On paper, Columbia Pictures’ latest darling, “Passengers,” has all the attributes of a blockbuster smash — a lean, mean (well, kind of) Chris Pratt paired with America’s current sweetheart, Jennifer Lawrence. Mix these the two actors with a fantastic sci-fi story, sprinkle in some out-of-this-planet lovemaking, and it’s seemingly a match made in millennial heaven.
After all, the face of “Hunger Games” is essentially Tinseltown’s glass ceiling, while the formerly portly, comedic sidekick has been anything but below it since 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
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Unfortunately for the masses, it’s only the film’s altitude that catapults Pratt and J-Law’s lovemaking to unprecedented heights — and judging by the twosome’s press tour antics, they’re much better suited to play opposite one another in a brotherly-sisterly kind of capacity. In hindsight, the Morten Tyldum-directed flick swings and misses at realizing its full potential.
The film’s premise revolves around two passengers, who awake 90 years prematurely — from an induced hibernation — on their journey to a distant colony planet with opportunistic possibilities. Unfortunately, regaining their consciousness nearly a century early wasn’t enough time for Anna Faris’ hubby and J-Law to smooth out their chemistry kinks.
Pratt dons the role of Jim Preston, a pretty-boy mechanical engineer from Denver who’s itching to jilt Planet Earth. Lawrence plays Aurora Lane, a Big Apple journalist who’s curious about cosmic travel. She aspires to pen the first book about “Homestead II” — the 5,000-plus passengers’ desired destination. It will take Jim and Aurora, along with the other Starship Avalon travelers, approximately 120 years to reach it.
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Amid a sleep chamber malfunction, Jim’s the first one to wake from cryogenic stasis. Upon viewing Aurora’s internet profile, which includes video footage, he becomes heavily smitten with her. Soon after, he halts her sleep by opening up her pod. Aside from the space yachts’ robot employees (more on them later), they are the only humans in a conscious state.
While Pratt has proven time and time again that he’s a good actor, his character’s empathetic attempts at curing his loneliness do little justice for his endless talent. More specifically, Pratt and Lawrence’s perennial acting chops, collectively speaking, fail to fire on all cylinders. Interestingly enough, it was the uber-talented Michael Sheen’s work, as witty android bartender Arthur, that stole the show.
Laurence Fishburne, no stranger to futuristic filmmaking, appears briefly as a well-informed crew employee, Gus Mancuso. However, the former “Matrix” star wasn’t the only other notable appearance; a mum Andy Garcia was aboard the flying yacht as Captain Norris. If your mind wanders for too long, however, you’re likely to miss him.
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From a writing perspective, the John Spaihts script is promising at worst. Regardless, the three-act printed paper doesn’t quite translate into cinematic gold. Furthermore, Tyldum does little to replicate his Oscar-nominated work on the World War II drama, “The Imitation Game.” Hence, “the jewel of the Occupied Worlds” was, creatively speaking, “the utter disappointment of the eager minds.”
Giving credit where it’s due, the $110 million movie’s special effects are excellent. Additionally, its production design is equally as impressive in terms of “Passengers'” VIP areas, upscale dining, and games — anything but an eye sore. The cinematic landscape indeed goes hand-in-hand with the storyline — from its sleek spacecraft, the Avalon, and its outer space surroundings. Nonetheless, the flick’s visual beauty wasn’t sufficient enough to override its plot-point paralysis.
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