By: Anton Massopust III

“Sins follow the father,”

– H. Clifford McBride

A father, H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) and son, Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) collide in a realistic science fiction film “Ad Astra”. Roy McBride, a young astronaut who is in stationed in a space station nearly dies after a wave of energy hits the solar system and cancels out everyone’s power. McBride climbs down to the end of the ladder and parachutes back into the earth’s atmosphere to safety.

After Roy McBride is called in by NASA who discovered the source of the energy. It’s a ship located past Jupiter that’s malfunctioning and commanded by Roy’s father, H. Clifford McBride and it is uncertain if H. Clifford is alive or dead. NASA wants Roy to first go to the moon, then go to a base Mars to get to send a written communication prepared for H. Clifford to find out if he is alive. On the way to the moon, Roy meets an old friend of his father, Thomas Pruitt (Donald Sutherland). Roy finds out information that the government did not tell him. 

After being attacked by pirates on the moon looking for equipment, Pruitt is wounded, and Roy must make this journey up to Mars with his crew. But what NASA wants, and Roy wants are two different things. 

In this film H. Clifford McBride is an American Hero who is a commander sent to look for intelligent life and just won’t give up. He has gone the farthest out into outerspace than anyone else in this world of the far future.

In the same spirit as the movies, “Gravity” and “2001: A Space Odyssey” and to some extent, movies like “Alien” where there is a similar look with similar technology. It’s more of a realistic sort of science fiction and what it would it be really like if we had colonies on the moon and Mars and what the search be like to look for intelligent life. “Ad Astra” is not really about all of that, although the special effects are wonderful, and you really feel like you are in outerspace. “Ad Astra” is more about the relationship between a father and son and not letting go, and how things sometimes get in the way in relationships, especially between father and sons and understanding how fame and glory can change you.

Performances are tight, but don’t expect lots of action. It’s more of a drama than anything else. The film about relationships and the realism of outer space. Although there is a little bit of action, if you go to watch the move expecting a good drama, you will not be disappointed. It’s definitely worth a rent. Available now on demand.