A sci-fi drama movie, Ad Astra does a good job of adding emotion to a serious theme, starring Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones. 

Ad Astra features Roy McBride, a calm and fearless astronaut. Roy’s father, Clifford McBride, who is also a legendary astronaut, went missing 30 years ago on a failed mission to Neptune called the Lima Project to find extraterrestrial life. When Roy is told that his father may still be alive near Neptune and that he is being sent on a top-secret expedition to find him and stop the power surges that are threatening the universe, he has to push aside his worry, fear, and hurt by his abandonment and remain the calm composed Roy McBride he is known as. During the expedition, McBride uncovers shocking truths about his father that make it harder and harder to repress his feelings. 

James Gray and Ethan Gross’s script does a great job of explaining and dramatizing McBride’s emotions. Also, a deep-space, zero-gravity fight scene is choreographed perfectly, showing how hard it is to struggle closer and stab someone without much control of your body movements. The movie’s over $100 million budget is managed well, with great special effects and set design. 

Brad Pitt’s character (Roy McBride) is played well, showing how he must stay unemotional during a world-changing mission, though he still has to wonder if his father is still alive, and if the Lima Project’s failure was intentional. Tommy Lee Jones (Clifford McBride) does a good job playing an unfeeling father who is stubbornly persistent. With the help of a good script, both McBride’s personalities are captured wonderfully. 

I would rate this movie a 4 out of 5 stars. With a good script and even better acting, the drama of Ad Astra is captured. If you are a fan of sci-fi movies but would also like an emotional story, I would highly recommend this movie.