Project-Blu Passengers, by M. Enois Duarte

Passengers

By: M. Enois Duarte, 5.11.2009

The Movie Itself:
With three theatrical releases in a year's time, Anne Hathaway is demonstrating a wide range of acting skills in the major genres. And while those same skills remain impeccable in each, the quality of said movies makes her judgment choice to sign-on rather questionable. What's worse is that they can be listed in order of their worth and distinction. Rachel Getting Married, for which she received several nominations, would obviously be at the top, meanwhile Bride Wars will rest comfortably at the bottom and soon to be forgotten. Passengers seems to be somewhere in the middle, teetering and tottering between successful entertainment and just another derivative mess we've already seen.

Unfortunately, the plot also seesaws between genres, unsure of what it wants to be or where it's heading, leaving many scratching their heads through the first two acts. This presumably psychological drama relies so much of its success on a well-choreographed O. Henry ending, on a single crucial Shyamalan-esque scenario, that the least the viewer knows the better. Problem is the narrative screws supporting this hinge are seriously loose and will test the patience of the audience. But for those willing to put the work of sitting through Passengers, they may find it yielding decently satisfying results. Then again, the lack of originality in the ending could annoy and frustrate many wondering where the time went.

Although the flick does a commendable job with its general air of the foreboding and unease, in lieu of cheap, noisy scares, the tale of a therapist, Claire (Hathaway), conducting grief sessions to a handful of survivors from a plane crash carries the makings of an interesting psychological drama. But one very euphoric survivor, Eric (Patrick Wilson), creates the tone of romance, as the counselor crosses the lines of ethical conduct for some private one-to-one treatment. When patients suddenly begin to disappear, so does the audience's, lost in the navigation. The mood changes to a suspense thriller, where FAA agents (David Morse) only want to silence the truth and everyone is shadowed by some very creepy people that keep looking through windows. Or is this a supernatural mystery, because Eric sees and hears . . . a dog? Really?

Coming from Nine Lives director, Rodrigo Garcia, more was to be expected, but so little was delivered. He does a fine enough job with his multi-talented cast, nicely supported by always reliable Andre Braugher, Clea DuVall, and Dianne Wiest. Nevertheless, with knowledge of its final outcome in the back of the mind of this viewer, the pic's mechanics suddenly appear pedantic and lack narrative flow. On the other hand, he did what he could with a mediocre story. It's clear first-time theatrical-feature scripter Ronnie Christensen, known for 10.5 and Chameleon 3: Dark Angel, placed all bets on his twist ending, which was a nice take on a worn surprised, but the drive there was obnoxious and caused motion sickness.

Better served as an in-flight movie if it weren't for the plane sequences, audience members will sit through the 90-minute obstacle course if only for the desire of a big payoff. The supernatural flick places too much weight on borrowed elements, allowing the story to wonder around in circles, much like the characters do in the movie, trying to figure out which genre they belong to or which direction they're headed. Sadly, this might have worked as another made-for-television thriller, because as a feature-length, Passengers is an all too familiar ride on a road to nowhere.
Rating: 5/10

The Presentation:
Arriving in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, this AVC-encoded transfer of Passengers is a generally satisfying and solid presentation, nicely replicating the intentional photography of Igor Jadue-Lillo for generating an ominous and suspicious atmosphere.

The picture comes with a grain structure that can appear rather heavy, but consistent and unobtrusive throughout, giving the movie a gritty film-like quality. The color palette is for the most part muted and restrained, for a serious and somber effect. But they are rendered accurately and nicely saturated when appropriate. Facial complexions are a little tough to judge, as they can at times appear pale and sickly, while at others look warm and natural. Contrast is comfortably bright for a revealing picture and punchy whites that never wash away detail. The movie is heavily bathed in shadows and comes with many low-lit scenes, so black levels are essential. Thankfully, nighttime sequences display true blacks with strong delineation, exposing background objects with decent clarity. Fine object and textural details are also good, with an average depth perception. In the end, Passengers looks nice in high definition.
Rating: 8.0/10

Sony Home Entertainment equips Passengers with a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack that is surprisingly involving and very enjoyable. Compared to others within the same genre, the sound design could, and probably should, be a bit more active. But as it stands, the mix does the job at generating an air of mystery and suspense when appropriate.

The front soundstage does the majority of the work with some wonderful presence and clean separation between all three channels. Dialogue remains crisp throughout and never overwhelmed by the few moments of action. There were some sequences, however, when exchanges seemed difficult to discern, but nothing seriously detrimental to the overall presentation. Dynamic range is also well presented with clear definition within random noises of suspense, while imaging remains spacious and inviting. Some precise atmospheric effects, as well as the musical score, extend the soundfield into the rear speakers from time to time for a more immersive experience. The LFE-channel makes its presence known with tangible weight, particularly those scenes involving the plane crash. Although it may not compare to other releases, Passengers debuts with very pleasing and entertaining lossless track that does what it's supposed to do.
Rating: 7.8/10

Overall Presentation: 8/10

** 10 - 9 = Reference / 8 = Excellent / 7 = Good /
6 = Satisfactory / 5 = Average / 4 & under = Below Average **

The Extras:
The bonus features in this Blu-ray edition of Passengers makes for a nice overall package. Nothing really special or extensive, but fans may like to learn more about the making. Supplements are mostly presented in high definition and the disc is BD-Live Enabled.

Audio Commentary
Director Rodrigo Garcia and Patrick Wilson have an affable discussion on the production process and express their thoughts on the movie.
In the Night Sky: The Making and Manifest of Passengers (23 min)
Typical making-of material with interviews of cast and crew over the production and casting.
Analysis of the Plane Crash (16 min)
Exactly as the title implies, this is an in-depth look at the use of special F/X and CGI to make the plane sequences work.
Deleted Scenes (SD, 7 min)
Three scenes which were taken out for good reason.
Trailers
A collection of trailers, which includes The Da Vinci Code and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, rounds out the package.

Rating: 5/10

Final Thoughts:
Passengers proves that just having a good twist ending is not enough when its execution is handled poorly. Potential, the movie definitely has; the charisma to keep us entertained, that crashes embarrassingly into a wall. This Blu-ray edition of the movie, however, arrives with a satisfying A/V presentation and a decent supplement package. It makes for decent rental, when there's nothing else to watch.
Rating: 6/10