Hot Take: Technically, Gravity is nearly flawless. Great! Once you strip away the stunning, beautiful visuals you have a good (not great) movie with respected actors playing themselves as astronauts. In summary: Great experience, good movie.

My first experience with Gravity was on a 20″ screen. Even on a 20″ tube television, the Alfonso Cuaron helmed film is spectacular to look at. The beautiful visuals and tight, meticulous camera work were both mesmerizing and frustrating but only the latter because I somehow missed this at theaters and will not be happy until I experience it.

Unfortunately, due to a fairly generic plot and characters eerily similar to the actors portraying them, Gravity is mostly style with little substance. That being said, the style is so impressive and immersive, you don’t mind watching astronaut Sandra Bullock and astronaut George Clooney fight to survive the challenge of a failed space mission. And really, you couldn’t find two more charismatic actors to get a pass from the audience for a somewhat “mailed in” performance.

It cannot be oversold how easily watchable Gravity is. At roughly 90 minutes, the time investment isn’t even taxing. Cuaron creates an immersive film that would be riveting if neither star ever opened their mouth… a visual masterpiece.

“Spoiler Free” Pros

  • It Has To Be Said Again: It’s Visually Stunning
    Even on a 20″ tube TV, you won’t want to look away for a second.
  • You Feel Like You’re In Space
    Even on a very small screen, it feels a little bit like a four dimensional theme park ride.
  • Clooney & Bullock Work Together Seamlessly
    The generic plot gets a huge boost from Clooney & Bullock’s on-screen chemistry.

“Spoiler Free” Cons

  • Enjoyment Is Linked to How You Experience the View
    It is probably not smart to watch this film anywhere other than at IMAX.
  • The Characters Are Slightly Cartoonish
    Rookie astronaut Bullock is a little too green. It’s hard to imagine she received more than a two-day crash course on how to be an astronaut. Veteran astronaut Clooney is a little too smooth. He’s so calm and collected he should be 70 and on his 30th space mission.