With ticket sales around $38.2 million, the future-esque science fiction movie “Oblivion” has easily claimed the title of No. 1 on the weekend box office, and rightfully so. An intriguing plotline that is unique amongst its peers has made this film largely popular to audience members of all ages, and promising actors such as Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman ensure that the movie will not be a letdown.

“Oblivion” is set in a world that was invaded by aliens called Scavs and creates a setting that seems like a cross between H.G. Wells’ novel “War of the Worlds” and Roland Emmerich’s film “The Day After Tomorrow.” The war between the intruders and inhabitants of Earth results in the obliteration of the moon, causing an apocalyptical response from the planet. Mankind relocates; some go to live on one of Saturn’s moons called Titan, while a select few reside on a large spaceship orbiting the Earth called the Tet.

Tom Cruise plays the part of Jack Harper, a mechanic in charge of repairing the drones stationed on Earth to eliminate any remaining Scavs. He, along with his partner Victoria, is one of the few humans still remaining on the abandoned planet. Jack’s life is peaceful until he chances upon a few delta-sleep pods that have crashed to Earth. He finds a woman by the name of Julia in a state similar to hibernation in one of the pods and begins to uncover a conspiracy filled with clones, resistance groups, and everything in between.

With many year’s worth of experience as an action star under his belt, Cruise treats the audience of “Oblivion” to thrilling sequences that leave their hearts pounding and bodies at the edge of their seats in anticipation. He skillfully conveys the tension and confusion his character experiences in response to the reality-changing facts that surface.

The CGI aspect of the movie was fairly good—much of the landscape depicted seemed realistic and served as an adequate backdrop for the story. The technology used by the characters all seemed very sleek and modern, with the exception of the air craft, which Jack pilots, and the drones, which felt a bit out of place in the otherwise realistic setting. The lines and motions of the machines were unnaturally smooth and the coloring was too perfect, presenting a peculiarly flat image amidst a scene filled with depth.

Overlooking the issues regarding the graphics, however, was an easy task since my attention was quickly recaptured by the actors and I soon ceased to pick at the flaws. “Oblivion” was excellently balanced with alternating drama and action scenes, successfully keeping its audience riveted on the film. Overall, the film did not disappoint, and I particularly enjoyed pondering the implications of the enigmatic and mind-boggling ending.