Finally got around to this one. Really should have caught it in the cinemas. As far as science fiction stories go, I could see this working really well on paper, be it as a short story or a highly sought-after script on the Black List (a list of top quality, highly rated unproduced scripts). As a movie, it really has to rely on the star power of the leads, in this case award winning successful franchise star Jennifer Lawrence and hot up-and-comer Chris Pratt. Aside from Michael Sheen as a robotic android bartender, the movie is carried by the chemistry of these two leads. To be fair, they make an appealing on-screen couple. Set on an interstellar ship, Avalon, making a 120-year voyage to a new planet for colonisation, Jim Preston (Pratt) is woken from hibernation 90-years too early. Unaware of the cause of the malfunction that woke him up, Jim has to make do with being the only person awake on the massive ship that is almost reminiscent of the Axiom in Wall-E (2008). After a year of solitude that almost drives him to suicide, Jim wakes up Aurora (Lawrence) mainly for the company and a little out of infatuation. The movie carries on with their romance p, hitting the customary plot points one would expect until that initial malfunction rears its head and we have our action beats. The movie takes its time to let us get to know our characters, and it helps that we have Lawrence and Pratt in the lead roles. What also helps is the overall design for the movie. The exterior of the Avalon is different from most ships seen before, and there is some thought in the overall design of its helical shape. The interiors are all so something to behold be it the openness of the Grand Promenade, or the symmetrical lines in the Observation Deck; there is an inherent beauty to the overall look for the film. Director Morten Tyldum seems to rely heavily on his stars, but he also manages to convey the loneliness and desperation Jim goes through while highlighting the onset of danger constantly approaching in the background. Still, a lot of things are set up and often telegraphed in advance, save for the nature of the ultimate danger in the final act. The predictability of the 'romance' defuses any tension keeping us along for the ride. Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen and Lawrence Fishburne Directed by Morten Tyldum Rating ***/5 Find the best online deals here. | Barnes and Noble | Google Play Store | Book Depository Discover more about the books here.
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