Passengers - Review
Director: Morten Tyldum
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne
After years stuck in developmental hell, Passengers seemed destined for greatness after the necessary components started to fall into place. Morton Tyldum, Academy Award nominated director of The Imitation Game was brought on board to helm the space flick. Two of Hollywood's hottest talents, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, were cast as the leads. For this long awaited project, the stars had aligned in cosmic fashion, but does this impressive alchemy translate into an out-of-this-world cinematic experience, or does it plummet to the Earth with a thud?
Aboard the Avalon, 5,000 passengers in suspended animation/hyper sleep make the journey to the planet Homestead II to create a new colony. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, passengers Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) and Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence) are awoken - 90 years too soon. Resigned to the knowledge that they won't make it to Homestead II, Jim and Aurora begin to build a life on the Avalon and a romance between the two blossoms.
Passengers has been hailed as Titanic in space, and the comparisons and similarities are undeniably present. An epic love story set amidst a perilous and mortally threatening catastrophic situation. The class and wealth difference between the restless, affluent Aurora and the humble, grafting Jim. The star-cross'd lovers (literally) declarations that are almost identical to James Cameron's 1997 mega box-office hit; "You die, I die!" Aurora cries to Jim, just like Rose hollered, "You jump, I jump" at Jack. Jim plaintively asks Aurora, "Do you trust me?" before taking her to the bow of the ship, outstretching their arms over the blustery waters...wait, no. Wrong romance disaster movie. But you get the gist - the parallels are plentiful. Abundant with comparisons, Jon Spaihts' script, that was at one point of the most lauded screenplays in the industry, also has its further overlooked blemishes. The third acts feels incredibly rushed to reach its climactic sequence and the ending is throw-away, and a little laughable. Perhaps Tyldum's direction failed to bring the fiery action on the page to life, or maybe there was no spark to begin with.
However, the romance that develops between Jim and Aurora certainly sends sparks flying and is well paced and believably constructed. Their initial meeting is cordial and rudimentary, but their bond over their shared fate soon becomes flirtatious until eventually they're embroiled in the throes of passion. Passengers may foray into other genres, but it's never more engaging than when it focuses on the romantic relationship and intimacy of our two central characters. But their whole relationship is built on a lie and on a terrible, deceitful betrayal, adding a twisted angle to their love story. Subsequently, this aspect of the film has been the topic of heated conversation and criticism, and the execution of the extremely controversial incident was not given the attentive direction it so crucially required.
Passengers definitely operates within areas of ethical greyness, but the performances from Pratt and Lawrence are as agreeable and simplistically brilliant as black and white. The pairing of two of the biggest movie stars working today was highly anticipated and their predicted chemistry did not disappoint. Pratt's Jim Preston is vulnerable and sensitive in a way that his previous characters including the quippy lothario Peter Quill aka Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy and the burly raptor-trainer Owen Grady in Jurassic World have never been. Meanwhile, Lawrence's starry persona permeates into her performance and she plays perfectly against her co-star whilst shining individually in her role as Aurora. The film often plays as a two-hander between Pratt and Lawrence, but Michael Sheen's android bartender Arthur, radiating major The Shining vibes, introduces a third player, acting as a relationship counsellor and reflecting back the characters' flaws.
Laurence Fishburne also makes a fleeting appearance in a role that is merely a plot device to propel the story forward. He makes his entrance just when the narrative calls for it and checks out when he has fulfilled his purpose. Before he swiftly skedaddles, Fishburne's character introduces the audience and the two leads to parts of the ship that had thus been unattainable and we continue to be wowed by the excellent set design. The futuristic aesthetic is a toast to the behind the scenes talent and craftsmanship in Tinseltown, and through the excellent world building, the high-tech Avalon seems an increasingly desirable place to reside - minus the fact that the ship becomes riddled with malfunctions.
Gloriously shot, expertly acted and with moments of brilliance, Passengers fails to reach the dizzying heights of its promising premise and attractive packaging, lacking a degree of sensitivity and thoughtfulness that is much needed. In a bid to shoot for the stars, it lands somewhere amongst the clouds where it'll regrettably pass and be forgotten come the morning.
EB
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne
After years stuck in developmental hell, Passengers seemed destined for greatness after the necessary components started to fall into place. Morton Tyldum, Academy Award nominated director of The Imitation Game was brought on board to helm the space flick. Two of Hollywood's hottest talents, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, were cast as the leads. For this long awaited project, the stars had aligned in cosmic fashion, but does this impressive alchemy translate into an out-of-this-world cinematic experience, or does it plummet to the Earth with a thud?Aboard the Avalon, 5,000 passengers in suspended animation/hyper sleep make the journey to the planet Homestead II to create a new colony. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, passengers Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) and Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence) are awoken - 90 years too soon. Resigned to the knowledge that they won't make it to Homestead II, Jim and Aurora begin to build a life on the Avalon and a romance between the two blossoms.
Passengers has been hailed as Titanic in space, and the comparisons and similarities are undeniably present. An epic love story set amidst a perilous and mortally threatening catastrophic situation. The class and wealth difference between the restless, affluent Aurora and the humble, grafting Jim. The star-cross'd lovers (literally) declarations that are almost identical to James Cameron's 1997 mega box-office hit; "You die, I die!" Aurora cries to Jim, just like Rose hollered, "You jump, I jump" at Jack. Jim plaintively asks Aurora, "Do you trust me?" before taking her to the bow of the ship, outstretching their arms over the blustery waters...wait, no. Wrong romance disaster movie. But you get the gist - the parallels are plentiful. Abundant with comparisons, Jon Spaihts' script, that was at one point of the most lauded screenplays in the industry, also has its further overlooked blemishes. The third acts feels incredibly rushed to reach its climactic sequence and the ending is throw-away, and a little laughable. Perhaps Tyldum's direction failed to bring the fiery action on the page to life, or maybe there was no spark to begin with.
However, the romance that develops between Jim and Aurora certainly sends sparks flying and is well paced and believably constructed. Their initial meeting is cordial and rudimentary, but their bond over their shared fate soon becomes flirtatious until eventually they're embroiled in the throes of passion. Passengers may foray into other genres, but it's never more engaging than when it focuses on the romantic relationship and intimacy of our two central characters. But their whole relationship is built on a lie and on a terrible, deceitful betrayal, adding a twisted angle to their love story. Subsequently, this aspect of the film has been the topic of heated conversation and criticism, and the execution of the extremely controversial incident was not given the attentive direction it so crucially required.
Passengers definitely operates within areas of ethical greyness, but the performances from Pratt and Lawrence are as agreeable and simplistically brilliant as black and white. The pairing of two of the biggest movie stars working today was highly anticipated and their predicted chemistry did not disappoint. Pratt's Jim Preston is vulnerable and sensitive in a way that his previous characters including the quippy lothario Peter Quill aka Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy and the burly raptor-trainer Owen Grady in Jurassic World have never been. Meanwhile, Lawrence's starry persona permeates into her performance and she plays perfectly against her co-star whilst shining individually in her role as Aurora. The film often plays as a two-hander between Pratt and Lawrence, but Michael Sheen's android bartender Arthur, radiating major The Shining vibes, introduces a third player, acting as a relationship counsellor and reflecting back the characters' flaws.
Laurence Fishburne also makes a fleeting appearance in a role that is merely a plot device to propel the story forward. He makes his entrance just when the narrative calls for it and checks out when he has fulfilled his purpose. Before he swiftly skedaddles, Fishburne's character introduces the audience and the two leads to parts of the ship that had thus been unattainable and we continue to be wowed by the excellent set design. The futuristic aesthetic is a toast to the behind the scenes talent and craftsmanship in Tinseltown, and through the excellent world building, the high-tech Avalon seems an increasingly desirable place to reside - minus the fact that the ship becomes riddled with malfunctions.
Gloriously shot, expertly acted and with moments of brilliance, Passengers fails to reach the dizzying heights of its promising premise and attractive packaging, lacking a degree of sensitivity and thoughtfulness that is much needed. In a bid to shoot for the stars, it lands somewhere amongst the clouds where it'll regrettably pass and be forgotten come the morning.
EB
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