The Old College Try: Pandorum

For my first direct afterthoughts blog, I have the film Pandorum  directed by Christian Alvart. As the film begins, your eyes meet a huge, and I mean HUGE ship floating out in the middle of nowhere in outer space. I couldn't help but think of that trademark Stars Wars shot, panning to show the length of the ship. If you've got that mental image, you're good to go. The story begins with a man named Bower "awakening" and emerging from a freaky test tube-like structure, disoriented and covered in wires. From there, a quest to save the almost powerless, slowly sinking ship begins.

Tanis, a planet found to support life just like Earth, is the sole reason for the huge ship launching into space, with thousands of "enlisted" people on board.  I loved the religious parallel drawn with the ship and Noah's Ark. What would have happened if Noah had some holes in that boat? This movie addresses that concept, only in a more futuristic way. Bower, who we come to find out is (of course) the tech guy of the flight crew sets out to find the power source of the whole ship, the reactor. And thus, the fun begins.

As he ventures off alone into the dark abyss, Bower, played by Ben Foster, is forced to play by the rules of Charles Darwin in order to stay alive. Any human in their right mind left standing is fair game to these creatures, whom varied in appearance and size. Obviously, in a "survival of the fittest" setting, it's kill or be killed. But I didn't like how drawn out some of the fight scenes were. The images of slashing and bashing aliens was awesome, but to a certain extent. I'd like to think I have a strong tolerance for blood and guts, but when an alien beat down goes on for two minutes straight, I was borderline nauseous.

However, pandorum, the idea behind the title, may be one of the most interesting parts of the whole movie. Pandorum is a state of mind, something every flight crew member had been warned about before launch. Extreme paranoia, hallucinations, dementia and schizophrenia are all part of the fabulous package, when one turns their back on reality outside of the ship. An unexpected reference I really appreciated was that of Plato and Aristotle. Although subtle, the movie proves that if you stop thinking like Plato, knowing that there is more to life outside of the ship, you will go insane. Those that succumbed to pandorum thought like Aristotle, where reality was anything subject to the human senses. This little detail made an immense difference.

I admired the way Alvart used camera angles to show two states of mental health. Healthy characters were portrayed normally, with wide, medium and tight shots of their bodies and faces. The viewer could sense when pandorum began setting in because the camera shifted. The camera became less steady and focused on the face. It looked as if the actor wore a helmet with a camera on it, but the angle worked. It offered something new to the viewer, something to sense the frenzy going on in the character's mind. The snapping in and out of pandorum made the viewer feel like they were right next to Bower, in his mental struggle to save the ship and himself.

SPOILERS AHEAD
(Side note: If you have interest in seeing Pandorum, feel free to skip over this section. I don't want to be responsible for "ruining the movie" for anyone.)

The whole idea of the creatures aggravated me. The movie was chugging along, I had high hopes and was intrigued to see how or why these creatures were on the ship. And then the reasoning came. I couldn't help but feel a little let down. Granted, there's not much one can think of when floating out in the middle of nowhere, but mutated passengers? The flimsy reasoning sets up its own debate. How come Bower and select others were immune to mutation? What made them so special? What causes an awakening? I am speaking as someone from a first viewing and a second may be in order to completely understand, but that factor made me shake my head.

Making a name for himself, Cam Gigandet plays Gallo, the predecessor of Lieutenant Payton (Dennis Quaid). Gallo, whose mind is completely consumed by pandorum, tries to break down Payton and force him towards insanity. Gigandet did a beautiful job conveying the craziness that is Gallo, and I was extremely surprised at just how well he delivered. Before watching Pandorum, I associated him with teen dramas and not much else. However, by showcasing his range and ability through the character of Gallo, he made the whack job very believable. Although not yet a "household name," the role was a springboard for Gigandet.

Although Gigandet's acting impressed, one piece of his character confused me. I did not understand how Gallo took over the mind and body of Payton. It appeared as though when two identification tattoos, given to all people on the ship, touched, the two people became one. However, the blurred details made the unity of Gallo and Payton confusing. Even more confusing was how Bower knew that Gallo was in control of Payton's mind.    

SPOILERS END

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. Once the ball started rolling, I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen next to each character. That being said, I'm the kind of person that falls in love with most characters and roots for a happy ending. Although well executed, Pandorum didn't feel like anything fresh or new. A couple of familiar titles popped into my head: Star Wars, Moon, The Descent and, most peculiar, Wall-E. If you're looking for something new and crazy, this is probably not going to be your flick. But if you're looking for a mind bender, something to exercise that gray matter in your skull, Pandorum is a good pick.

Out of four, I give it: