Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

Passengers

MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for thematic elements including some scary images, and sensuality.

Reviewed by: Misty Wagner
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror
Length: 1 hr. 33 min.
Year of Release: 2008
USA Release: October 24, 2008 (limited—125 theater opening)
DVD: May 12, 2009
Copyright, Columbia Pictures (Sony) Copyright, Columbia Pictures (Sony) Copyright, Columbia Pictures (Sony) Copyright, Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Relevant Issues
Copyright, Columbia Pictures (Sony)

Fear, Anxiety and Worry… What does the Bible say? Answer

Why does God allow innocent people to suffer? Answer

What about the issue of suffering? Doesn't this prove that there is no God and that we are on our own? Answer

Does God feel our pain? Answer

Did God make the world the way it is now? What kind of world would you create? Answer

ORIGIN OF BAD—How did bad things come about? Answer

Should I save sex for marriage? Answer

Fornication

What are the consequences of sexual immorality? Answer

Sex, Love & Relationships
Learn how to make your love the best it can be. Christian answers to questions about sex, marriage, sexual addictions, and more. Valuable resources for Christian couples, singles and pastors.

Featuring Anne Hathaway, Patrick Wilson, Dianne Wiest, David Morse, Clea DuVall, Andre Braugher, William B. Davis, Chelah Horsdal, Ryan Robbins, Andrew Wheeler, Conner Dwelly, Brad Turner, Sandra-Jessica Couturier, Robert Gauvin, Robert Musnicki
Director Rodrigo Garcia
Producer Mandate Pictures, Persistent Entertainment, Senator International, Joseph Drake, Aubrey Henderson, Nathan Kahane, Kelli Konop, Mary Lee, Julie Lynn, Judd Payne, Matthew Rhodes, Keri Selig, Shawn Williamson
Distributor Distributor: Columbia Pictures. Trademark logo.Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Pictures

“The truth can't hide forever.”

Some years back it became quite the trendy thing for movies to wrap up with unexpected twist endings that left its viewers shocked and longing to re-watch the film, taking in what they missed. Perhaps, after a time, these movies became less frequent because the very method grew tired, unoriginal… I imagine success could still be reached with this surprise ending genre—if an inventive and original formula could be found. Suffice to say “Passengers” is not such a film.

Claire Summers (Anne Hathaway) is the therapist overseeing the case of five survivors, after their plane crashed tragically on a local beach. With conflicting memories and varying degrees of trauma, Claire finds it a struggle to relate to her patients. The one she seems most drawn to, however, is Eric (Patrick Wilson). Due to Eric’s odd behavior, coupled with bizarre accusations from some of the other survivors, Claire begins to suspect that there is an airline cover-up going on. Believing that the truth would lead to healing—Claire crosses the line to find the missing pieces and discover what truly went on…

Negatives

  • There is a moderate amount of profanity strewn throughout the film.
  • There is a fairly graphic sex scene between Claire and Eric, roughly halfway through the movie. Though there is no nudity, the implied gestures and expressions leave little to the imagination.
  • The very premise of the film, once it is revealed, pretty much leaves God out of life’s general picture.

Overall, I was really disappointed in “Passengers.” While it was obviously going for that big twist ending, with high hopes of keeping its viewers on the edge of their seats from intensity, this film only seems to keep its watchers thoroughly confused. Although it wasn’t unbearable to watch, it did sort of feel like a wasted hour and a half.

Violence: Mild / Profanity: Moderate / Sex/Nudity: Heavy

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive—For Hollywood, this movie is cleaner than most movie that are made.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Terry, age 42 (USA)
Movie Critics
…Plane crash thriller grounded by clichés… what’s surprising is that it was even made at all. …
Geoff Berkshire, Metromix
Anne Hathaway’s ‘Passengers’ is plane awful… a clunky, dead-on-arrival scary drama that proves that even people with good taste need a good script or direction. Which is not what they get from writer Ronnie Christensen and director Rodrigo García. …
Joel Neumaier, New York Daily News
…convoluted …Garcia's latest film stretches logic… the moderately intriguing storyline gets shunted aside for nonsense scenes…
Amy Nicholson, Boxoffice Magazine
…the mystery-drama about plane crash survivors stalls over a too-predictable story… a trip audiences have taken too many times before. …
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times
…Cruising somewhere between therapy drama and paranoid thriller, this middlebrow tone poem aims for ambiguity but often veers into soporific, suspending answers (and often, viewer interest) en route to an ending that explains all. …
Justin Chang, Variety