‘Interstellar’ unforgettable but flawed

Christopher Nolan, the filmmaker most often credited with making modern blockbuster films that tackle big themes and require grown-up thought (“The Dark Knight,” “Inception”), reaches for his inner Spielberg with “Interstellar.”

What the writer/director achieves is a sci-fi epic that pushes the boundaries on the scientific theory side of the equation, while daring viewers to temporarily abandon their cynicism — in the name of love.

That cynicism is evident from the beginning, as we learn that in the near future the world has abandoned space travel altogether. It’s taught in schools that the Apollo moon landing was a hoax.

After the “food riots,” most of the planet is trying in vain to farm whatever is left of the Earth’s resources. Long-term survival is hopeless, and people keep their heads to the ground, hoping against hope, as dust storms ravage the ecology. That’s all I’m going to tell you plot-wise, because where things are headed, there are surprises galore.

The crux of every conflict in the film from here on out is embodied by hotshot astronaut Matthew McConaughey and “undercover” scientist Michael Caine: A sense of duty to save the planet (and in turn discover new truths about galaxies) versus the responsibility of being a parent and loving your kids. Multiplex audiences may not be racing to find a habitable planet for our kids’ future like the characters of “Interstellar,” but what parent can’t relate to that second part?

“Interstellar” contains as challenging a backdrop as you’re likely to encounter — one that bends space and time in remarkable ways and takes advantage of every dramatic opportunity within those scenes — even as the narrative structure of the movie is as old as film itself: Father makes a promise he can’t keep and kid grows up without father.

The mind-bending scenes aren’t quite the ambiguous philosophical equivalent of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” They always serve to move a conventional plot forward and have at least one foot in the scientific, thanks to renowned theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, who served as a consultant on the script.

Now matter how complicated the science behind the characters’ decisions becomes, Nolan and his co-writer and brother Jonathan Nolan give “Interstellar” stakes an audience can relate to by keeping that family conflict front and center. It would be too clichéd of a movie plot to care about these days if the film were just another mission to decide the fate of the world, don’t you know?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFNMma7M7Jc

The big theoretical leaps, discussion of faith and daddy issues make “Interstellar” uncomfortably similar to Robert Zemeckis’ 1997 Carl Sagan adaptation “Contact” (which Thorne also worked on and which also starred McConaughey), while the lumpy script and 2 hour, 49 minute running time made me respect the efficient storytelling of “Gravity” even more. Once the Nolans get into the far reaches of galaxies, they’ve painted their plot into some corners that take a fair amount of storytelling real estate to get out of.

Despite some awkward pacing in the third act, some easy sentimentality, and some pandering to the audience’s need for everything to be spelled out, the charms of “Interstellar” are still hard to resist. Nolan’s ambition isn’t just to be admired. He actually pulls off scene after scene of unforgettable drama in colossal scale, both in space and on Earth.

His director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema is in top form, and the film takes full advantage of the IMAX format to offer some truly jaw-dropping moments. (See this film in IMAX of you have the opportunity. It’s worth the upcharge.)

Even with all of the theoretical dips into the space-time continuum, the greatest asset of “Interstellar” is decidedly Earth-bound.

The film assumes certain realities about our planet’s future will only get worse — and encourages exploration and a thirst for knowledge as causes for hope. It also gets at the need to pass down a legacy for future generations, while acknowledging that emotional ties are perhaps the strongest of all, and that science can only get you so far on its own.

“Interstellar” opens Thursday. It has a running time of 169 minutes and is rated PG-13 for some intense perilous action and brief strong language.