Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Passengers’ (2016)

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

One thing I’ve always loved about cinema in general, is the fact that silver screen stories find new ways to challenge us since they can examine the toughest parts of mankind in a safe and fascinating environment. It’s why we’ve seen powerful films that address racism, consumerism and everything we see on the news and while some of the motion pictures in that vein have moved us and said some incredible things about our world and how perhaps we should address some of our greatest problems, there are some films out there that get cold feet as they dive into their respective topic. It could be due to a producer that felt the topic in question was too much for audiences to handle, or the writer and director or cast for that matter simply let their important point slip to the side, but it’s something I see happen often in film and recently, I had the opportunity to watch a movie that meets that unfortunate criteria in 2016’s Passengers.
​
Now, for those unfamiliar with this film, it takes us far into the future where space travel is the norm, and in the depths of the void, a vessel known as the Avalon is in the middle of its journey toward a colony known as Homestead II. But after having a close call with a massive asteroid, a supposedly fail-safe hibernation pod opens, awakening a man named Jim Preston some 90 years too early and well, the revelation that he is going to age on this ship and die alone is more than Jim can handle, prompting him to open another pod, one belonging to a brilliant writer named Aurora Lane in order to keep him company and well, let’s be honest, that’s quite the dark plot when all is said and done. And it really seems that early on, this movie was going to be a grand exploration of what it means to be alone and how hard it would be to face a predetermined fate, and that makes the first half of this movie, downright brilliant.

Much of the credit for selling that darker plot goes to actor Chris Pratt since his skills immerse us in the long and painful downward spiral of Jim Preston as he slowly comes to realize that isolation and loneliness are going to surround him for the rest of his life, and while some parts of this are addressed in up tempo and lighthearted fashion since Jim makes the most of having every luxury on the Avalon at his fingertips, things take a turn for the worse when he comes to realize that he doesn’t want to spend the next 90 years in solitude and he contemplates taking his own life, and that...is really a bold move storytelling wise. For suicide is a taboo topic in film and seeing someone attempt it on the big screen is a rarity in its own right, and while the script deserves some serious praise for going there, this is also exactly where the story begins to wobble and falter.

Because while what comes next is equally as powerful, since Jim decides to open up Aurora’s hibernation pod and in essence, condemn her to a similar fate, rather than truly explore the fallout of that decision, which would have moved this motion picture into unique territory, it takes the cliché way out. Because now, love is what saves both Jim and Aurora, detracting from the strength that her character is presented with from the get-go, and even when there is an opportunity to go back and do this right when Jim’s transgression is revealed, the movie still refuses to take the right storytelling path and instead separates the couple until there’s trouble on the ship that only they can solve and then of course, it’s off to a sappy ending where everything works out okay and well, that’s really disappointing when all is said done.

If anything, I simply cannot wrap my head around why this film would choose to change gears and go from brilliant character study to fluffy romance (with just a hint of stalker) because damnit, it really did start off right. But alas, here we are and clearly, whomever made the call to change things up, was out of touch. For science fiction is at its best when it explores the power of humanity, and our connection to one another, and I personally believe, that a plot involving Jim being brought back from the brink after spending years in isolation would have been a far more intriguing story than the puff piece this turned out to be, and well, I’m torn on whether or not to give this one a thumbs up. Because the performances are great, and the first half of the flick is amazing, but that back half is truly irritating. So, if anything, I would say that if you watch this one, pretend that it’s a summer popcorn flick and nothing more, since that will help to wipe away some of the frustrations that take place with this movie’s uneven plot.

---