AD ASTRA    3.3***

  Basic plot::   Thirty years ago, Clifford McBride led a voyage into deep space, but the ship and crew were never heard from again. Now his son -- a fearless astronaut -- must embark on a daring mission to Neptune to uncover the truth about his missing father and a mysterious power surge that threatens the stability of the universe.    

“Ad Astra” ( The title means "to the stars" in Latin ) follows Roy McBride, (Brad Pitt) an astronaut in the near future, as he ventures through space in hopes of finding his father, who has been missing for 30 years. Along the way, which includes stops on the Moon and Mars which have been settled) more secrets are uncovered and even deep emotional stakes are explored. Now, this premise seems like your average rescue mission, but it's definitely not that in the slightest. Yes, the movie takes you on this journey, but it really asks you to sit back, enjoy some breathtaking visuals, great sound design, a wonderfully immersive score, and a central character in Roy, who Brad Pitt commits very strongly to.

All of these elements are fantastic and I never found myself bored, but the pacing of this movie is intentionally very, very slow, which may turn off some viewers. At two hours, this movie isn't very long, but it can feel it at times. Other than that, I think what this movie sets out to accomplish is done quite well. I was  immersed in this world and the slow pace almost had me in a trance.  

As aforementioned, Brad Pitt leads this film and demands your attention. Everyone knows that he's one of the best actors out there today, but it's always nice to see when a great actor goes the extra mile in terms of committing to a character. He is excellent and deserving of an Oscar nomination for best actor. Through his performance alone, I truly cared about this movie and how it would end.

. If you come into the film expecting a 'space action adventure', you might be disappointed. The focus is on the character of Roy and how he changes, what he discovers about himself at the end of his journey. The cinematography is gorgeous with vibrant colors, stark contrasts and dazzling lighting, as well as spectacular visual effects depicting a stark, but gentle rendition of outer space.

 Rated PG-13 for some violence and bloody images, and for brief strong language