Brad Pitt's Underrated Sci-Fi Astronaut Movie Deserved Better At The Box Office

Brad Pitt understands disappointment when it comes to sci-fi. Despite being one of Hollywood's biggest stars, his genre projects haven't always landed at the box office. For proof, look no further than "Ad Astra", an astronaut movie that's not to be confused with the school of the same name Elon Musk founded in 2014. Critics enjoyed the blockbuster, but it fizzled at the box office, bringing in $135 million from an $80 million production budget.

"Ad Astra" sees Pitt play Roy McBride, an astronaut who leads a mission into space to find his father (Tommy Lee Jones). Roy's father traveled beyond the stars years earlier, searching for alien life and was never heard from again. However, a father-son reunion isn't the main objective of the mission. Solar surges threaten to wipe out Earth, so Roy and his crew must fix the problem before it's too late.

Of course, the best space movies are about the journey rather than the destination. It's all about experiencing the unexpected joys and horrors the final frontier throws at our heroes. In "Ad Astra," Roy and the gang encounter Moon pirates, floating baboons, and other surprises. It's very exciting for action and sci-fi fans, but what did critics have to say about the flick?

"Ad Astra" is full of spectacle and exciting set pieces, and viewers seeking high-octane thrills won't be disappointed. However, it's also a very contemplative and moody blockbuster that sees Brad Pitt deliver an excellent performance that impressed critics.

"This is rare, nuanced storytelling, anchored by one of Brad Pitt's career-best performances and remarkable technical elements on every level. It's a special film," Brian Tallerico wrote for Roger Ebert.

Elsewhere, Jonathan Romney of Film Comment praised the film for striking a perfect balance between human drama and blockbuster pomp. "'Ad Astra' uses science fiction for very intimate, personal purposes-and what's distinctive about this gripping, sometimes preposterous film is the way that [James] Gray sticks his neck out to balance the demands of intimacy and wham-bam spectacle."

"Ad Astra" might have fared better if it was released on a different weekend. It arrived at the same time as the "Downtown Abbey" movie, which soared at the box office and then some. That said, some of the all-time great sci-fi movies took a while to find their audience, so maybe time will be kind to "Ad Astra."