Hollywood once again finds another way to devastate the whole of humanity in the plot of the latest dystopian sci-fi film “Oblivion.” Unfortunately, the film also does a good deal of devastation to viewers’ senses and expectations.

Directed by “Tron: Legacy” director Joseph Kosinsky, “Oblivion” looks toward the not-so-distance future of 2077, 60 years after Earth was beset by earthquakes, biblical tides and nuclear obliteration caused by the destruction of the moon by alien hands.

On a now-barren Earth, it’s populations transported to Titan, a moon of Saturn, is the job of Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) to surveillance the planet and repair patrol drones whose job it is to scan the landscape for remaining “Scavenger” aliens.

Harper is not alone, though, accompanied by Victoria (Andrea Risenborough) in a lifepod within Earth’s atmosphere. Together, the two have the seemingly important goal of keeping Earth clear of the aliens that destroyed its habitability and to protect the remaining resources of the planet and keep them in human control.

Throughout the first half of the film, Harper is plagued by flashbacks of he and a woman (Olga Kurkylenko of “Quantum of Solace”) atop the once-grand Empire State Building. Harper has no recollection of who the woman could be, and he is certainly not old enough to have been around before Earth’s devastation.

The mystery is deepened when Harper investigates a crashed spacecraft containing a cryogenically frozen crew. The only crewmember to survive is the woman from his flashbacks.

Harper’s discovery forces him to question everything he thought he knew about Earth’s past, his mission, and put him on a path that will leave the fate of the planet and humanity in his hands.

Cruise proves his versatility and virility in his role as action hero and humanity’s champion. At the age of 50, he still comfortably and convincingly puts his all into performing many of his own stunts.

Unfortunately, Cruise’s split chemistry between Victoria and the mystery woman only serves to dilute the already lackluster romance he is able to conjure for the two.

The pace of the film is a decent jog, pulling viewers along and keeping them absorbed with intense scenes. One scene in particular pits Cruise against several “Scavengers” that will quicken nearly anyone’s pulse.

While the visuals of the film are stunning, creating a thoroughly detailed wasteland of Earth, the amount of energy and funds poured into the graphic achievements of the film distract viewers at every turn.

However, the distractions are more welcoming than disorienting, as the plot of the film falls into the common dystopian, sci-fi tropes that leaves viewers hoping that, when the times comes, the ultimate end of humanity takes a more intriguing and genuine turn.

Tim Deters can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].