The upcoming space drama AD ASTRA from director James Gray and starring Brad Pitt certainly looks like an existential odyssey where one man is searching for his lost father (Tommy Lee Jones) amidst the far reaches of space. However, that can be a bit tricky to advertise to audiences, so as a marketing team why wouldn’t you lean into a scene where lunar rovers are chasing each other down? We saw a glimpse of this space chase in the trailers, and now a new special look from 20th Century Fox shows off the action as Pitt shoots down space pirates on the moon. You now have no reason not to see this movie.
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In the new sneak peek, we see Pitt’s Roy McBride preparing to go on a mission across the lunar surface and is warned about the space pirates who try to jack the rovers. Soon all hell breaks loose, and what kicks off is perhaps one of the biggest action set pieces of the whole movie. That may seem like a bit of shock to anyone who hasn’t been following the movie or is unfamiliar with Gray’s past work, but the truth of the matter is people should not be going into AD ASTRA expecting a space-action flick filled with the space heists the FAST AND FURIOUS movies dream of having.
Reviews out of the Venice Film Festival have praised the movie, likening it more to a psychological drama than anything else. Therefore, it’s a bit weird – albeit understandable – why the marketing team would push this clip. People may go to this movie expecting something thrilling but will instead see something more meditative. Gray’s last movie – THE LOST CITY OF Z – received negative audience reactions (56% on Rotten Tomatoes) perhaps for the same reason, some going in to see a rousing adventure movie only to find a quiet (but still thrilling) exploration into the mind of an obsessed explorer.
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Still, AD ASTRA looks to have at least one or two exciting parts, and it remains one of the hot tickets for the upcoming fall season. Pitt has received strong reviews for his performance, with critics praising the overall movie for being as challenging as it is visually magnificent. I will be reviewing the movie myself next week, so be sure to stay tuned for our coverage!
AD ASTRA is in theaters September 20.