Event Horizon: the Gateway to a Dimension in which Movies SUCK

Rating: 3/10 (12 August 2010)

I had been waiting for quite a while to see this film after having watched Pandorum, a 2009 sci-fi flick with a similar plot. Compared to Pandorum, Event Horizon was a huge let-down. Perhaps the worst aspect of the film was that it had so much potential- with a great hook and lead-in, a talented cast with strong supporting roles and an exceptional expanding plot, I was dumbfounded when the credits rolled. About half-way through the movie, the ship becomes "alive" and Sam Neil undergoes a swell transformation, after which he can throw his co-stars into tables and walls with ease (and perform various other feats of impossible strength), can somehow see well enough to make coordinated movements despite having gouged his own eyes out, and makes clear to the average sci-fi buff that the bridging of science-fiction and horror genres is not suitable to amateurs.
In its favor, the film's first half is exceptionally interesting and immersive, and has a perfect balance of horrifying scenes and on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense, as well as a strong plot, believable background stories and and a steadily climaxing series of events. But as soon as Sam Neil begins his man-killing rampage, this sorry excuse of "Classic horror and sci-fi" takes an obvious turn for the worse. And what's more, it becomes even cheesier and tacked on the further the storyline progresses, with Sam Neil's eventual reincarnation after having been blown off the ship's bridge and into deep space.
Most sci-fi/horror movies have a definitive moment when the actor(s) realize that things won't be turning out so swell. But for 'Event Horizon', this translates more into a realization of the viewer that he or she has just wasted more than an hour of their time. The gory death of DJ, who is crucified and gutted, seems senseless when the storyline and premise of the film are considered.
I did like some of the shots in the movie, however. For instance, in my own opinion, the first glimpse of the Event Horizon's bow with the name written boldly across the ship and garnished by carnival-style lights is exceptionally characteristic. The scene in which Justin realizes he is about to be blown out of the airlock and sent to his death was very well-filmed. His begging for Peters to open the door drove more horror into me than did any other sequence of the film, in fact. I also liked the bit when Sam Neil backs into the darkness, declaring in a chilling (and at this point still tasteful) "I already AM home." I wasn't too impressed with the initial panning scene of the space station, which apparently cost the film a third of its budget. I also thought the sequence in which Weir's wife, Claire, cuts her wrists was well-done. His pleading with her to not slit her wrists is as equally terrifying as Justin's apologetic face- especially Weir's line, "Not again!". So I would say that there were definitely some great horror sequences darted throughout the movie, in which acting and filming were excellent; nearly perfect. And for the culminating suspense scenes, my hair really rose when Peters creeps across the med bay, with the disturbing scratching sound and heavy breathing in the background, and the perfect amount of ever-so-slight camera shake. Very well done.
Despite a few instances of amazing cinematography, generally-good acting, good visual effects and a seemingly-promising opening plot and storyline, "Event Horizon" was a masterpiece of a fluke. I was very disappointed, having expected much more than what was delivered in the second half of the movie- so disappointed, that I was shocked to find that more than a handful of people enjoyed it. I believe I'll stick to sci-fi/horror movies like Pandorum and 2001: A Space Odyssey.