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Short Takes: Movie reviews

These are condensed from Daily News movie critic Gary Thompson's reviews, unless noted otherwise.

Tom Cruise stars in Oblivion, an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the director of TRON: Legacy and the producer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete. Living and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.
Tom Cruise stars in Oblivion, an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the director of TRON: Legacy and the producer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete. Living and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.Read more

Condensed from Daily News movie critic Gary Thompson's reviews, unless noted otherwise.

THE GREAT GATSBY. Jay-Z is the musical host for Baz Luhrmann's big 3D extravaganza, but all of Luhrmann's grand flourishes can't overcome the challenges of filming this notoriously unfilmable novel. It's another swing and miss at Fitzgerald. With Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby and Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan. (PG-13) B-

PEEPLES. Affable Craig Robinson gets his chance to be a leading man in this unfortunately lame "Meet the Parents" clone from the Tyler Perry comedy factory. The movie is a brisk 88 minutes, but half a dozen good jokes aren't enough to carry it. (PG-13) C

MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN. Ambitious adaptation of Salman Rushdie's sprawling epic about the partitioning of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It's gorgeous (as are the many stunning Indian/Pakistani actresses). But it struggles to find emotional focus as it grows wild, broad and much too long - clocking in at 140 minutes. (Not rated, adult themes.) C+

IRON MAN 3. Robert Downey Jr. teams up again with Shane Black, the writer-director who revived his career in "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang." Together they revive the franchise, delivering a fun, twisty story - with a big contribution from Sir Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin. (PG-13) B+

RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST. Mira Nair's U.S./Pakastan culture clash drama has provocative ideas, but makes for a dull thriller. With UK rapper Riz Ahmed in the title role, plus Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland and Liev Schreiber. (R) C

MUD. Great slice-of-life Southern tale of a fugitive (Matthew McConaughey) who enlists two teens to help him build a boat. (PG-13) A-

PAIN AND GAIN. Director Michael Bay can't find the right tone in this satiric tale of steroid-abusing psychos. Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Anthony Mackie. (PG-13) C

THE BIG WEDDING. Every rom-com cliche is thrown into this star-packed, but barely watchable, family wedding comedy. (PG-13) D

OBLIVION. Tom Cruise stars as an omega-man mercenary preparing to depart an Earth evacuated of all humans. Or is it? Gorgeous but goofy sci-fi. (PG-13) B-

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP. Robert Redford stars in and directs this ill-timed movie about radical bombers in hiding. Great cast - including Julie Christie - helps plodding procedural. (R) C+

42. Family-friendly treatment of the Jackie Robinson story works too hard at being inspirational but does a solid job of telling an important story. (PG-13). B

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES. Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling shed glamour for substance in the ambitious, sorrowful family epic. (R) B

SCARY MOVIE 5. Along the lines of Scary Movie 4 . . . plus 1. (PG-13) Not reviewed.

THE CROODS. Animated 3-D comedy about a Neanderthal-ish dad (Nicolas Cage), a hotshot Homo sapien (Ryan Reynolds) and a family of cave-dwellers facing environmental catastrophe. (PG) B

OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN. Laughably cheesy action flick about a North Korean terrorist attack on America. (R) B-

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. Botched sequel to a movie that was fun the first time around. There's too little Channing Tatum, and it makes zero sense. (PG-13) D (Reviewed by Daily News wire services.)

TYLER PERRY'S TEMPTATION. How "tempting" can a PG-13 movie about cheating be? (PG-13) C (Reviewed by Daily News wire services.)

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL. Opulent 3-D "Oz" update that could use more heart, courage and brains. (PG) B-