Good, but doesn't take enough risks

Rating: 7/10 (12 January 2017)

I have to say I liked 'Passengers'. I wasn't too sure what to expect going in. I like the two leads enough (I don't love Chris Pratt but I can tolerate him and appreciate his charm at times), but I wasn't sure how much this was going to be about them, or how much it was going to be about a sci-fi story that just happened to feature them. I think they got the balance about right. There's actually a real character study in the story. There are some (one in particular) very complex decisions that the characters have to deal with and sort through and the ramifications of those are fascinating to watch. While at the same time I really enjoyed the sci-fi side of things. The concept was an interesting one and the complications that arose made for interesting viewing. There's some terrifically balanced writing featured in this film.
My only problem with the film is that it didn't dare to be great. There was an ending which I actually expected to happen, that would have made this movie great in my opinion. If Chris Pratt's character 'Jim' had in fact died and then Jennifer Lawrence's character 'Aurora' had been faced with the same decision he had been faced with earlier in the film, I think this film could have gone down as something very special. The fact that I suspected this ending might be the case during the film, and was still willing to accept it as great if it did turn out that way, shows just how strong of a piece of writing it would have been. Unfortunatey though it was not be. And while this film is well made and a fun watch I fear it will fall into the forgettable category for not having the guts to do something more than a cliché Hollywood ending.