Passengers ShowMeTheMovies Review

Rating: 8/10 (24 January 2017)

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With its' limited cast and seemingly cliché story, Passengers surprisingly succeeds in its' depiction of a moving tale of loneliness, morality and belonging.
When I first caught wind of Passengers, I pictured an atypical, unimaginative love story only made slightly more interesting by its' sci-fi setting; Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt the lucky A-listers brought in to up-sell a bland, poorly-scripted movie that's' only discernibly interesting concept has been stretched out over a two-hour substance-less picture. Proof that you should never judge a book by its' cover.
Giving the movie a chance to prove me wrong, I found not only a well-written story with underlying themes but excellent casting in the form of Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence. Being the predominant (and almost only) characters, Aurora Lane (Lawrence) and Jim Preston (Pratt) had clear chemistry and an ability to command the attention of the audience in a rather unique way.
The film primarily follows Jim Preston, a passenger on the spacecraft 'Avalon', on an intergalactic, 120-year-long journey to a new colony. After waking up in his cryogenic sleep chamber years too early, Jim finds himself alone (all bar (!) an android named Arthur - played fascinatingly by Michael Sheen) and unable to force his way back to sleep, despite multiple attempts and methods. Eventually, on the advice of barman-turned-confidant Arthur, Jim accepts his fate and decides to make use of all the spaceships' facilities for the time he has left - cue video-games, swimming pools and first-class cabins.
Despite previously resigning himself to a life devoid of social interaction, Jims' loneliness, desperation and understandable depression slowly begins to drive him mad (a nod to The Shining, anyone?!) and he contemplates suicide by opening an airlock without wearing a spacesuit. The decision to exclude a large cast becomes apparent (and appropriate) here, where one can empathise with Jim's isolation and his longing for new faces.
Enter: Aurora Lane. Thought-provoking and filled with moral dilemmas, Aurora and Jim hit it off from the start, and Jim shines to Aurora almost instantly after managing human contact for the first time in over a year. After hearing his story, Aurora is sympathetic towards Jim, and though doomed to perish years before anyone discovers what has happened to them, their dynamics make way for a seemingly good life. Unaware of the dangers that befall them, the circumstances surrounding how both Jim and Aurora woke up then becomes apparent, and the spaceship begins to experience severe failures that have to be solved in order for the passengers and crew aboard (all still asleep) to be saved.
What I can absolutely commend about Passengers is how very economical it is with its' hidden meanings aside from its main concepts, and how it flawlessly takes the plot where it needs to go, at a reasonable pace for the viewer. Jennifer Lawrence doesn't appear until the film has properly set the scene - and whilst Pratt carries at least the opening act alone, it doesn't feel like 'The Chris Pratt Show'; it remains entertaining throughout.
The acting quality is superb all around; Martin Sheen will likely be overlooked this awards season, but deserves an honourable mention - the presence of Arthur (a representation of the viewer), allows the thoughts, feelings and troubles of the leads to be known - the unemotional voice between character and movie-goer.
My one real criticism stems down to the charming-yet-essentially-predictable romance between Aurora and Jim - though the writers' clearly self-aware. I would have preferred a story that focuses on a boy-meets-girl turned friendship than blatant, unnecessary cheese - though the relationship itself entirely integral to the plot. Though easily foreseeable, Passengers did not suffer as a result.
Visually, the film is professional, the spaceship itself looked incredible - and the soundtrack had some great choices in it including a well-used Bob Dylan track and a made-for-movie Imagine Dragons tune. Passengers is an overall great film, a sci-fi-come-romance that achieves the best of both worlds; an enjoyable presentation, very compelling to watch. Don't be fooled by the trailers, it isn't that bland, I promise.