In 1968, Stanley Kubrick revolutionized the space science fiction genre like no other with his opus magnum “2001: A Space Odyssey”. However, of all the new productions that take us to the vastness of the universe, “Ad Astra – To the Stars” has the most in common with the classic. As with Kubrick, many practical effects and real stills are used to represent the surface of planets. In exchange for the fact that there is relatively little CGI, the space travel is really impressive.
Before we start, the note that “Ad Astra” is currently available on the Netflix and (!) Disney+ range. Those who are not yet familiar with the visual science fiction journey through the cosmos should do so now.
That’s what “Ad Astra – To the Stars” is all about
Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) embarks on a long and nerve-racking journey to the edge of the solar system as one of the world’s top astronauts. The reason for this is the surprising realization that his father H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) is probably still alive and responsible for a mysterious threat that is shaking the solar system.
Roy embarks on the longest journey of his life, to Neptune. He does not know whether his father is still alive and does not suspect that his superiors are keeping a lot of information from him. Soon he is faced with one obstacle after another at the intermediate stations on the Moon and Mars. So he does everything he can to get to the edge of the universe.
Aesthetic science fiction film
Director James Gray, who recently shot “Times of Upheaval”, has repeatedly shown with his works that aesthetics are important to him. Think back to the atmospheric jungle adventure The Lost City of Z, where he captured the wild jungle with unparalleled intensity. In “Ad Astra” he translates this to space and shows us not only the moon and Mars in their aesthetic roughness, but also one of the most overwhelming intros in the science fiction genre.
While “Gravity” thrives on the explosive and theatrical moments and “Ad Astra” can easily keep up in that regard, Gray’s film impresses above all with its overall look and color scheme. It is not for nothing that the journey through the cosmos looks so different (and therefore so much more beautiful) than in comparable films. On the one hand, Gray increasingly relied on practical effects, such as models and props for the exterior shots of the starships, and on the other, real still images of the planets. It’s really fascinating how much of a difference this makes in general.
This is perfectly rounded off by the orange and blue tones, which always determine what is happening. Gray makes no bones about the fact that color matters to him, especially when we’re presented with more colorful scenes than in “Blade runner 2049“.
Immersive high-end cinema
As already mentioned in the FILMSTARTS review, the film gem mainly benefits from the exciting parts, for example in the “Mad Max”-esque moon rover chase. The good thing about it: In these moments, Gray doesn’t rely on too much spectacle and booming tones à la Hans Zimmerbut on quiet parts of it Max Richter, who already brightened up films like “Shutter Island” and “Arrival” with his melancholic piece “On the Nature of Daylight”. But not only that.
Narratively, Gray mainly focuses on solutions that Pitt’s character must find and do in order to maneuver himself out of dire situations. This is refreshing and also allows for great character depth that is often lost in the sci-fi genre when filmmakers focus solely on the visuals. “Ad Astra” one can charge anything but “style over substance” because Pitt’s character is always the center of attention, experiencing an almost spiritual journey through the vastness of space.
“Ad Astra” is a quiet film about people
With his work, Gray clearly proves that he knows when to press which buttons and when not to – not only when making musical decisions, but also when it comes to theatrical matters, never crossing the line at any point. Pitt delivers one of his most emotional performances with his constant wistfulness perfectly complemented by the voiceovers that capture his thoughts.
Overall, the space adventure means more than just pure science fiction. This is not just about a nerve-racking journey through the cosmos and a complicated father-son relationship, but about overcoming – metaphorically speaking – astronomical trauma. So things get all the more poetic towards the end when Pitt’s character realizes that the size of the universe isn’t so terrifying in relation to existential fears.
Since “Ad Astra” is more like an art film than a mainstream blockbuster, parallels with Stanley Kubrick’s “2001 – A Space Odyssey” are appropriate. So don’t expect too much action here and certainly not to be pushed into a chair. On the contrary, the greatest strength lies elsewhere. Other than in “Interstellar“ it is shown: physics and space research may be very complicated fields, but much less complex than human emotional worlds.