PANDORUM

Germany/US, 2009, 108 minutes, Colour.
Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue, Cung Le, Norman Reedus.
Directed by Christian Alvart.

This space drama, in the vein of the Alien series, a touch of 2001, and some living dead, has a limited niche market – space film fans and those who enjoy the touch of menace and horror. But, for that niche market, it is particularly well made and has the clear signs of becoming a cult movie.

A busy prologue during the credits takes us from the moon landing and the earth's population figures in 1969 through the decades into the 22nd century where earth has disappeared and we see a space ship bound for another remote planet to colonise it. But...

Inside the ship, Bower (Ben Foster) wakes from a deep sleep and finds he cannot remember a lot of the details of the mission. Then, his superior, Payton, (Dennis Quaid) wakes. They seem to be alone on this vast, dark and ever more sinister ship. Other crew members are found dead. Gradually, other live presences suggest themselves. A few are human, the rest, vicious, cannibalistic mutants. Can Bower activate the reactor and save the ship? Will he and the few humans survive? How destructive are the mutants? Will Payton keep control? Is this the end of the human race? A fair amount of issues to ponder while the action plays out, much of it chase and pursuit, some of it struggles and fights – and, finally, some explanations, especially about Pandorum, a name for a mental condition that space travellers are prone to and leads to paranoia (and the explanation of what happened to the empty ship).

The vast sets for the ships interior are impressive. There are effects for the creatures and stunts for the fights, some of which are a touch too brutal.

However, the lighting and photography deserve great commendation. While most of the action is in the dark – with some red sequences at times and a few with full light – the action and characters can always be seen with the judicious lighting so that one does not have to peer as in too many films with action in the dark. The effect might be a bit claustrophobic, but it works well for the atmosphere of Pandorum.

The director is Christian Alvart who made the edgy German drama, Antibodies, and the American thriller, Case 39.

1.The tradition of the Alien films? The perspective of 2001? Other space adventures with hidden villains? The tradition of the Living Dead? Mutants and monsters? The combination of these themes?

2.The German director, American production, the studios and sets?

3.The sets and the use of space, the evocation of open space, the sea? The craft itself, vast, the vista of the craft from the outside, the rooms inside, corridors, open spaces, the set design? Costumes? The atmospheric score?

4.The creatures, the special effects?

5.The quality photography, the dark, yet action and characters visible, from dark to red, the bright light sequences, the effect on the experience in the dark?

6.The information during the credits, the moon landing, the developments in space to the 22nd century, the information about Earth’s population? The glimpse of the officer and the last stand of the crew on the spaceship?

7.The plausibility of the plot, travel in space, remote planets, the possibility of settlement, human life, the destruction of Earth, the conditions of travel, deep sleep, the mutations?

8.Bower, in his glass case, screaming, waking, gradually coming out as if a new birth, his struggles, lack of memories, drawing on his skills, knowledge of the ship? Payton and his waking, taking control? Bower’s personality, the memories of his wife – and later revealing that she had left him, unwilling to go on the journey?

9.Payton, solid American type, lacking memories, giving orders, helping Bower in his search, staying at control, keeping in contact?

10.Bower’s search, throughout the ship, the aim to get to the reactor? In the narrow spaces and the sense of claustrophobia? The falls? The sense of living presence? The gradual manifestation of the creatures? Running, chased, the doors, fights? Nadia and her explanation of her survival? Her skills? Wary of Bower, combining with him? Information about the ship, the different crews, the dead bodies, the mystery of the support crew’s being dead? The encounter with Manh, unable to speak English, the character with the dreadlocks? His survival? Their being tricked by him and gassed, tied up? His supplying information about what had happened?

11.Payton and his past, trying to cope? The appearance of Gallo, their discussions, struggle, Gallo as young, information about what happened? Their arguments, Payton injecting Gallo – and it being revealed that Gallo was his alter-ego, injecting himself, encased? The madness, Pandorum and its effect, the mutants? Payton’s motivation – and the flashback to the last days of the crew? His taking over?

12.The dreadlocks man and the gas, tying them up, believing Bower, helping them to go to the reactor?

13.The creatures, the reactor, the pursuit, the fight, the galleys full of creatures? Manh and his being tricked by the child and dying? The discovery that they were underwater?

14.Bower confronting Payton, the fight, control?

15.The capsule, Nadia and Bower, the water, being ejected, floating on a boat? The other capsules being ejected from the spaceship? Its destruction?

16.The new Adam and Eve, the new Eden, the information about the growth in population, Earth on a planet – and being reborn?