Pandorum–Hidden Gem
Jeff VanderMeer • March 20th, 2010 @ 11:25 pm • Movie Reviews
I’m not going to defend mutation science as applied to Pandorum, but I have to say: if you haven’t seen this film, you should. It’s twisty in the best way, horrific in a way that actually turns out to make sense, and although it uses tropes and ideas you’ve seen in lots of other deep space horror flicks, it is original in its way. I would call this film brilliant for its renovations. It’s not original, but as a renovation of tropes that have become cliche, it does an excellent job, and is well worth your time.
March 21, 2010 at 4:36 am
“What if you awoke with no memory?”
“What if the world you knew was gone?”
Er… the second question seems pointless, all things considered.
March 21, 2010 at 8:56 am
Speaking of tropes, did you ever watch Kin-Dza-Dza?
March 21, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Oh, thanks! I’ve had a copy of this for a while and thought that I had far better ways to waste my time; a nod from you means a lot. Huh! Will scope!
March 23, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Ok, sold! It made about ten dollars in the theaters, but you’re not the first to recommend it. . . I’ll check it out.
March 23, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Actually, yeah. I’d kinda written this off from the reviews, but was just curious enough to check it out and thought it was actually a decent wee pic.
March 25, 2010 at 1:57 am
Loved this movie. Vastly underrated. Not sure why reviewers are being so harsh to it: it establishes an internal logic and adheres to it, resolving in a pretty satisfying manner.
I do wish the psychological aspect had been explored more than the creature horror stuff, but it was still enjoyable.
March 25, 2010 at 12:08 pm
[...] Jeff Vandermeer’s post from earlier this week made me change my mind. And I’m on a semi-nocturnal schedule right [...]
March 25, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Just posted my review here:
http://autumnrain2110.com/blog/2010/03/25/pandorum/
The one-liner: Jeff’s right. Thanks for the rec!
March 25, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Oh, you’re welcome. I’m still floored it was good.
May 11, 2010 at 5:28 am
I really wanted to like this film but the acting and script were poor and it was riddled with stupid from top to bottom. See this thread on IMDB for a few funny examples: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188729/board/thread/161163269
In contrast I thought the twists were really try-hard, of the “…and you know what happened next? A DINOSAUR! But really it was in his head” variety. In fact, the film just tried to cram in every single space horror trope/cliche it could and ended up a total mess