Pandorum [Blu-ray]

'Pandorum' is actually pretty good. Yes its not totally original but what is these days? Basing pretty much the entire film on a spaceship with failing power is going to include plenty of dim and dark corridors so comparisons with other films such as the Alien franchise and Event Horizon are always going to spring to mind.

Mixing it up by placing cannibals on a spaceship works fairly well. Couple that with the fact that because the Humans all appear to have woken from stasis at different times means they are fighting each other as well as the 'baddies' The acting and special effects are good and there are a couple of neat twists near the end.

It never quite lives up to the opening 30 minutes which is very entertaining because you're not quite sure which way the film is going to go but all in all it is a worthwhile addiditon to anyone who's a fan of Science Fiction and Horror.

Right from the start this film had my attention. It had one of the most exciting and intriguing opening 10 minutes I've seen, and then before you know it you're sucked into the nightmare world that is the film Pandorum.

I thought there was much to admire about this movie. The acting was excellent, the set design perfect, the special effects were spectacular and the creatue make-up satisfyingly gruesome. Even the end credits look great and are worth watching.

The supporting cast were just as strong as the main characters in the film - and fight fans will recognise Strike Force champion Cung Lee, famous for breaking Frank Shamrock's arm. There's also the Beautiful Antje Traue. And throughout the film the many sets provide a visualy varying vista and helps give the space ship Elysium (the setting for the film) a suitably vast feel.

The strongest thing about Pandorum though, by far, is the story. I found it both tense and intriguing and pretty soon I was hooked. I found it unfolded at the perfect pace, with questions being answered and new mysteries and elements added at just the right time. Cleverly though, it's been woven into a film that packs plenty of action too.

If I had one critiscm, it would be that in the final scenes during the film's climax, the storyline gets a little convoluted and leaves you a bit confused - but with a little creative thought you can figure it out. The BluRay transfer is excellent quality which is essential with Sci Fi, although it is a little light on extras with the usual behind the scenes documentary, director's commentary, and still gallery only.

Essentially a SciFi-horror, Pandorum offers a cerebral storyline which cleverly mixes elements of a mystery thriller with classic Science fiction and plenty of action. In my humble opinion, this film is recommended. A+

I'd read some negative press about Pandorum, mostly comparing it to Event Horizon. Now I've watched both I'm quite happy to say Pandorum is a much better movie, a really great movie. Outside of the Alien franchise Sci-Fi isn't really my thing, especially suspense drama on a big spaceship lost in space. I came to this because I'd seen Ben Foster in 310 to Yuma and more recently in The Mechanic and thought he was brilliant.

Ben Foster is Bower, a Nuclear Reactor scientist. When he wakes up from hyper-sleep on a giant space-ship he has little memory for who he is and why he's there - a side effect of the extended hyper sleep. He wakes the ships Captain and find they are locked out from the bridge. As they struggle to recall the ship is a Noah's Arc, they also come to realise something has gone horribly wrong with the cargo.

Pandorum is occasionally scary but it's not horror. It's more action with a heavy dose of suspense. Above all it's an incredibly well put together story that had me transfixed from beginning to end. It's not at all like Alien or any of its derivatives. It looks great visually with some very powerful acting from Ben Foster, while Antje Traue stands out in support. Dennis Quaid does a great job as a Captain trying to bring together his memory and his ship. There just isn't anything negative to say about this at all. I loved it, right to the very end.

Very highly recommended as great entertainment and story regardless of your preferred genre.

Hope this was helpful.