“Passengers” Review: Original and Emotional Charged.

Entering  the theater, I assumed “Passengers” was going to be another version of “The Martain” film–full of intense, violent, and fast scenes. To my surprise, “Passengers” was not about the destruction space seems to have in every sci-fi movie, it was about the emotional challenges one encounters with ongoing loneliness. The emotional endeavor made “Passengers” an amazing movie to see.

The futuristic spaceship, Starship Avalon, is on a 120 year journey to Homestead II. In order to preserve their youth, over 5,000 passengers and crew are stationed in hibernation pods and will remain there until the last four months of their journey; however, a malfunction occurs and prematurely opens Jim Preston’s (Chris Pratt) hibernation pod. The only one awake, Preston has the Avalon to himself for the next 90 years of his journey.

Within a year’s time, Preston becomes annoyed with  the automatic breakfast dispensers and the dance-off video game, so he decides to go out into space, in a suicidal attempt. However, he draws back and stumbles upon a sleeping passenger, Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence). He reads all of her biographies and novels, finding out that she is the “Sleeping Beauty” he has been searching for. In order to wake her, though, he must open her pod and interrupt her sleep. Torn, Preston finds himself talking about his problems with Arthur (Michael Sheen), an android bartender, and eventually decides to open her pod.

One of the best scenes in the movie happened when Preston put on his suit and went out into space. He was hesitant at first, but once he jumped, joy filled his eyes. He realized that his emotions (mostly of loneliness) had nowhere to go, and were driving him to insanity. There are not many movies that address the emotional conflicts, but rather only address the physical conflicts of going into space. Emotions drive human instinct and decision making: “Passengers” makes the development of emotions an important piece of the film that gives the viewers a relatable perspective. The addition of scenes with the emotional aspect made me feel more connected to the characters and kept me on the edge of my seat. Even though the emotions put the movie at a slow pace, “Passengers” was an engaging movie to watch.