Passengers Movie Review

Passengers is a typical survival story, done in a not so typical way. This is no Cast Away with minimal materials. This takes place on a futuristic spaceship with an excess of sustenance. Jim Preston, played by Chris Pratt, is a mechanic trying to find a new life for himself. His hibernation pod malfunctions and he is jolted awake 120 years early. He finds himself confused and hopeless. He does have one friend, though, and a monotonic bartender named Arthur played by Michael Sheen. He adds wit and humor to the film which the other characters lack. Jim finds himself alone for over a year, and just when he thought he would end it all he sees her, Aurora Lane, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Jim finds himself fighting with his conscience on whether to wake her up. In my opinion, this is the best part of the movie. Chris Pratt is able to capture this dilemma in an encapsulating way. When he finally decides to wake her, he has destroyed himself in the process. From here it’s an interesting love story that takes some unusual twists and turns. In leaves you paying attention but in no way at the edge of your seat.

The cinematography in the movie was excellent, the spaceship was unique and added an interesting element to the movie with its futuristic presence. Space was also well captured in the film. The best scene is when Pratt goes out onto the observation deck, you see the stars spinning around him, and the vastness of space is captured in that one shot. This also makes the viewer understand really how stranded the characters are, but it just happens to be in a luxury spaceship. This movie is an interesting take on the survival genre, but if you’re looking for a surprising new twist it’s not here. Overall Passengers is a high-quality movie with high-quality acting but does not bring anything new to the silver screen.