Nominated For: Best Production Design and Best Original Score.
In Passengers there are 5,000 passengers in hibernation pods that are kept alive through suspended animation for a 120 year journey onboard the Starship Avalon towards Homestead II, a planet to start anew (if you have trouble grasping the concept, just think of the Axiom from WALL-E). Jim Preston and Aurora Lane, two of the 5,000 passengers in suspended animation, wake up too soon onboard the Starship Avalon with 90 years left to go on their journey. The ensuing adventures encapsulate uncovering how they woke up, a budding romance between the two, and further complications ala Titanic in space.
Passengers has been panned by critics but I found it to be a safe film, not one worth all the harsh criticism. Passengers is directed by Morten Tyldum, most well known for The Imitation Game, and Tyldum certainly brought an incredible vision to the project as the visual effects, production design, cinematography, and costuming were remarkable, feeling both futuristic and practical, so kudos to the technical crew. Thomas Newman scored the picture and while his themes fit the grandiose gorgeous nature of space, the score feels reminiscent to his previous work.
Passengers biggest issue however is that it's incredibly predictable. The screenplay penned by Jon Spaihts is a mashup of many storylines we've seen before, such as Castaway, The Martian, Interstellar, and Gravity in addition to the two I've mentioned previously, and there's just too many genres morphed together and too much Spaihts sought to accomplish that was unnecessary. Spaihts' script has a twist but Spaihts shows his hand too early by letting the audience in on the secret and later on a specific character feels forced into the narrative as they don't add anything substantial to the story aside from exposition. Passengers has a tightly knit capable cast, with only four actors delivering any dialogue.
Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence lead the proceedings as Jim and Aurora, Laurence Fishburne steps in for a bit as crew-member Gus Mancuso, and Michael Sheen stands out as an insightful android bartender Arthur. Chris Pratt explores some interesting ground he's yet to traverse as an actor but for the most part plays a relatable entry-point who makes a morally ambiguous choice. Jennifer Lawrence provides a suitable turn as accomplished writer Aurora Lane with understandable motivations and intentions but can't help but play her at a surface level due to what she's been provided. Pratt and Lawrence share an expected chemistry in the more emotionally-grounded moments of the narrative but also have some really awkward moments together as their relationship ironically feels forced in some instances.
Passengers isn't so much a bad idea as much as it fails to bring anything new to the cinema. When you have an interesting premise, a great director, and two of the biggest charismatic lead actors currently in Hollywood you can't help but expect more than what Passengers delivers.
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