Rated R for strong horror violence and language.
Directed by Christian Alvart
Starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster
Pandorum (according to movie) is when the mind breaks down into madness in outer space – sound interesting??
When two astronauts on a stranded spacecraft awaken from a hyper-sleep chamber they quickly – and horrifically – realize they are not alone. It's pitch black, they are disoriented, and the only sound is a low rumble and creak from the belly of the ship. They can't remember anything – Who they are? What is their mission? With Lt. Payton (Dennis Quaid) staying behind to guide him via radio transmitter, Cpl. Bower (Ben Foster) ventures deep into the ship and begins to uncover a terrifying reality. Slowly the spacecraft's shocking, deadly secrets are revealed…and the astronauts find their own survival is more important than they could ever have imagined.
Space-horror films are a dime a dozen. Don’t believe me, take a stroll through your neighborhood Blockbuster and check out all those single-copy B-movies – you’ll see what I mean. And if you have time, read a few of the tag lines…I guarantee a few good laughs. I won’t even pretend to say that I have seen them all but I’ll admit I enjoy the bigger budget ones (Aliens, Pitch Black, Event Horizon and so on).
But let’s get back to Pandorum. I think in order to really enjoy this film, you need to be a serious fan of sci-fi movies. If you are a casual fan, my guess is you will be drawn in early and thoroughly enjoy the ride. If you hate sci-fi…I doubt you will last 15 minutes. Either way if you decided to give it a chance you will discover that like all great sci-fi films, there is a lot going on besides the “chills and thrills” – by the way – Pandorum is jam-packed with both. Most of the layers of the film have to do with humanity, fear and survival.
As far as the cast goes, Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster are incredible. They spend a good chunk of the film alone and while that is entertaining- it gets real interesting once they meet up with some other members of the crew.
This is one of those movies that I knew very little about going into it and loved every surprise along the way. So instead of ruining it for you…take a chance and “Rent it”…it’s so worth it.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Pandorum is a sci-fi film that is filled with intense and graphic scenes. There is no sex or nudity but the language is pretty rough (the F-word is used over 30 times).
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
