Arts & Entertainment

Is 'Gravity' Down to Earth? Check Reviews, Show Times

Our Moviefone widget has theaters and show times for Duluth.

Compiled by Rebecca McCarthy

Many people are saying that "Gravity" will send you over the moon. The movie zeros in on just two people, civilian biomedical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and experienced astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney). The two are aboard the space station Explorer when debris from a broken satellite hits the space station during a space walk. That sets in motion a string of disasters that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Not since Stanley Kubrick's monumental "2001: A Space Odyssey" has a director made such great use of close up shots of someone's face in a helmet.

Here's what the critics are saying: 

"Good as Clooney is, though, Bullock is really the star; she spends much of her time on screen alone, and a great deal of that with only her eyes showing through her helmet. Yet, as a civilian-turned-reluctant-astronaut, she is immediately relatable, especially in her lowest moments. We are on her side from the start." Stephen Whitty, the Star Ledger

"The movie’s spirit, however, is far from nebulous. We hear of a past sadness that still hurts, yet “Gravity” is a celebration of humankind’s ability to pull itself up from nothingness and fight the unnerving fragility of us all. Stone and Kowalski’s only hope for survival is an evolved intellect, and though this mind-blowing film gazes up in awe, its feet are firmly planted on the ground." Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

"Science fiction flicks about NASA pioneers lost in outer space are a dime a dozen. But cool special effects, applause-milking technical bravura and advance film-festival raves make Gravity more highly anticipated than usual. For the most part, it lives up to the hoopla. It’s a thrill ride in an amusement park for kids and eggheads alike. Think Epcot with a touch of the Coney Island Cyclone." Rex Reed, New York Observer

Find out what's happening in Duluthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Silence is terrifying in this film, as is nothingness: the image of an astronaut, floating untethered, somersaulting through emptiness as she whispers “please copy” into her headset, praying that someone, somewhere, might hear her. “Gravity” is brief, strangely beautiful and deeply moving; far from being the sterile technical exercise it might have been, the film illustrates, better than any other I can think of this year, the aching way in which a heart longs for home." Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times

Find out what's happening in Duluthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"More than any other CGI event movie in recent memory, this one immerses its audience in the reality of its world, seducing viewers into believing they’re seeing real, corporeal bodies—with heft and dimension—caught in the orbit of celestial ones. If nothing else, Gravity makes the case for throwing immense resources at true visionaries; the blockbuster craftsman as adventurer, Cuarón expertly blends the epic with the intimate. For every stunning 3-D setpiece involving a dangerous hailstorm of metallic debris, there’s a moment of small tenderness, like Clooney framing Bullock in a mirror on his wrist as they bob their way toward salvation." A.A.Dowd, AV Club

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, "Gravity" runs 90 minutes and is rated PG-13. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here