Passengers changes tack with every act, which is partly why it gets a bad rap, I think. It starts as a deserted island story, becomes a romance that plays awkwardly in the Age of Consent, and finally turns into a disaster thriller as the spaceship setting breaks down. Movie goers interested in any one of these could be left unsatisfied because the other elements get in the way. But as a plot, one flows into the other quite naturally, and though Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence don't exactly stretch their acting muscles, they are quite watchable in this. The romance is difficult, yes, but it IS presented as an important dilemma, and in the end, where else can it go? We can accept both the mistake that throws them together and their acceptance of their fate. If there's a real problem, it's that the film is too crowded. There's a lot of world-building - and the film certainly looks great - but some elements stay in the deep background while they could have, with a line here and there, made a POINT. As the film nears its end, it starts taking shortcuts in the both the mechanics of the disaster resolution and the relationship, perhaps one too many to get to the finish line properly. And while getting a coda is nice, a more elaborate montage sequence might have made everything better. The closure it offers is partial at best. The film goes into fruitful and complex territory when it asks "What would happen if..?", but never gets to answer it in full.
Great effects can't save this very average movie. Lacking in story and chemistry between leads. Nothing really exciting happens and don't get me started about that dreadfull ending. It's an ok 2 hours but totally forgettable
Great start, good chemistry between leads, bit of a cop-out in the third act. Overall, a good film that could have been great if it was willing to take more risks.
"We were woken too soon...
Ninety years too soon.
We have too go back to sleep.
We Can't !"
At first, I just tried to ignore this movie and I was hoping I would come across it someday on some television channel during a quiet Saturday night. First of all because I'm not dying to see a movie with Jennifer Lawrence acting in it. Even if the antagonist is played by the charming Chris Pratt. And also because there were a lot of indications that this would be a typical romantic space story. I thought this would be the galactic version of "Titanic". Only that the spacecraft won't hit a banal iceberg and those two turtledoves won't be standing on the bow of the ship while embracing each other intimately with a cosmic wind rustles through their hair. Or maybe a modern version of "Loveboat" (only the dwarf dressed up in a futuristic garb is missing). All in all the romantic drool section wasn't such a big of a deal. And to my surprise it was more a visual SciFi spectacle than a love story about two remaining passengers spending the rest of their days on a luxurious spacecraft.
To be honest, the first part was both fascinating and wonderfully humorous. The spaceship looked impressive. The first images of the huge dormitory where all pods are standing in which thousands of passengers are sleeping an artificial sleep, were mind blowing. They are on their way, along with a few hundred crew members, to a better place to found a new colony. When a comet storm throws a spanner in the works, it's Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) who first wakes up. Unfortunately for him it'll still take 90 years before they reach their final destination. That's the beginning of the more humorous part. Not high quality humor, but still good enough for a few chuckle moments. The way Jim spends his free time and his entertaining conversations with Arthur (Michael Sheen), a robotic bartender, provide some funny moments. And all this takes place in beautifully constructed sets and breathtaking interiors. One thing is certain, they spared no expense when designing this gigantic spaceship.
Of course, gradually the excitement disappears and is replaced by a more profound atmosphere, wherein feelings of loneliness surface and doubts arise about the meaning of a further solitary existence. Time to provide Jim with a feminine counterbalance. That's when Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) enters the scene. In terms of good looks, both of them belong together Tinder-wise. Them having beautiful children is written in the stars. Well, this is the beginning of the romantic chapter in which both start to scan each other meticulously and carefully, start to know each other better and finally in terms of intimacy are a perfect match. Despite my fear, the romance part remained fairly limited. The only thing I noticed is that Jennifer Lawrence hasn't only grown what acting concerns. Either there were some hormonal changes or there has been a medical intervention. Something I noticed immediately. However, her acting part was rather limited. It seemed as if they gave Jim the most sensual female toy from the entire crew. Of course an obligated pool scene had to be included I guess. Although, it looked extremely spectacular (and no I'm not talking about the feminine curves of J. Lawrence) due to a malfunctioning artificial gravity.
And then it's time to start the action-packed part with also a short performance by Laurence Fishburne and some impressive CGI sequences. Sometimes it made me think of "Gravity" and "The Martian", but that didn't really bother me. You see, it's kind of a mixture of different genres. The most vulnerable part of the film is the limited cast (ultimately it's only Jim and Aurora you'll see). To be honest, nothing wrong can be said about their performances and indeed there's a chemistry between the two protagonists. The only thing I was disappointed about is the way the moral issue is swept under the table in a cheap and easy way. The moment this became a problematic and delicate subject, they increased the action and it disappeared into the background. What a shame because this moral issue was more interesting than the clichéd action section. Would he have done this to me, I would have kicked his ass into infinite space for sure. But despite this chapter full of moderate, predictable action and a romanticized ending, this movie appealed to me. I'm glad I didn't wait to see it on the small screen, but now I could enjoy its greatness in the cinema. And no, I'm not talking about J. Lawrence again!
It's no coincidence that the ship, given the right angle, resembles a piece of DNA-strand.
Are we passengers on the DNA-ship? With that in mind, this romance plot and the chemistry between the protagonists are in themselves great vehicles to spark some deep questions. If we are indeed just vehicles for the DNA-system, how, when and why should we even choose a partner and procreate? Also, what about love and Love?
Jim chose a beautiful interesting woman, without ever having smelled her or having been in contact with her biological system at all. If it wasn't a hormone or 'ideal mate' thing, aside from the looks and intellect hinting at good genes, then what motivated him to choose her as his potential mate (because, hey, what do you expect in an Adam and Eve type situation).
Lots and lots of things to think about if you can avoid the blame game. (see if you can live without any human contact for over a year).
Great film and I liked the acting, setting and theme. The ending might have been altered to fit a broader audience, which is unfortunate, but it works.
I do not find this film romantic in any way. A man is condemned to a life alone and after a year in solitude and seclusion he chooses to rob a beautiful woman her life out of pure selfishness.
Had She fallen in love with him if he was ugly and bald? Had he chosen her if she was unattractive? This film is repulsive.
Liked the premise and the execution for the most part, but the ending feels like a complete betrayal of the ethical dilemmas posed previously and is such a complete cop-out that I'd be amazed if the rumoured reshoots weren't done to plaster over an original,
far less Hollywood
ending. I mean
a darker ending that involves Lawrence living alone for years on the ship following Pratt's heroic death, only to gaze longingly at an attractive man in a hibernation pod before the film cuts to black
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Comments 1 - 15 of 30
Toljus
Jennifer Lawrence, eh - whatever happened to her?danisanna
Enjoyable!Siskoid
Passengers changes tack with every act, which is partly why it gets a bad rap, I think. It starts as a deserted island story, becomes a romance that plays awkwardly in the Age of Consent, and finally turns into a disaster thriller as the spaceship setting breaks down. Movie goers interested in any one of these could be left unsatisfied because the other elements get in the way. But as a plot, one flows into the other quite naturally, and though Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence don't exactly stretch their acting muscles, they are quite watchable in this. The romance is difficult, yes, but it IS presented as an important dilemma, and in the end, where else can it go? We can accept both the mistake that throws them together and their acceptance of their fate. If there's a real problem, it's that the film is too crowded. There's a lot of world-building - and the film certainly looks great - but some elements stay in the deep background while they could have, with a line here and there, made a POINT. As the film nears its end, it starts taking shortcuts in the both the mechanics of the disaster resolution and the relationship, perhaps one too many to get to the finish line properly. And while getting a coda is nice, a more elaborate montage sequence might have made everything better. The closure it offers is partial at best. The film goes into fruitful and complex territory when it asks "What would happen if..?", but never gets to answer it in full.Earring72
Great effects can't save this very average movie. Lacking in story and chemistry between leads. Nothing really exciting happens and don't get me started about that dreadfull ending. It's an ok 2 hours but totally forgettableParavail
Great start, good chemistry between leads, bit of a cop-out in the third act. Overall, a good film that could have been great if it was willing to take more risks.buc86
Why does she just forgive him for what he did? I quite enjoyed this film but that really bugged me.Emiam
8/10Fantastic movie, beautiful but at the same time frightening in a way the classic "The Shining" by Kubrick did.
Dawizz
Great CGI, good acting, mediocre plot, horrible ending.ikkegoemikke
"We were woken too soon...Ninety years too soon.
We have too go back to sleep.
We Can't !"
At first, I just tried to ignore this movie and I was hoping I would come across it someday on some television channel during a quiet Saturday night. First of all because I'm not dying to see a movie with Jennifer Lawrence acting in it. Even if the antagonist is played by the charming Chris Pratt. And also because there were a lot of indications that this would be a typical romantic space story. I thought this would be the galactic version of "Titanic". Only that the spacecraft won't hit a banal iceberg and those two turtledoves won't be standing on the bow of the ship while embracing each other intimately with a cosmic wind rustles through their hair. Or maybe a modern version of "Loveboat" (only the dwarf dressed up in a futuristic garb is missing). All in all the romantic drool section wasn't such a big of a deal. And to my surprise it was more a visual SciFi spectacle than a love story about two remaining passengers spending the rest of their days on a luxurious spacecraft.
To be honest, the first part was both fascinating and wonderfully humorous. The spaceship looked impressive. The first images of the huge dormitory where all pods are standing in which thousands of passengers are sleeping an artificial sleep, were mind blowing. They are on their way, along with a few hundred crew members, to a better place to found a new colony. When a comet storm throws a spanner in the works, it's Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) who first wakes up. Unfortunately for him it'll still take 90 years before they reach their final destination. That's the beginning of the more humorous part. Not high quality humor, but still good enough for a few chuckle moments. The way Jim spends his free time and his entertaining conversations with Arthur (Michael Sheen), a robotic bartender, provide some funny moments. And all this takes place in beautifully constructed sets and breathtaking interiors. One thing is certain, they spared no expense when designing this gigantic spaceship.
Of course, gradually the excitement disappears and is replaced by a more profound atmosphere, wherein feelings of loneliness surface and doubts arise about the meaning of a further solitary existence. Time to provide Jim with a feminine counterbalance. That's when Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) enters the scene. In terms of good looks, both of them belong together Tinder-wise. Them having beautiful children is written in the stars. Well, this is the beginning of the romantic chapter in which both start to scan each other meticulously and carefully, start to know each other better and finally in terms of intimacy are a perfect match. Despite my fear, the romance part remained fairly limited. The only thing I noticed is that Jennifer Lawrence hasn't only grown what acting concerns. Either there were some hormonal changes or there has been a medical intervention. Something I noticed immediately. However, her acting part was rather limited. It seemed as if they gave Jim the most sensual female toy from the entire crew. Of course an obligated pool scene had to be included I guess. Although, it looked extremely spectacular (and no I'm not talking about the feminine curves of J. Lawrence) due to a malfunctioning artificial gravity.
And then it's time to start the action-packed part with also a short performance by Laurence Fishburne and some impressive CGI sequences. Sometimes it made me think of "Gravity" and "The Martian", but that didn't really bother me. You see, it's kind of a mixture of different genres. The most vulnerable part of the film is the limited cast (ultimately it's only Jim and Aurora you'll see). To be honest, nothing wrong can be said about their performances and indeed there's a chemistry between the two protagonists. The only thing I was disappointed about is the way the moral issue is swept under the table in a cheap and easy way. The moment this became a problematic and delicate subject, they increased the action and it disappeared into the background. What a shame because this moral issue was more interesting than the clichéd action section. Would he have done this to me, I would have kicked his ass into infinite space for sure. But despite this chapter full of moderate, predictable action and a romanticized ending, this movie appealed to me. I'm glad I didn't wait to see it on the small screen, but now I could enjoy its greatness in the cinema. And no, I'm not talking about J. Lawrence again!
More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT
MrSoprano89
for me the standout performance of andy garcia made this an enjoyable flickCarota
Kubrick references252
It's no coincidence that the ship, given the right angle, resembles a piece of DNA-strand.Are we passengers on the DNA-ship? With that in mind, this romance plot and the chemistry between the protagonists are in themselves great vehicles to spark some deep questions. If we are indeed just vehicles for the DNA-system, how, when and why should we even choose a partner and procreate? Also, what about love and Love?
Jim chose a beautiful interesting woman, without ever having smelled her or having been in contact with her biological system at all. If it wasn't a hormone or 'ideal mate' thing, aside from the looks and intellect hinting at good genes, then what motivated him to choose her as his potential mate (because, hey, what do you expect in an Adam and Eve type situation).
Lots and lots of things to think about if you can avoid the blame game. (see if you can live without any human contact for over a year).
Great film and I liked the acting, setting and theme. The ending might have been altered to fit a broader audience, which is unfortunate, but it works.
iago-rotten
Dreadfully shallowRealenur
I do not find this film romantic in any way. A man is condemned to a life alone and after a year in solitude and seclusion he chooses to rob a beautiful woman her life out of pure selfishness.Had She fallen in love with him if he was ugly and bald? Had he chosen her if she was unattractive? This film is repulsive.
lachyas
Liked the premise and the execution for the most part, but the ending feels like a complete betrayal of the ethical dilemmas posed previously and is such a complete cop-out that I'd be amazed if the rumoured reshoots weren't done to plaster over an original,Showing items 1 – 15 of 30