Splintered as the story is between its two extreme settings, The Midnight Sky is an enjoyable Friday-night viewing experience, but misses the potential to expand on its themes of isolation and optimism in a memorable way.

The Midnight Sky shines with Clooney's deep and abiding belief in the human condition, in compassion, in ... "redemption" is the wrong word, too Catholic. Rather, in connection, even if it is brief, even if it is seemingly one-sided.

The two-hour running time seems like two years as it drags on indefinitely.

If you can overlook certain clichés and the hokey narrative device, THE MIDNIGHT SKY is a thoroughly engaging post-apocalyptic sci-fi film. It may not do anything particularly new with the genre, but it doesn’t need to.