Critic Reviews
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Nigel Floyd, Time Out
Alvart achieves a strong sense of scale, but characters and ideas are lost amid a mess of fight scenes that, oddly, look like outtakes from 'The Descent'.
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Keith Uhlich, Time Out New York
As the credit "Produced by Paul W.S. Anderson" attests, this is hackwork of the highest order, lacking in all poetry and barely comprehensible aurally or visually.
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Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
According to the press notes, pandorum means "Orbital Dysfunctional Syndrome"; whatever that is, by the end of the movie I was convinced I had caught it.
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Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
A grizzled Quaid and an intense Foster do their best to keep straight faces, but this is not an effort likely to figure prominently on their resumes.
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Clark Collis, Entertainment Weekly
As always, Foster sells the hell out of his role but non-sci-fi fans may well themselves be driven mad long before the end.
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Cliff Doerksen, Chicago Reader
The sort of thing that makes you wish you were playing a video game instead.
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Matt Neal, The Standard
[Pandorum] might seem like a potentially cool movie, but unfortunately the key word is "potentially".
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Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
A gorgeous production design can't save the picture from trying too hard to dazzle with very little inspiration, and while Pandorum is easy to stare at, it can be a seriously punishing sit.
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Lucius Gore, ESplatter
A little bit 'Eden Log,' a little bit 'Descent,' and a whole lot of 'Alien,' 'Pandorum' ultimately succeeds as a watchable sci-fi/horror/mystery.
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Anton Bitel, Eye for Film
a sci-fi scenario far less interested in exploring outer space than human interiors where the only 'aliens' are our own monstrous selves, just waiting to leap out of the atavistic shadows.
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Sean Axmaker, Seanax.com
It's basically a zombie movie set-up on an industrial spaceship, a fast-moving B-movie that throws out lots of theories that don't stand up to the light of reason...
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Paul Chambers, CNNRadio
I liked this movie even more on the second viewing. The monsters were trivial, but the plot was intriguing. Granted you would have to be a hard-core sci-fi fan to like this. Paul Chambers, CNN.
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Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
Veering between alarmist adventure on other planets and assault on viewer senses here at home, the claustrophobic cinematic terrorism seems to come awfully close to wielding a movie as a deadly weapon up on the screen.
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Joseph Proimakis, Movies for the Masses
full review at Movies for the Masses
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David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
An unusually unpleasant and unwatchable sci-fi endeavor...
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Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Clenches its teeth grimly as it blunders through its overstuffed plot.
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James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
too much of the film devolves into hectic action sequences that makes you feel like someone suddenly dropped you into a blender and turned out all the lights
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
An intensely effective sci-fi chiller, mainly thanks to its canny set and sound design, and its constant, relentless sense of dread and tension.
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Provides some very intense, memorable chills.
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Jeffrey Lyles, Gazette (MD)
flirts with greatness with an impressive first half filled with thrills and solid pacing but it stumbles in its more action-oriented second half.
Read all 25 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
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I thought this was a solid alien sci fi movie. A little of Alien, a litttle Event Horizon, a little Resident Evil . .good stuff to me. While it may not be that good of a movie I enjoyed it to the end.
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Not scary, which is a big problem for a film that is trying to be a sci fi horror
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I just saw this movie,and for some stupid reason I like it. Yeah! The story isn't good, the acting is not so bad, and again FX are like made in 1980. But there was this nostalgia in me, remembering those so loved movies like Alien, Aliens...maybe wa that.
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Two of the flight crew of the deep space colonisation ship Elysium wake from hibernation with no memory of their mission and find their ship derelict and inhabited by vicious, flesh eating creatures. Event Horizon meets The Descent in this hokey sci-fi horror from the Paul W. S.… More
Two of the flight crew of the deep space colonisation ship Elysium wake from hibernation with no memory of their mission and find their ship derelict and inhabited by vicious, flesh eating creatures. Event Horizon meets The Descent in this hokey sci-fi horror from the Paul W. S. Anderson school of film making. It came as no surprise to find his name on the production credits because this is EXACTLY the kind of SFX heavy, video-game plotted creature feature he has made his name upon. Like many of his films, the production design and set pieces are quite well executed and it is atmospherically shot, but the plot and characters are benched for the sake of contrived races against time and pointless man vs monster smackdowns. I do have a soft spot for this kind of Twilight Zone inspired sci-fi and I must admit it is entertaining while you are trying to work out what the "big plot twist" is going to be, but like the similar Sunshine, the ending is a let down and feels like a big, fat "So what?". Far from the worst of its type however (Doomsday springs to mind), and if you like this type of thing you could do worse.
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Despite some imperfections, Christian Alvart's <i>Pandorum</i> is a straight up science fiction thriller.<p>Set in the future, the introduction and earlier scenes of the film's story does wonders at calling out for attention. The sense of mystery is highly… More
Despite some imperfections, Christian Alvart's <i>Pandorum</i> is a straight up science fiction thriller.<p>Set in the future, the introduction and earlier scenes of the film's story does wonders at calling out for attention. The sense of mystery is highly intriguing, accompanied with a solid dose of suspense; however, as the picture progresses, the story gradually loses it's steam. Not so much as completely burning out, but more along the lines of squandering it's interest factor.</p><p>The set design is on the money for what this picture is going for. The makeup and the CG effects are also nicely done. Despite near to nothing in the way of scares, the suspense and the violence easily make up for that.</p><p>Ben Foster puts on quite the performance and shows he is a good choice for a film of this caliber. Dennis Quaid doesn't move much, but he holds the fort during his segments. Antje Traue adds some much needed appeal to the picture.</p><p>Some of the story details are hit or miss, but when the 100 minutes are up, <i>Pandorum</i> has enough satisfaction to not end up a waste.</p>
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Even though the characters and story are both cardboard, Pandorum is very creepy, claustrophobic and excellently shot but badly lighted. It was Alien (which I didn't care for) with a weird twist. It maintained a classic science fiction feel to it that fans of the genre will enjoy… More
Even though the characters and story are both cardboard, Pandorum is very creepy, claustrophobic and excellently shot but badly lighted. It was Alien (which I didn't care for) with a weird twist. It maintained a classic science fiction feel to it that fans of the genre will enjoy and for movie goers there's action and good acting for what it essentialy is. It pleasantly suprised me but it's forgettable.
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Very good sci-fi horror set on board a massive spaceship destined for an earth-type planet, but their ride is interrupted by blood-thirsty humanoid killers that have spread throughout the ship. The film is a lot better than my little synopsis but it's hard to say anything without… More
Very good sci-fi horror set on board a massive spaceship destined for an earth-type planet, but their ride is interrupted by blood-thirsty humanoid killers that have spread throughout the ship. The film is a lot better than my little synopsis but it's hard to say anything without ruining the plot which does feature more than a few surprises along the way. The film could have done without the spurts of action and the creatures weren't the most original looking, but these are minor faults. The story is solid , it's suspenseful, nail-biting and there's a decent amount of blood and nastiness now and then too. Must-see for sci-fi horror fans!
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After the pretty mediocre reviews I went into this without much expectations and was actually very pleasantly surprised. This sci-fi-horror flick doesn't waste much time but gets right in medias res with two crew members of a spaceship waking up after cryogenic sleep with no… More
After the pretty mediocre reviews I went into this without much expectations and was actually very pleasantly surprised. This sci-fi-horror flick doesn't waste much time but gets right in medias res with two crew members of a spaceship waking up after cryogenic sleep with no memories. To say anything more about the plot would already be spoiling stuff, since the trailers remained vague and mysterious enough not to give away too much. The first 45 minutes are wonderfully disturbing and claustrophobic, think "The Descent" in space. Merely the middle part of the film is maybe a tad too chatty, which ruins a bit of the creepy atmosphere of the beginning. The showdown however is back on track, exciting and with quite a few story twists. The set design is excellent, the feeling of a gigantic, labyrinthine space ship is overwhelming. The creature effects are great too and show how much better "I am Legend" would have been if it didn't rely entirely on CGI monsters. The acting is good, especially Ben Foster is delivering a very powerful performance. Overall, this film should satisfy fans of the genre, who don't mind minor logic flaws or the sometimes a bit confusing editing. If you let the premise of the film suck you in, you're up for quite a thrill ride that is gory, exciting and very entertaining, but not exactly for the chicken-hearted.
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This movie was better then I thought it would be but could have been much better. Dennis Quaid didn't move 20 feet during the whole filming of this movie. A Sci Fi Horror Space thriller. Pretty cool looking Ship from the outside. So really gruesome man eating aliens, and one… More
This movie was better then I thought it would be but could have been much better. Dennis Quaid didn't move 20 feet during the whole filming of this movie. A Sci Fi Horror Space thriller. Pretty cool looking Ship from the outside. So really gruesome man eating aliens, and one tough ass chick make up this movie. The mission, no one really knows at first but its to take the survivors of earth to another planet. Are they successful, you rent it and find out. Its worth the watch just can't give it anymore then 3 stars.
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I don't get it. Why was Nadia attacking Corporal Bower in the first place? What kind of story was this actually? I didn't get anything! It was uberly boring. I don't even feel like watching this again just to understand. Blah.
p.s: giving it a one star for rare… More
I don't get it. Why was Nadia attacking Corporal Bower in the first place? What kind of story was this actually? I didn't get anything! It was uberly boring. I don't even feel like watching this again just to understand. Blah.
p.s: giving it a one star for rare entertainment!
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Pandorum boasts from effective visuals and solid acting. This well made, but poorly produced film, creates an atmosphere that any filmmaker would love. I loved the look, the feel, the acting, the suspense and the thrilling battle sequences. This story feels a bit dull at times, but… More
Pandorum boasts from effective visuals and solid acting. This well made, but poorly produced film, creates an atmosphere that any filmmaker would love. I loved the look, the feel, the acting, the suspense and the thrilling battle sequences. This story feels a bit dull at times, but overall sends a message that there could quite possibly be life on other planets, and that there may be more planets out there than meets the eye. It's not a great film, but for what it is, it tries to be very good, and it actually is. Pandorum is one big ball of scary fun.
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A roller-coaster ride from start to finish. This sci-fi-thriller is impressive production design, claustrophobic atmosphere and ample scares recall <i>Event Horizon</i>.
Ben Foster is excellent as the hero who remembers a little bit more of their mission as time elapses;… More
A roller-coaster ride from start to finish. This sci-fi-thriller is impressive production design, claustrophobic atmosphere and ample scares recall <i>Event Horizon</i>.
Ben Foster is excellent as the hero who remembers a little bit more of their mission as time elapses; Dennis Quaid, in turn, shows a few more layers than we're accustomed to seeing from him. Both actors turn in convincing, full-throated performances that complement, rather than succumb to, the special effects and cinematic wizardry.
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This is similar to MANY movies: Eden Log, Event Horizon, the Alien series, the Pitch Black/Riddick series. Ghosts of Mars, but it retains its originality to a decent degree. The set design is AMAZING and the makeup is pretty damn impressive. The gore is quite awesome; whoever did the… More
This is similar to MANY movies: Eden Log, Event Horizon, the Alien series, the Pitch Black/Riddick series. Ghosts of Mars, but it retains its originality to a decent degree. The set design is AMAZING and the makeup is pretty damn impressive. The gore is quite awesome; whoever did the blood coloring really knows what's up. The CG is also beautifully done and impressive. The dialogue is solid but the main plotline is far from original or unpredictable (especially if you read scifi lit), with the only suspense being in moments of fight or flight. The ending throws several twists at the audience, twists that could easily delight or anger those unitiated into scifi lore. I really don't know why this flick got so much flack, being branded as a huge flop when it is actually enjoyable and well done.
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Pandorum is an effective Horror film that many people compare to Event Horizon. Though the premise may be similar, this film provides a totally different storyline. The film boats effective tense moments and the cast does a fairly good job with a fairly decent screenplay, the idea of… More
Pandorum is an effective Horror film that many people compare to Event Horizon. Though the premise may be similar, this film provides a totally different storyline. The film boats effective tense moments and the cast does a fairly good job with a fairly decent screenplay, the idea of the film was was quite intriguing but kinda felt a bit flat. Ben Foster is a good actor, but he seems miscast in this role. Pandorum does have a few elements similar to Event Horizon (As the film was produced by Even Horizon director, Paul W.S Anderson) Pandorum is a very tense horror film as you try to understand what is lurking in the darkness of the abandoned ship. Halfway through the film, you definitely know, and it ain't pretty. Towards the last 40 minutes or so of the film, the script seems to tumble into different directions as it becomes more action packed. As far as Sci Fi horror films are concerned, the first two Alien films and Event Horizon are THE films to watch. Pandorum isn't bad, but it lacks something to make this a truly engrossing viewing experience. After a while you'll be a bit confused at whats going on screen. However theres a lot of Horror to offer the viewer and give you quite a few scares in the process.
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An ok film which didn't really grip me and didn't really make me care at all. It was fairly predictable (minus the ending) so it wasn't so interesting to watch. At times it was scary but on the most part it wasn't anything to fuss over. The setting and scenes… More
An ok film which didn't really grip me and didn't really make me care at all. It was fairly predictable (minus the ending) so it wasn't so interesting to watch. At times it was scary but on the most part it wasn't anything to fuss over. The setting and scenes looked cool though.
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This was essentially like watching someone play a video game. Sure, it might have an interesting premise and lead in, but it's nowhere near as intelligent or clever as it wishes to be. The terrible choppy editing and ridiculous graphics turn this from being fun to plain stupid.… More
This was essentially like watching someone play a video game. Sure, it might have an interesting premise and lead in, but it's nowhere near as intelligent or clever as it wishes to be. The terrible choppy editing and ridiculous graphics turn this from being fun to plain stupid. The beginning is about the only thing good I can say about this movie, but after 20 minutes in it's like one oddball science fiction version of the Descent. The acting is bad for the most part, even with Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster by the end. However, it's really the amateur directing that turns this into a mindless experience.
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A genuine surprise. Although heavily deriving from "Alien" and other sci-fi greats, the film still creates a high energy level that in the end, it's hard not to be entertained. Without a skilled veteran like Dennis Quaid or a fast up-and-coming star in Ben Foster, this… More
A genuine surprise. Although heavily deriving from "Alien" and other sci-fi greats, the film still creates a high energy level that in the end, it's hard not to be entertained. Without a skilled veteran like Dennis Quaid or a fast up-and-coming star in Ben Foster, this might've just been another poorly acted, lazily done sci-fi adventure. Instead, thanks in large part to these two actors, the movie works. The production design is really excellent as well, and the creatures that stalk human prey are ferociously scary and intimidating opponents for our heroes. Although it's definitely not a great film (it does a lot of little easy things wrong and the ending isn't as satisfying as it should be), it's one of the better sci-fi adventures to come out recently, and one that should be seen if you like space, sci-fi adventure films.
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I'm a pretty solid sucker for dark gritty sci fi films. Although it's not going on my favorite movies list, I enjoyed it all the way through. The part where the guy get awoken just in time to be eaten by baddies made me think of a story about a calf being born into the… More
I'm a pretty solid sucker for dark gritty sci fi films. Although it's not going on my favorite movies list, I enjoyed it all the way through. The part where the guy get awoken just in time to be eaten by baddies made me think of a story about a calf being born into the mouths of a band of coyotes. Pretty sucky for them, but makes for a really neat nightmare scenario for the people. I also liked the play between Quaid and the young pilot guy.
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A very decent Sci/Fi, thriller effort.....first time can say that in a long time! A very good atmospheric film with plenty of action. Starts well the middle is patchy but it picks up again towards the end. Good effects and set design, the overall feel of the film and the spaceship is… More
A very decent Sci/Fi, thriller effort.....first time can say that in a long time! A very good atmospheric film with plenty of action. Starts well the middle is patchy but it picks up again towards the end. Good effects and set design, the overall feel of the film and the spaceship is quite creepy, good use of lighting etc. Not the most original, it will feel like a compilation of ideas from the best know Sci/Fi films. Overall a good effort that most should enjoy.
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Pretty standard sci-fi horror flick. Solid acting and special effects, but really nothing I haven't seen before. In fact, it's just more or less a rip-off of the game Dead Space, mixed with some elements from the Alien movies. Not bad overall though, and definitely worth a… More
Pretty standard sci-fi horror flick. Solid acting and special effects, but really nothing I haven't seen before. In fact, it's just more or less a rip-off of the game Dead Space, mixed with some elements from the Alien movies. Not bad overall though, and definitely worth a look if you're into the genre.
Read all 20 featured audience ratings
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