Largely dismissed as yet another Alien carbon, the science-fiction/horror hybrid Pandorum exceeds the limits of that critique with an agreeable mix of atmospherics and high-voltage scares. Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid--two consistently watchable actors, and both well used here--are top-billed as a pair of space travelers who awake from lengthy hibernation with no idea who they are or how they got aboard a vast and seemingly empty spacecraft. Their exploration of the ship uncovers not only a handful of fellow humans, among them martial arts champ Cung Le and French scientist/requisite eye candy Antje Traue, but a host of feral mutants with unpleasant designs on them. Director Christian Alvert, who gained international acclaim among genre viewers with his thriller Antibodies, keeps viewers engaged and unsettled with shadow-steeped cinematography and elaborately creepy production design, though his own attention span, which can be charitably described as blink and you'll miss it, obscures the clashes between the human and monster cast. However, Alvert has a few twists up his sleeve for the finale--one inspired, the other, less so--which not only helps to smooth over any of Pandorum's rougher edges, but also indicates that he's a genre director to watch. --Paul Gaita
Stills from Pandorum (Click for larger image) |
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 Creepy And Atmospheric!! |
| Review Date: January 28, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Jelly Jar, Collinsville, IL USA |
So many people these days want to do movie comparisons with just about every new title that's released...here is another one getting that same treatment. These are the movies I have seen this one compared to: "Alien," "Solaris," "Event Horizon," and "2001: A Space Odyssey." This flagrant need to compare movies is largely due, in my opinion, to Hollywood's decade long quandary with not being able to come up with much new material...everything has already been done...and everyone has been conditioned to not expect anything new from that corner of the planet. Well, I'm not buyin' it! Books pour out of author's imaginations and onto the shelves of our local bookstores on a daily basis, and they are ALL different from the next. If book writers can do it, then I'm sure movie writers can do it as well. And this movie is no exception. It has plenty of newness to it. As a matter of fact, once you get through the creepy and atmospheric body of "Pandorum," which takes place on a spaceship meant to transport everything needed to start anew on another planet much like Earth, and finally reach the climactic ending, the breath of fresh air is resultant of a movie that never let on where it was going, reveals a story that has never been told (even remotely), and leaves the watcher with good feelings in their hearts...feelings of hope and reverie. The acting is superb by all in attendance, although, I believe Ben Foster should have gotten top billing, not Dennis Quaid. The vast majority of the time spent here is centered around Ben's character, whereas, Dennis' character doesn't do much more than try to stay connected with him from another part of the ship. All in all, "Pandorum" delivered on all eight cylinders. It had suspense, tension, depth, a well-thought-out plot, exceptional acting, production, and direction, creepiness, absorption, and reward. If you like the sci-fi/horror type thing, DON'T MISS IT!!!!!
Five Stars ***** |
Love it!
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| Review Date: November 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Consumer 007, Atlanta |
| If you've been jones-ing for a good sci-fi flick, and if you liked Aliens and Resident Evil, you will be very happy with this movie. I haven't been properly scared by a movie in some time, but wow this did it. Also, when you're not busy being thoroughly freaked out, you might notice that it's a visual treat too. |
Similiar to She's the Man and especially Mrs. Doubtfire...
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| Review Date: December 11, 2008 |
| Reviewer: MrPraveen09, CARY, NC USA |
I rented this movie from RedBox and I couldn't stop lauging as the mom tries to play a popular italian soccer star just to convince the girls soccer team that he is actually coming to coach. She and the soccer star actually got into an altercation at the airport and he blatantly refused to coach the soccer team, but there are some real surprising twists as the movie progreses. I was laughing for more than a full minute on the part where the real "Lorenzo" pours a pitcher of water on himself because two other people poured water on him because they thought he couldn't "make up his mind" on what to order. The truth of the matter was the mom (Missi Pyle) was impersonating him and they were in the same room!
You just need to watch the movie to find out if the mom's (Missi Pyle's) act of playing Lorenzo the Italian soccer star is exposed. Emily Osmont did an excellent job as playing Missi Pyle's daughter and she is very good at playing soccer. I wish I could give this movie 6 stars because of how closely it resembled Mrs. Doubtfire and She's the Man (both excellent movies where people try to impersonate others).
I wasn't sure why some people gave it negative reviews based on the sexual dialagoue, but this is a teen movie. What did you expect? But anyway this movie is actually worth buying and keeping as a collector's edition. |
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