Pandorum comes to us "from the makers of Resident Evil and Event Horizon", which would normally be construed as a warning sign, but I think it's sort of a blessing. Yes, Paul W.S. Anderson is the director ofResident Evil, Event Horizon, and the man responsible for bringing us one of the greatest vehicles in cinema history, The Dreadnaught in Death Race. However, he is merely producing this film, which turns out to be a wonderful hybrid of Resident Evil and Event horizon that's actually better than the the films it's stealing from. (Or paying homage to, depending on your definition). Yes, Pandorum actually turns out to be a pretty enjoyable sci-fi horror B-movie, full of performances that arebetter than a film like this deserves. The movie brings us up to speed with events on Earth not looking too good.
Wars have broken out, resources are scarce, and populations are expanding to ridiculous amounts. Thankfully, they've discovered a planet in another galaxy that can support human life. The Elysium is the ship that will bring humans to this new world in the hopes of starting over. Cut to... NOW! Ben Foster is in a cryo-sleep tube on The Elysium when he is suddenly awoken by a shaky camera. After a few moments of briefly freaking out and not knowing what's going on, he gets himself some pants and peels off some skin-like substances. Normally there are people to wake him up and help orient him withthe ship . This time, there is nobody. He has no memory as a side effect of the but learns his name is Bower and he is one of the rotating flight times, woken up for their term of service then put back to sleep for the long ride. One of the other tubes opens, and it has Dennis Quaid, who is actually trying here, thus making his performance infinitelybetter than G.I. Joe. Quaid is Payton, and is also a little disturbed to discover that nobody is around on the ship, and also can't recall much.
They're locked in their cryo-wing, and the third member of their team has disappeared from his tube. Generally, things are not right with the big spooky spaceship. Bower ventures out to open the door while Payton stays behind and keeps in contact via radio. And thus begins the exploration ofthe ship, which may or may not contain other people and/or creatures that are a nice blend between the cave dwellers from The Descent with the self-mutilating goth tendencies of the Ghosts Of Mars. (With a dash of Reavers for all you Browncoats). I'm a sucker for spaceship movies. If you put a spaceship in a movie, even in just a scene, I am legally required to go see it. Most of these films are usually pretty bad, so it's sort of a blessing that Pandorum manages to entertain. Sure, there are flaws in the film. The editing of action scenes can be a little too jerky and confusing.And the sound mix sometimes drowns out important details for figuring out the story. And there the story gets a little too complex when it doesn't need to be, complete with a twist that's not really a twist. (Funny how that's my complaint about the two sci-fi flicks that open this weekend). But it doesn't matter, as the pluses outweigh the minuses this time around. Ben Foster drops his "I'm gonna out-crazy you" routine of late, and delivers a solid and dare I say heroic performance.
But Quaid takes this material and elevates it far beyond what is required of him. The two have a nice dynamic. The special effects and make-up are more than decent, again taking the film up a notch in respect. I'm a sucker for a good spacehip corridor,and the set design of the Elysium is terrific. I loved the environment and the world that's created for the people living in it. That attention to detail is appreciated. It may not sound like a compliment, but Pandorum is a damn fine video game-movie. It has a simple premise that requires men of action to solve their problems in a strange and hostile environment. It's the best kind of game, though, as it's as much fun to watch as it would be to play. If it existed as a game. And yes, I know it's similar to Dead Space, but this is as close as we'll get to that movie. It never aspires for more than telling a good story, and it succeeds. The spooky spaceship movie is a micro-genre, but one I'm happy to revisit as long as their as entertaining as Pandorum.
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