"Do we even know where we're going?"
Pandorum is a SERIOUS film. A dark film. Very dark. As in 'please put some money in the meter' dark. It touches on - and aspires to be like - great sci-fi movies, but never quite gets there. Lighting, set and sound design are all top notch. Dennis Quaid's performance gives it a steady core, Ben Foster gives it everything he's got, and there's even a surprisingly sturdy turn from Cam Gigandet in the second half. The ploy of giving the characters amnesia so that the audience 'discovers' with them, has the downside that we know little about them and care even less. As it doesn't take much to work out what's going on inside the huge spaceship, even a neat twist at the end fails to create much mystery and involvement. There are a couple of strong action sequences (although cut like the AvP films, so the viewer hasn't much idea what's going on), and pity the poor guy whose stasis tube opens at just the wrong moment, but the overall feel of a sci-fi Pick'n'Mix never goes away.
Pandorum is a SERIOUS film. A dark film. Very dark. As in 'please put some money in the meter' dark. It touches on - and aspires to be like - great sci-fi movies, but never quite gets there. Lighting, set and sound design are all top notch. Dennis Quaid's performance gives it a steady core, Ben Foster gives it everything he's got, and there's even a surprisingly sturdy turn from Cam Gigandet in the second half. The ploy of giving the characters amnesia so that the audience 'discovers' with them, has the downside that we know little about them and care even less. As it doesn't take much to work out what's going on inside the huge spaceship, even a neat twist at the end fails to create much mystery and involvement. There are a couple of strong action sequences (although cut like the AvP films, so the viewer hasn't much idea what's going on), and pity the poor guy whose stasis tube opens at just the wrong moment, but the overall feel of a sci-fi Pick'n'Mix never goes away.
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