Passengers * * * *

Jen contemplates the greater crime, Jim's or the Directors?

Many critics have called Passengers disappointing, but I wouldn't call it anywhere near as disappointing as that other recent SF film -  Arrival, which I found to be gimmicky rather than intelligent.
     I actually liked Passengers and I wish it had taken itself a little more seriously.  In Passengers there are some noble concepts and ideas of both biblical and philosophical reference, but unfortunately it chooses to treat them in a frivolous manner.  (Gee! Imagine having something interesting to say and then being flippant about it!)  
   One of the actions that some viewers struggle with is when the main character, Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) commits such a heinous and selfish act some viewers just wan't him to die.
But it could be argued that this human flaw, this failure to pass a test that so few of us could, is what makes Jim so relatable.

    Passengers is steeped in temptation, guilt, remorse, forgiveness and self sacrifice.  Lofty concepts.
Five thousand people are on a spaceship heading toward a new planet; a planet so far away it will take 120 years to get there. So the passengers are put into “hibernation pods”.  But one poor fellow - Jim -  is in a hibernation pod that malfunctions and he awakens early.  It’s impossible to reactivate his pod. He realises he still has 90 years of loneliness before the spaceship reaches its destination. He will die before then, because he is out of hibernation his body will naturally grow old. He is destined to be an ageing man wandering the spaceship alone for the rest of his life.

   Although the passengers will sleep for 120 years they are programmed to awaken four months before they arrive.  For those last months in space the spaceship has every facility from bars to fine restaurants to swimming pools for the passengers; rather like a luxury cruise ship.  But all this novelty  is no compensation for loneliness.  The only person Jim has to talk to is a robot barman (played excellently by Michael Sheen).  Jim’s loneliness is cruel and inhuman and he knows it will never end, unless….

    Unless he awakens one of the other five thousand sleeping passengers to keep him company. She need not know she was deliberately awoken. He can tell her her pod failed just like his. But Jim knows when he awakens her she will share his fate.  The choice is God like. This person will never see the promised land or the new planet.  She will age to death just like him.

   As Jennifer Lawrence is the well publicised co-star in this film, you can fairly guess what Jim does without blaming me for spoilers.  The “honeymoon” is all he wanted.  The awakened Aurora is beautiful, intelligent and wonderful company.  Love blossoms, for a while.

    You can also fairly guess the reaction when she discovers the truth about her awakening - or can you?  It might take you by surprise - as will the unforeseen consequences had he let her sleep.

    Laurence Fishburne plays the third awakened person, arriving well into the story. His pod has failed too, but he is a crew member. He awakens to learn he is dying and will be with them for a short time only. But like an Angel sent to give them some respite with his knowledge, he leaves them with a “gift”.

   Ultimately Jim Preston's"sin" becomes an act that might saves the lives of all the sleeping souls on the spaceship, but a sacrifice is needed.

   The more I think about it the more I love the concepts, symbols, references and ideas in this film. I was greatly impressed by the acting of the four main characters. The gigantic spaceship is beautiful and convincing.  There are scenes which are visually breathtaking. You have to see what happens to a swimming pool full of water when gravity fails.

   But sadly they have smothered the brilliance of Passengers with a hunger to please everyone and it's sad to watch it disgrace itself as it “dumbs down”. Director Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game) should know better. The incongruous upbeat “roll titles” music is enough to turn your stomach with it’s self mocking idiocy.

    Passengers has been treated poorly by most critics, but nowhere near as poorly as it has treated itself. It should have shown more self respect. If it had, it could have well been remembered as one of the truly great SF films.