Passengers

Two-thirds sci-fi indie romance and one-third "Gravity" meets "Titanic" adventure, the Jennifer Lawrence/Chris Pratt vehicle "Passengers" is an intriguing mix of genres that mostly takes flight.

Directed by Morten Tyldum ("The Imitation Game") and written by Jon Spaihts ("Prometheus" and "Doctor Strange"), the space thriller centers on a corporate passenger vehicle carrying five thousand people to a new planet that humans have populated. To make the 120-year journey, passengers are put into hyper-sleep and are set to wake up four months before arrival. But a freak accident occurs, causing a malfunction that awakens two inhabitants 90 years too early. Luckily for them (and us) the two are attractive, heterosexual, and single,so they hit it off while trying to figure out a way to get back to sleep so they don't grow old and die years before they reach their destination.

Essentially a two-character drama, "Passengers" has a few twists and turns that won't be spoiled here -- not that those veers in plot direction are all that surprising. What is surprising, however, is the studio's willingness to allow the film to play out like a rom-com set in a most unusual situation. In fact, the big second act dilemma isn't so much something wrong with the ship, but a moral and ethical issue that tears these two lovers apart. It's not until more than halfway through the film that the technical glitches really start to cause problems and the two must switch into action mode.

In this way, the film is sort of a sister to James Cameron's "Titanic," where the first half of the film involved the burgeoning relationship between Jack and Rose. The second half involved how the two navigated impending tragedy. Much like that juggernaut of a film, "Passengers" traverses some potentially silly situations and side-steps technical mumbo-jumbo to focus on the characters. We never truly understand the "science" behind the situations they are in, but the chemistry and emotion of our two leads sells it anyway.

Chris Pratt isn't as goofy as he usually is, which is nice to see. He's still charming, but he plays it a little more serious especially when confronted with something he is wracked with guilt for doing. Jennifer Lawrence exhibits a strength and beauty we expect from her, but that doesn't make her emotional theatrics any less affecting. Michael Sheen as a robot bartender is adorable, but he does have a sinister moment that needs a bit more explanation as to the motivation behind it.

Which is the main problem with the film. Despite it being consistently entertaining and beautiful to look at, it seems like a film that was re-written and edited so much that plot points and story directions are lost. There are issues and situations that could have been explored, and an ending that feels like it could have gone in a few other directions based on what was set up before. (Why point out that one of the sleeping passengers is a midwife if you're never going to use that as a story beat?) In fact, a major actor appears for five seconds in one scene and doesn't say a word. Either he is buddies with the director, or desperately needed another year of health insurance; otherwise, it's an inexplicable role for him unless the studio has high hopes for a sequel.

All in all, the film is proficiently made and there is never a dull moment. The cast is great and it has an intriguing premise. At the same time, despite this being about two people trapped in a massive spacecraft in the far reaches of space, the film feels small. If it weren't for the budget it would feel like an indie movie. Which isn't actually a bad thing. It's certainly a diverting and entertaining voyage, but the journey feels like it should have been bigger and more intense that it winds up being. That said, audiences should enjoy the trip.