Today’s quick review: Pandorum. Years into a deep space mission to colonize a new planet, Corporal Bower (Ben Foster) wakes up from hypersleep to find the ship in shambles, the crew dead or missing, and the corridors overrun by savage creatures. Working with Lieutenant Payton (Dennis Quaid), the only other surviving member of the flight crew, Bower journeys into the bowels of the ship to repair the damaged reactor before it shuts down for good.
Pandorum is a sci-fi survival horror movie about an interplanetary journey gone horribly wrong. Pandorum follows Bower, an engineer with amnesia, as he attempts to decipher what happened to the mission, survive the horrors infesting the ship, and salvage the ship’s systems before it’s too late. The movie features a twisting plot, a tense atmosphere, and decent fundamentals. However, a few misplays keep it from reaching its full potential.
Pandorum’s greatest strength ends up being its plot. The movie drops Bower into a situation as dire as it is mysterious, with clear threats that have no ready explanation. To Pandorum’s credit, it plays out its mystery well. Bower’s journey through the ship gives him a steady trickle of answers—a hint here, a revelation there—until the full story is revealed. Along the way, Pandorum juggles a couple of major plot twists that all feel worthwhile.
Pandorum backs up its plot with a horror atmosphere. The dark, claustrophobic environment of the ship is a natural fit for the types of horror Pandorum dabbles in. Limited resources, a stressful situation, and the lingering psychological effects of hypersleep lead to an unnerving journey for Bower. The catch is that Pandorum doesn’t innovate much. It assembles its building blocks in a workmanlike way without truly surprising the viewer.
Pandorum also misplays its hand with some of its other aspects. The creatures inhabiting the ship are a missed opportunity. They fill a specific role in the plot, but their designs are neither menacing nor memorable. More generally, the movie has a love-hate relationship with action, slipping into action scenes every now and then seemingly out of habit. The action isn’t bad on its own, but it does undercut the film’s oppressive atmosphere.
Overall, Pandorum will appeal to fans of the darker side of the science fiction genre. The movie gets surprisingly good mileage out of its plot, and its horror atmosphere serves it well. Those who come in with high expectations will be disappointed: neither its story nor its thrills match the greats of the genre. But sci-fi fans who like a healthy mixture of plot, tension, and action will find Pandorum to be a worthy popcorn pick.
For another tale of peril and madness in space, try Sunshine. For a much more subtle and iconic take on a similar premise, try Alien. For a sci-fi horror movie with vivid special effects and an even greater focus on horror, try The Thing. For a dark sci-fi action movie with a similar setup and more attitude, try Pitch Black.
6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for well-handled tension and an engrossing mystery.