Pandorum was a film which very much passed under the radar of modern sci-fi movies. An interesting blend of hard and soft science fiction set in space, in the doom and gloom filled loneliness only a lone ship can provide. It’s not an uncommon scenario for these movies, and provides a near perfect setting for both the supernatural thriller or the introspective psychological piece. Pandorum makes a must see movie for sci-fi enthusiasts for being an effective combination of both these things.

Starting from the perspective of just two crew, said to be the next shift of duty on the ship, it doesn’t take long for things to gradually go awry. Starting with mechanical error and growing increasingly threatening in atmosphere soon the entire film begins to resemble a survivor horror, and indeed the bulk of the film is. However as far as survivor horrors go, Pandorum doesn’t carry it off very well. It’s not truly a zombie horror and doesn’t really ever give the feel of impending death of any of the main characters. Instead its the more subtle main plot which gives the film its grip over the audience, and it’s the first film out of the US in a while to do this so well, not bludgeoning the audience with every detail of the plot until its impossible they’ve missed anything. Maybe its the German influence.

The chases of the middle of the film do drag on, but are important gaps between the deeper parts of the movie

One of the great things about Pandorum is how things slowly begin to piece themselves together as the film progresses. An attentive audience will not only be watching the intermittent graphic fight scenes and, all too frequent, running franticly down beautifully utilitarian corridors, and the slow but steady additions to what turns out to be a much deeper plot then that unfolding in the present on screen.

The absolute clincher for the film is the atmosphere. From the very beginning the claustrophobic, grimy and mechanical surroundings make you uneasy and make every battle and chase even more panicked. It works equally well to make the setting for Dennis Quaid’s own lonely crisis, trapped in a room only lit by the ominous blue of screens and surrounded by unexplained electronics and pipes. His acting talent makes him an even more sympathetic character, making this portion of the film even more important to the climatic ending.

Quaig’s Payton turns what could have been a dull sideplot into one of the most effective solo performances in modern cinema.

Pandorum doesn’t disappoint in the acting department, both Quaid and Foster make excellent central characters who are masterfully developed through the film. Though Foster may fall a little foul of American Hero stereotypes he is saved by the utter confusion and weakness of the opening of the film. Attempts to weaken the character during the finale fail however, but in the end all films need a hero.

Not all the characters were strictly necessary, and trying to develop them all was a strain on the film’s pace. But somehow it was pulled off.

The finale itself is a confused affair, not giving quite the full satisfaction of the end of the bad guy and leaving a little too much to Hollywood-esque happy endings which would have been much better dealt with by more uncertainty, something which was common to the rest of the film. It was a disappointing finish, but nothing that could knock off the course of a perfectly good film. It is also the only point where CGI was used to replace good camera work, the rest of the film being an artistic triumph striking a perfect atmosphere for the unfolding story. The industrial cacophony of a soundtrack, alone just a mess of noise, becomes an incredible addition to this atmosphere.

The sheer despair of the endless tunnels of the Elysium give the film a spectacular feel.

Pandorum is a good film, far better then the critics gave it credit for and far better then its box office takings take credit for. The audience was satisfied and the science fiction addicts more so. Its about time that someone did science fiction thrillers right. Even better, the subtle plot line and clues towards the ending make watching it a second time even more entertaining, where you can pick up on all the trace signs you missed the first time around. However, it does only appeal to a small audience and mistakes on plot and a few of the characters do spoil what could have been the science fiction thriller of the decade. Its artistry is incredible and its concept flawless, so if you haven’t seen it yet, do.

Grade: B+