Star Scene

By Ian Gibson

There is something odd in the latest science fiction horror film to hit theaters, a puzzling divisiveness that both helps and hurts its overall appeal. Pandorum, in all of its conceptualization and attempts to present a complex but unified story, comes off as more schizophrenic than satisfying film.

Set in a ship stranded in the nether-regions of space, Pandorum focuses on a disoriented character named Bower, played brilliantly by Ben Foster. He finds himself wakened from a cryogenic slumber to a broken-down atmosphere filled with violent, cannibalistic creatures. As he attempts to make sense of his surroundings with the help of a similarly lost officer (Dennis Quaid), Bower has to constantly fight for survival against threats both physical and mental. The plot of Pandorum essentially boils down to the standard journey-type affair with a healthy mix of frights, scares, and shocking revelations.

Pandorum is an absolutely gorgeous movie to watch, or rather partake in. With the dark cinematography, superb sound mixing, and mesmeric acting, the viewer feels like they are within the events of the movie as they occur. Suspense and fear make a successful transition from the action on the screen to the souls of the audience through the use of such breathtaking and wholly invasive filmmaking.

Where the movie falters, however, is in its failure to mix separate plot lines in an effective and convincing manner. Each individual story line, though immensely fascinating on their own, are tied together with one-line nuggets of information that are simply too insubstantial. These transparent plot devices fail to satisfy the viewer’s desire for unity and truth within the complex story. By the end of the movie, where these converging stories are shoved together in a faltering attempt at a singular climax, the story has simply taken a background role to the visually satisfying (but ultimately unfulfilling) effects of the film.

Pandorum, for all of its beauty and grandeur, feels more like a vehicle for separate ideas than a cohesive movie. Without a more satisfying plot, the movie simply fails to reach any sense of greatness.