Passengers is a Chick Flick that tricked me into thinking it was a Sci-Fi until it was too late.
Synopsis
The film starts by the showing the interstellar spaceship flying through an asteroid field, which sounds like a terrible idea but luckily they diverted power to the shields and set the shields to maximum. Unfortunately, there was a much bigger asteroid than expected. The collision causes several malfunctions, including Chris Pratt’s hibernation pod which is how the story begins.
Within the first few minutes, we’ve established that we’re basically watching the Titanic after it has been hit by the iceberg and we’re waiting for the ship to sink. After a year of being alone, Chris Pratt wakes Jennifer Lawerence up but doesn’t tell her it was him. I don’t blame him. The two fall in love and all is well until the robot bartender spills the beans. Drama ensues.
It’s not until a crew member wakes up that they realize everything is falling apart and they have to work together to save the ship because it’s the right thing to do.
Review: Passengers
PG-13 | 1h 56 mins | Sci-Fi, Drama, Romance | December 21, 2016
Did I Like It?
My overall feeling towards the show.
I’m surprised that I liked this movie. It has two of my favorite actors but I was still hesitant due to the romantic, chick flick vibes. I enjoyed it because there was enough of a sci-fi atmosphere to intrigue me and excite my imagination. What would I do if I was trapped alone on a luxury cruise liner flying through space? Would I grow a hipster beard? Plus, I’m a big fan of last man alive movies, like I Am Legend, so the idea appeals to me on a fundamental level. I think I could handle it fairly well if I was in that situation. Now, I’d much rather be in a zombie-filled New York than a giant spaceship, but that’s because spaceships scare me.
Napability?
How easily could I sleep through this.
On a first watch through, I didn’t have any desire to fall asleep. If I were to watch it again, I would totally fall asleep through most of the movie. It’s slow. There’s romance. Oh, emotions. All the telltale signs of a good napping movie for me. Now that that initial sci-fi feel has worn off, it’s just another chick flick.
What’s It Worth?
How much effort/money would I put towards this show.
I would say that it’s worth a watch if you’re interested. If watching the trailer doesn’t catch your attention, than don’t bother. I watched this movie mostly because my wife really wanted to see it. She loves Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawerence and is much more intrigued by romantic movies than I am.
How Often Would I Watch It?
The frequency that I would watch this.
I won’t go out of my way to watch it again, but if it came up I would. Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawerence are really good at conveying emotion, which makes me feel for the movie. Especially Jennifer Lawerence. She nails hysteria every time.
Any “I’m Out!” Moments?
Moments where I mentally or physically check out of the show or other problems I have.
First of all, I didn’t need to see Chris Pratt’s butt. Twice. I know that it’s in there for fan-service, but it’s completely unnecessary.
I really enjoyed that Chris Pratt woke Jennifer Lawerence up on purpose, so that he wouldn’t be alone. It’s a lot better than what was implied in the trailer with the whole “…there’s a reason we woke up early.” line. I would have been really upset if it would have been “part of the plan” that an engineer and a journalist wake up early to save the ship. But the stupid robot, had to ruin the secret which caused all the drama. I wouldn’t call Jennifer Lawerence’s character petty for holding a grudge for who knows how long. You can’t really be called petty when you attempt to murder the person you’re upset with.
My biggest issue comes when they’re trying to figure out what’s wrong with the ship. When the crew member wakes up and they realize there’s a problem, the computer doesn’t know what’s causing it. That means they have to manually search the ship to figure out what’s wrong. In the end, it’s the freaking reactor! The big nuclear engine is overloading and they don’t realize that until it’s almost too late. If I was running a ship and something was wrong, I’d make sure the main power source and the worst thing to break was at the top of my list to check.
Final Score for Passengers
6/10
Don’t Be Fooled. It’s Still a Chick Flick.
Have you seen this movie? Give Passengers your rating and leave a comment below on what you thought about the film.