Passengers

Starring: Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, Andy Garcia
Directed by: Morten Tyldum
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Romance
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A spacecraft on a long journey through space suffers a malfunction, causing one of the passengers (Chris Pratt) to wake up from cryo-sleep 90 years too early.

Review:

Tim: In early 2016, Passengers was on my list of films I was most excited about. I'd followed the movie for years through development and was so excited it was finally getting made. Plus, the movie had two of the biggest stars in the world. I certainly hoped it would be on my Best of 2016 list. Unfortunately, the movie isn't nearly good enough for that. I didn't hate it as much as some people- I thought it was a pretty good movie. Sadly, it's never good enough.

The movie received some criticism for the plot- many reviewers calling it creepy, manipulative, and some even evoking the Stockholm Syndrome. I can certainly see where some people might view it as that, but it didn't bother me as much as it did others. Is the story a bit uncomfortable? Does it promote stalking and trying to control people? Maybe. But, not all love stories need to be conventional. While there were certainly things I didn't love about the relationship dynamics, it certainly did differentiate this film. It gives you something to think about, something to talk about. How disgusting were the lead character's actions? Was it a forgivable mistake, or an indication that he has a serious issue? What would you or I do in the same situation? As long as you aren't trying to glorify the actions on screen, I think it's worthwhile to debate the actions themselves. I kind of liked that aspect of the film (that it's not cookie cutter Hollywood).

The cast is easily the main strength of the film. I enjoyed Chris Pratt in this role- he brings his easygoing charm to the part and is able to carry the bulk of the film. Jennifer Lawrence might not have given the best performance of her career, but it was fine. I don't think she was as comfortable with her role as Pratt was with his. Michael Sheen was a bit odd, but I suppose that was intentional. I didn't love his performance. I did love seeing Laurence Fishburne and I desperately wish he had more screen time. It was fun seeing Andy Garcia for a second, but he was basically pointless here. Still, as a whole, the cast was good- Pratt and Lawrence got a ton of screen time.

The visual effects here were fairly incredible. I loved how the movie looked. It really did feel like you're on this starship, heading out into space. The movie was nominated for two Academy Awards- Best Production Design was definitely earned (it was also nominated for Best Original Score). This movie did feel like it was a bit stronger on the technical side than the emotions side. The movie was probably a tad long at 1 hour, 56 minutes. Due somewhat to the aforementioned oddity of the script, it was hard to really identify with the characters. I didn't know how I felt about them, so there wasn't a ton of emotional connection there. The movie was an average love story, a slightly above average science fiction story, and a fairly solid drama. I do wish the film was a little more entertaining and exciting, a little more memorable. It never felt like a must-see movie, which is not what I expected.

Passengers is certainly a polarizing film. I really fell more in the middle- I thought it was a good movie, but I didn't love it at all. I went into it expecting a significantly better movie than we got, but I certainly have no regrets about watching it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Sunshine, Gravity, The Martian, Interstellar