REVIEW: Heavy tension makes ‘Gravity’ a must-see

By Shawn Trisler

Ranger Reporter

 

Gravity is director Alfonso Cuarón’s new tension-filled space thriller. It was filmed in 3-D with visually stunning camera work. With a tense and suspenseful storyline and two great actors, it’s a must-see.

Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, and George Clooney plays Matt Kowalski. Stone is a hard-working professional on her first mission as an astronaut. Kowalski is a veteran of the space program who is at home among the planets and the stars.

Both are astronauts on a mission in space to fix the Hubble space telescope. While working on the telescope, space debris becomes a danger and the astronauts must abort the mission as soon as possible. Before they can reach safety inside the space shuttle, it is destroyed by space debris. During the destruction of the shuttle, both astronauts become untethered from the shuttle and are floating helplessly in space. Without the space shuttle and no way to communicate with NASA, their troubles have just begun.

The astronauts’ only hope is trying to reach the International Space Station using a jet pack one of them is wearing. With dwindling oxygen levels and the chances of survival low, the astronauts fight to stay alive against the elements of space.

The movie was filmed in 3-D, and some of the visual effects are incredible. Gravity needs to be seen at a theater to provide the full visual experience.

But the visuals are not the only impressive part of the movie. The storytelling is intense. At every turn, a new layer of tension is added. A new obstacle constantly shows up for the astronauts to overcome. The story unfolds with perfect suspenseful timing, never allowing for a break in the astronauts’ struggle to survive.

If there is a negative, it is all the alone time the audience spends with Dr. Ryan Stone. For most of the movie, Stone is the only character with dialogue. Granted, it is in space, and the scenes do make sense this way. A few scenes probably could have been cut shorter, however, or could have been helped by the presence of her fellow astronaut, Kowalski.

This is a great movie. With the rotating camera work and the use of 3-D, some of the visuals are absolutely beautiful. The storyline moves quickly, with the movie lasting only 90 minutes. The plot builds suspense, however, and does not stop until the very end.