MOVIE REVIEW: Continuing the tradition of Alien and Event Horizon, Pandorum attentively make good use of fear as the vehicle to this unexpectedly worthwhile installment of a Sci-Fi/Horror.
Having seen the teaser posters for the film that all share the same look as that of the Saw franchise and the monotonously aweful The Reaping gave me the wrong impression that this film will only serve gore and uneventful scare tactics that's been seen in almost every cheesy horror movies known to man as the movie's only hope for entertainment value.
But, it's either bad poster design or a highly-risky, clever move to allure moviegoers from the usual comfort zone of a weekend movie list.
About the only thing that actually produced an ample amount of interest for me is seeing Ben Foster in the theatrical trailer being the one scared this time instead of the one creeping you out. To those of you familiar with Foster and his acting roles should know what I'm talking about. To those who don't, shame on you!
Pandorum is about two crewmen, Bower (Foster) and Payton (Dennis Quaid), who wake up from their deep space slumber only to find that something very wrong may have happened inside the Elysium, their spacecraft en route to take whatever's left of mankind to their new home planet.
If you're one of those people who find yourself clamoring at the sight of goo-covered walls and baleful shadows or dark corners, this one has mercilessly plenty of it! Well, that and a good amount of inhuman growling ambience. For the better part, the film does a steady job of using Foster's subtleness and excessiveness to sell every emotional setup and aftermath of his tedious trek through dark corridors after dark corridors in hopes of finding survivors and some answers. Quaid serves as the eerily unnerving companion diguised as the voice of strength and courage.
The movie has enough absurdness and annoyance that director Christian Alvart and screenwriter Travis Malloy could never have avoided as obvious traits of its B-movie roots. Luckily enough, there's not enough cons to talk about to heavily dampen the near-embarassing pleasure you might find yourself enjoying every fright no matter if you suspect it coming or not.
Although there are those who enthusiastically question Ben Foster's involvement in the film, I must equally support the casting because without Foster (and Quaid) the movie is nothing more than an undercooked blunder of a midnight carnival ride that will undoubtedly become a bad publicity for any other filmmaker who dares to follow this route.
While Pandorum has nothing new to offer, it's conscious enough not to let you fall victim to your occasional head shaking as your final billing for this movie. If you're a sucker for a clean, cheap fright, then you might want to invest your time in this. But be forewarned that you may have to be an exclusive club member of the Sci-Fi/Horror genre to fully appreciate every last detail and all the occasional unintentionally laughable moments.
Pandorum (2009) (Constantin Films/Overture Films). MPAA rating: R for strong horror violence and language. Running Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes. Now Playing. U.S. Box Office Gross: $4,408,00 (9/28/09). Currently at #6 in Box Office Sales (9/28/09).
SCARE FACTOR: B-
FUN FACTOR: C
STORY: D
ORIGINALITY: D-
ACTING: B+
SCORE: B-
STUPID LEVEL: 6/10
VERDICT: A very average Sci-Fi/Horror saved by its superb casting
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