Excellent acting but some lackluster effects

Rating: 7/10 (12 April 2017)

I knew little more about this movie than the fact that it starred two of the sexiest actors of today. Chris Pratt plays Jim Preston and Jennifer Lawrence plays Aurora Lane, both passengers aboard the Starship Avalon. The ship is on a 120-year voyage to planet Homestead II where it will deliver 5,000 passengers to cultivate a new world. These 5,000 passengers and 258 crew members are all in hibernation – that is, until Jim accidentally wakes up a few decades too early.
I don't want to print any spoilers here, but I will say that the trailer for the movie led me to expect a slightly different storyline than what actually transpired. Perhaps it is because my brain has been imbued with so many space-themed movies lately, but I expected a more action-centred movie. Instead, the film was more focused on relationships, uncertainty towards the unknown, and the imperfections of the human psyche. What little adventure the movie included was saved for the end. I'm not even sure if it qualifies as the climax of the film or simply the denouement.
Speaking of space-themed movies, I have to talk about the actual ship. Its design is unlike any concept I have seen before. It flies in a corkscrew fashion and includes a forcefield to combat space debris. The interior reminds me of a cross between the ships on Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Wall-E. In a time where everyone and their brother is producing the same thing (i.e. space movies), an original theme for a spaceship is a breath of fresh air.
Space scenes are very infrequent and frankly, slightly lackluster. To be fair, the visual effects team did a good job of representing a star up close (trust me, I've seen many stars up close) including prominences and flares, but the scene that included this celestial body had an air of "we spent too much money on this visual effects team so we'd better get our money's worth" and was a little too unbelievable for my taste.
Now let's talk about the acting. As previously mentioned, Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence are two of the sexiest people in the public eye right now, and their acting did not disappoint. Pratt does a great job of articulating hopelessness. I have no idea what I would be thinking if I were in this character's shoes, but it's obvious Pratt put a lot of thought into Jim's motives. As for Jennifer Lawrence, her shining moments occurred in the hatred her character feels for Jim. Anger is not, for regular humans, an attractive emotion, and Lawrence does not shy away from the ugliness that goes along with it. There are numerous scenes in the film where veins bulged, spittle flew, and extremities shook, all giving the impression of intense animosity.
The film ties up rather neatly, although it did take a bit of a turn I did not expect. The film is not extremely intricate, which works in its favour as there are not many ways a critic can pick it apart; he simply would not have enough information. Regardless of the potential for plot holes, Passengers is a pretty thrilling and thought-provoking movie that has a bit of everything for any audience member.
This movie does not pass the Bechdel Test (however, keep in mind there are only three speaking roles, two of which being male).
Read more of my reviews at mindovermoment.wordpress.com.