indulgence of aging men. Maybe that was the point, to show what a creator could get so wrapped up in. That his own reflections and extravagances of the movie could really amount to nothing but .... nothing.
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