Interstellar

Rated PG-13 for some intense perilous action and brief strong language.

Interstellar is, I am sure, director Christopher Nolan’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Most film aficionados and critics consider the latter a masterpiece. Stanley Kubrick’s magnum opus bores and gives me a headache at the same time; so go ahead, call me a blasphemer. Interstellar is no 2001: A Space Odyssey. In that, I mean, it is not a masterpiece and it did not bore nor did it give me a headache.

In the near future, the world’s food supplies are disappearing and the world has gone full-press agricultural, but failing nevertheless. The environment is collapsing and we see people experiencing another Dustbowl disaster. Former NASA test pilot (and widower) Cooper (Mathew McConaughey) is scratching out a surviving (not a living) by farming along with his father-in-law, and (Cooper’s) two children, a boy and a girl. His son is nearly grown and (sadly for the plot) is a two-dimensional bit player. His daughter (Murphy AKA “Murph”) is the apple of his eye and gets all his love and attention…especially when she is claiming that a ghost is playing tricks in her room pushing books off her bookshelves and breaking a Lunar Lander model. Dad explains to daughter there are no ghosts, only science.

The “ghost” seems to be, in fact, an interstellar message. NASA (operating in secret because the ignorant masses are anti-science and against space exploration) is working on the problem. They have discovered a wormhole near Saturn. NASA needs Cooper to leave his family and pilot a ship with scientists to go through the wormhole to discover a planet to which mankind can travel and find refuge.

The head of the secret project is Michael Caine who is quite fond of Dylan Thomas. Mr. Caine’s character has a daughter who is also going on this mission through the wormhole. This kind of space travel will mess with the timeline back on earth. While the space travelers age very slowly and can go into suspended animation, those on earth age normally. So, Daddy Cooper could find himself—if he returns home—will not see a ten year old daughter but a woman either his age or older. Or he may simply die in space, generations after all his progeny and all of mankind has perished.

I am sure Interstellar is an outrage to serious physicists. It is better if one knows nothing about astronomy and quantum physics because it is filled with scientific plot wormholes. On the other hand, the special effects are mind boggling and breathtaking and the dialog has enough terminology to deceive most of us into thinking by the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter, that what happens on the screen could happen in space. (But trust me, it can’t.)

In the end, I have to say it is an interesting science fiction movie to watch that will most likely not be remembered for anything except for the surprise appearance of Matt Damon as a pluperfect…well, I shan’t give that much away.

I sat for two-and-three-quarter hours and never got bored nor sustained even a hint of a headache. I liked it…enough. I and my fellow space-time continuum traveler saw it on an IMAX screen and it was impressive, but maybe not $21.00 (per) impressive.

Bottom line: I liked it but for reasons that I am not convinced I understand…like the science or even the abuse of science contained in Intersteller.

For science fiction fans, I recommend it but I do so without too much enthusiasm; ditto for fans of Mr. McConaughey and Mr. Damon. I think that Interstellar lacks something (other than scientific plausibility) that escapes me. That missing “something” is enough to not commend it to my readers. It did not bore me nor gave me a skull-crushing headache but I am unmotivated, uninspired and therefore unlikely to suggest my readers shell out big bucks for an interstellar journey, especially for those of you prone to remain earthbound.

Interstellar earns three bow ties out of five.