Check out Kidzworld’s movie review of Passengers, an action/romance set in space. Do Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt make a good screen couple? Is this a must see for the holidays?
By: Lynn Barker
In Passengers, mechanical engineer Jim Preston (Chris Pratt), on a starship full of colonists in sleep pods bound for a new planet, wakes up 90 years too early. After a while, only having the android bartender Arthur (the always good Michael Sheen) to talk to and no female companionship can get pretty boring and depressing. Will Jim wake up sleeping beauty Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) to fill the void in his life?
Jim and Aurora check out the sleep podsCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Waking Up
Starship Avalon is transporting over 5000 colonists plus crew to Homestead II, a planet so far from Earth the journey takes 120 years. It goes through an asteroid field, apparently self-repairing any damage. The colonists are in hibernation pods for the journey, but a malfunction wakes up a passenger, mechanical engineer Jim Preston (Chris Pratt), 90 years early.
The giant starship AvalonCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Bored and Lonely
After a year of isolation with only Arthur (Michael Sheen), a robot bartender, for company, Jim thinks of suicide until he notices beautiful writer Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence) in one of the pods. He watches videos she made about her life and desires and falls in love. It would be horribly morally wrong to wake her up early. She’d also be condemned to spend her life on the ship never reaching the new homeland. Unable to bear the isolation, Jim uses his mechanical knowledge to wake her up.
Jim builds a robot to impress AuroraCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Learning the Truth
Aurora and Jim’s relationship grows as they share more and she realizes that he’s tried everything she can think of to “fix” their situation with zero results. After a year, Jim has fashioned a wedding ring and is about to pop the question when Arthur, in whom Jim has confided his attraction for and ultimate decision to wake Aurora, accidentally spills the beans, letting her know that Jim doomed her to this starship prison for her entire life by waking her up. It wasn’t a pod malfunction as he originally told her.
Falling in loveCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Break Up and New Friend
Aurora is freaked and angry at what Jim has done. She tries to beat him up and stays away from him. She starts writing a memoir book about all their adventures good and bad. Another pod failure causes Gus (Laurence Fishburne), a flight deck crew chief, to wake up. Together the trio discovers that the asteroid hit years ago did damage the ship causing multiple gradual system failures.
They try to fix them but the failure of Gus’s sleep pod was very severe and he is too sick to continue. He gives his I.D. bracelet that allows access to all areas to Aurora and Jim. She reluctantly works with Jim to save the ship, causing Aurora to realize she loves him no matter what. They discover a way for Aurora to go back into hibernation but Jim can’t join her. Will she opt to spend her life with him on the repaired ship or decide to sleep again until the colonists reach their destination?
Aurora tells Jim she loves him againCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Wrapping Up
Like Collateral Beauty, which I also liked, Passengers is a personal film for the holidays that lets you leave the theater with hope in relationships, the need for human connection and Mankind in general. If this were an average sci-fi movie, the couple would reach a certain point only to be told that this was a psychological test and they’ve either passed or failed. I like that Passengers doesn’t take that cliché route. The film is a pure romance with action that concentrates on moral and ethical decisions that affect entire lives.
Getting frisky at breakfastCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Jen and Chris make a believable couple trying to have a relationship while in a seemingly impossible situation. How can you love someone who has doomed you to living your life on a sterile starship? Action sequences aren’t always logical but they are exciting enough. Set design and visual effects are just beautiful. If you are a Jen or Chris fan there is even more to like. Passengers can seem slow in spots but it makes a great “date” film as well as an actioner. We go four stars.
Passengers Movie Rating:
Passengers Movie PosterCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Passengers is in theaters now!
Have Your Say
Are you into romance plus action films? Are you a Jen or Chris fan? Do you think they would make a good on-screen couple?
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