A horror film that takes place aboard a spaceship or on another planet has always been a crapshoot when it comes to quality. Usually, within this very small subgenre, there are either great films, like Event Horizon or Aliens, or duds like Jason X and Hellraiser: Bloodline. Considering that the latter are pointless sequels, the more original the idea, the better the film seems to be. This is the case with Pandorum, a film that takes the spaceship premise and combines the ideas of films such as The Descent; Aliens and Pitch Black.
In Pandorum, two space explorers, taking a colony of what is the last of the human race to a new planet some million light years away from earth, suddenly wake up from hypersleep to find that the ship they are piloting is in the mist of chaos. The explorers seem to have forgotten what their mission is, and something terrible has happened to the other crew members. Cpl. Bower (Ben Foster) decides he will venture out into the ship to find out what has happened to everyone and attempt to restart the ship’s main engines. Meanwhile Lt. Payton (Dennis Quaid) stays behind in the control room to guard Cpl. Bower through the ship. However, they find that the people who once manned the ship are gone, and what they find is a race of aliens preying on the remaining survivors. Cpl. Bower, along with a small group of survivors, must find a way into the bowels of the ship to restore its power and find a way to rid the ship of its unwanted pests.
I’ve read plenty of reviews and posts on this film where many complained about the many plot holes, and that the story was all over the place. It’s true there were some plot holes, but I feel they are irrelevant to the story at hand. Pandorum is a movie that takes place in one big location in the middle of deep space. The plot holes are meant to be filled in by the imaginations of an audience that does not need every detailed to be explained. The story is there, and it’s easy to figure out and just enjoy the journey. I don’t think the film is trying to break down any cinematic barriers, but is trying to be a somewhat original horror space film made to entertain the audience. It’s a simple tale of survival: Us vs. Them. That’s all the film tries to be, with a conscious effort to tell us that this could possibily be our future should we destroy earth in the future, or should the earth become a hostile planet no longer capable of supporting life. It’s meant to be fun and tries its best not to push its underlying issue on the audience. Rather, it let us escape into its horror, sci-fi fantasy.
The film has some great production value. The visual effects are great and the overall look of the film, including the use of great lighting and set design, have a creepy feeling leaving the viewer feeling trapped on the ship right alongside its crew. The creature effects are remarkable, yet the look is very similar to some of the creatures we have seen in previous horror films. Still, they hold their own, with their pale skin and cabalist look. They are frightening, to say the least, and give viewers a few good reasons to jump out of their seats. The acting in the film is very good. Led by a cast that includes veteran actor Dennis Quaid and up-and-coming actor Ben Foster, and Twilight: New Moon star Cam Gigandet, the cast, including those in the supporting roles, hold their own and create unique characters to whom we all can relate.
The Blu-ray disc has a few features, including the behind the scenes featurettes The World of Elysium, and What Happened to Nadia’s Team along with a Flight Team Training Video. There is also audio commentary with director Christian Alvart and producer Jeremy Bolt, deleted and alternate scenes, still galleries and the film’s theatrical trailer.
I hold Pandorum up there with great space films such as Aliens and Event Horizon. It’s not as good a story as those two films, but it holds its own and is a really entertaining horror-in-space film. I really had a great time watching this film, and I highly recommend it to fans of horror and science fiction films.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
