Passengers - directed by Morten Tyldum
***** spoiler free *****
I'm going to paraphrase Michael Sheen's android bartender (not robot!) from this film and say that it is important to appreciate the moment that you are in and not the places that you would rather be.
It resonated with me when he said it because going into this movie today I was acutely aware of the flood of negative word surrounding it.
I made the conscious decision not to pay this any mind and to instead go in with no preconceived notions and just let the movie do what it was inclined to do.
I go into every movie hoping for a great time and I'll be damned if a bunch of critics are going to sway my viewpoint before I've even seen the film.
Famous as a script drifting around the industry since it was written in 2007 "Passengers" was initially going to star Emily Blunt and Keanu Reeves and be shot for $35,000,000 - about a third the final budget of the version we now get.
And the version shot seems like some sort of Hollywood dream come true.
Current hot young things Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt together in a big budget special effects science fiction flick for Christmas release.
And it has a director whose last film "The Imitation Game" was highly regarded and award winning.
Should be a recipe for the cash to come rolling on in and I think that it will.
Maybe not as much as Sony hope but there isn't much doubt that the $110,000,000 production budget will be well and truly recouped on worldwide ticket sales.
I hope so too because while "Passengers" isn't a great movie it is a good one and a lot of fun.
The basic story here is that a spacecraft named the Avalon containing 258 crew members and 5000 passengers is on the way to an Earth-like planet so that it can be populated.
The humans are all in deep cryo-sleep.
Entering a meteor field the auto-pilot systems do their best to protect the ship but a large strike forces one of the sleep pods awake and only 30 odd years into a 120 year sleep Chris Pratt's Jim Pearson is no wide awake and very,very alone.
Until Jennifer Lawrence's Aurora Lane (who is a woman and not a suburban street although I would definitely live there) comes along.
So they have each other and an android bartender named Arthur (another great Michael Sheen role) for company.
It reminded me a little of the 1980 Kirk Douglas, Farrah Fawcett flick "Saturn 3" but this is altogether better thankfully.
There is a lot to like and there are plenty of great ideas.
The spaceship itself is brilliantly realised with systems, technology and rules that feel about right.
Credit to the special effects too which are damned good.
However you may have read or heard that there is a problem with this movie.
A plot point that apparently ruined the movie for some people.
I am not going to say what it is but I will say that I don't know what the issue is.
It is a central plot point that not only makes sense in terms of plot and theme but is explored very thoroughly as such as the movies progresses.
It seems ridiculous to me that it is even a complaint and says more in my eyes about people's perceptions and expectations of the actors involved than it does about the script.
Not to say that the script is without fault but rather that my issues with it exist elsewhere.
Much of what happens in the second half is pretty predictable because we've seen it before in a lot of other movies.
And a lot of the plot turns are telegraphed well ahead of time too.
But that chemistry between Pratt and Lawrence goes some way towards making up for some of those shortcomings.
From interviews it is clear that they share a similar humour and get along well.
That Jim and Aurora fall in love in what is a relatively short time on screen is believable as a result.
It makes it all together more annoying that the quality reached in the first half cannot be maintained in the second.
Here is Merriam Websters definition of frustration.
b: a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs
I mention the word because it kept popping into my head as I left the cinema.
I enjoyed the film because it is fun and full of excellent ideas.
And it is painfully close to being a great film.
The zero gravity scene in the swimming pool, the space walks, the restaurants, Sheen's bartender... all great concepts well executed.
Those script weaknesses hobble the film somewhat and ultimately make "Passengers" a frustrating film.
If it wasn't quite as good as it was it could be dismissed as a bit of a fun flick.
But it is good enough that it makes some promises that it just cannot keep.
I liked this movie a lot and I loved the pairing of Lawrence and Pratt.
Pratt has a couple of naked butt scenes that will no doubt please the ladies and although less revealing Lawrence looks incredible.
She also takes the acting honours - she is really very good.
Hopefully we will see them become another duo like Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling - the chemistry is at that level.
I do wonder if the lengthy time between the September 2015 shooting and release reflects some tinkering or re-shoots but either way a little more tightening here and there would have done it some favours.
Ultimately the decisions with the ending are the most damaging but it is more underwhelming than bad.
Still - for all of its faults this is well worth the ticket price.
RATING: 74 / 100
CONCLUSION: An enjoyable flick but a frustrating one in that it could be an absolute Science Fiction classic with some tightening of the script. Great effects, a great score and the incredible chemistry between the leads goes some ways towards making up for the flaws.
***** spoiler free *****
Starring: Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, Andy Garcia, Aurora Perrineau
Screenplay: Jon Spaihts
Music Score by: Thomas Newman
Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto
Edited by: Maryann Brandon
Running Time: 116 minutes
Language: English
Rated: M - Some very mild profanity, sex scenes, mild nudity (male butt)
Running Time: 116 minutes
Language: English
Rated: M - Some very mild profanity, sex scenes, mild nudity (male butt)
It resonated with me when he said it because going into this movie today I was acutely aware of the flood of negative word surrounding it.
I made the conscious decision not to pay this any mind and to instead go in with no preconceived notions and just let the movie do what it was inclined to do.
I go into every movie hoping for a great time and I'll be damned if a bunch of critics are going to sway my viewpoint before I've even seen the film.
Famous as a script drifting around the industry since it was written in 2007 "Passengers" was initially going to star Emily Blunt and Keanu Reeves and be shot for $35,000,000 - about a third the final budget of the version we now get.
And the version shot seems like some sort of Hollywood dream come true.
Current hot young things Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt together in a big budget special effects science fiction flick for Christmas release.
And it has a director whose last film "The Imitation Game" was highly regarded and award winning.
Should be a recipe for the cash to come rolling on in and I think that it will.
Maybe not as much as Sony hope but there isn't much doubt that the $110,000,000 production budget will be well and truly recouped on worldwide ticket sales.
I hope so too because while "Passengers" isn't a great movie it is a good one and a lot of fun.
 |
| The great chemistry between Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence is one of the best features of the film |
The humans are all in deep cryo-sleep.
Entering a meteor field the auto-pilot systems do their best to protect the ship but a large strike forces one of the sleep pods awake and only 30 odd years into a 120 year sleep Chris Pratt's Jim Pearson is no wide awake and very,very alone.
Until Jennifer Lawrence's Aurora Lane (who is a woman and not a suburban street although I would definitely live there) comes along.
So they have each other and an android bartender named Arthur (another great Michael Sheen role) for company.
It reminded me a little of the 1980 Kirk Douglas, Farrah Fawcett flick "Saturn 3" but this is altogether better thankfully.
There is a lot to like and there are plenty of great ideas.
The spaceship itself is brilliantly realised with systems, technology and rules that feel about right.
Credit to the special effects too which are damned good.
However you may have read or heard that there is a problem with this movie.
A plot point that apparently ruined the movie for some people.
I am not going to say what it is but I will say that I don't know what the issue is.
It is a central plot point that not only makes sense in terms of plot and theme but is explored very thoroughly as such as the movies progresses.
It seems ridiculous to me that it is even a complaint and says more in my eyes about people's perceptions and expectations of the actors involved than it does about the script.
Not to say that the script is without fault but rather that my issues with it exist elsewhere.
Much of what happens in the second half is pretty predictable because we've seen it before in a lot of other movies.
And a lot of the plot turns are telegraphed well ahead of time too.
But that chemistry between Pratt and Lawrence goes some way towards making up for some of those shortcomings.
From interviews it is clear that they share a similar humour and get along well.
That Jim and Aurora fall in love in what is a relatively short time on screen is believable as a result.
It makes it all together more annoying that the quality reached in the first half cannot be maintained in the second.
 |
| Production design and effects are another strength |
b: a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs
I mention the word because it kept popping into my head as I left the cinema.
I enjoyed the film because it is fun and full of excellent ideas.
And it is painfully close to being a great film.
The zero gravity scene in the swimming pool, the space walks, the restaurants, Sheen's bartender... all great concepts well executed.
Those script weaknesses hobble the film somewhat and ultimately make "Passengers" a frustrating film.
If it wasn't quite as good as it was it could be dismissed as a bit of a fun flick.
But it is good enough that it makes some promises that it just cannot keep.
I liked this movie a lot and I loved the pairing of Lawrence and Pratt.
Pratt has a couple of naked butt scenes that will no doubt please the ladies and although less revealing Lawrence looks incredible.
She also takes the acting honours - she is really very good.
Hopefully we will see them become another duo like Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling - the chemistry is at that level.
I do wonder if the lengthy time between the September 2015 shooting and release reflects some tinkering or re-shoots but either way a little more tightening here and there would have done it some favours.
Ultimately the decisions with the ending are the most damaging but it is more underwhelming than bad.
Still - for all of its faults this is well worth the ticket price.
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