Just Along For The Ride..."Passengers"

Passengers (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Sheen

Directed by Morten Tyldum

The Story:

A starship traveling making a 120 year journey to inhabit a new space colony with over 5,000 souls onboard has a malfunction, and a pod containing Jim Preston (Pratt) opens early. 90 years early. With the prospect of dying long before he arrives, Jim tries everything he can to get help from the crew or to put himself back into hibernation. After over a year alone, Jim stumbles upon Aurora (Lawrence) and then wrestles with the decision of whether to wake her up, resigning her to share his fate, or leave her be. You've seen the trailers, you know what he's going to choose.

The question is, wouldn't you do the same thing?

The movie was very clever in the marketing of this film. Never once did they reveal the giant elephant in the room:

Do you wake someone else up, effectively committing murder as they too will die long before there is help, or do you remain alone?

The movie tackles the situation in probably the best way it can, and with the introduction of another character as the movie heads into the final act, it is summed up perfectly on why Jim made the choice he did, and why it is a decision that probably anyone else would make as well.

The moral dilemma aside, the movie itself is beautiful, both in the space sequences as well as just the impressive visuals of imagination that went into the starship.

Adding Michael Sheen to the mix as the third wheel in the relationship helps break the monotony and allows the characters a chance to interact with someone else.

He's also a good reason why you can't trust androids with your secrets.

: )

Final Grade: B-

Yesterday The Emperor...Today "The Queen"

You will kneel before...

Whoops, wrong movie!

The Story:

In 1997, Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) is elected Prime Minister of England in a landslide victory.  Queen Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) welcomes him to the position, and then the unthinkable happens... Princess Diana is killed in an auto accident.  This movie is basically a recreation of that turbulent week in the life of the Royal Family.

This is an interesting look at the lives of the monarchy, and what and how they lived their lives up until that moment.

As Diana was no longer a member of the Royal Family, she wasn't entitled to... well, anything.  Protocol procedures were set in place, and that's just the way things are.

Naturally, the British people (and the world) loved Diana, and they began to grow bitter with the Royals and the perceived lack of caring and sympathy on their part.

Blair actually gained more respect as he was the only official that seemed to even acknowledge what Diana meant to the people.  He tries to persuade the Queen to make a public display, but she refuses and continues to follow protocol.

Naturally, it's the worst week of the Queen's life.

: /

Mirren does a bang up job as the Queen, but that's to be expected.

This is a good movie, however I don't believe that it was a great one.  All of the accolades it received... well, okay, I don't see it, but that's fine.  Somehow with the passing years and they hype and Academy Awards that surrounded it, I was expecting something... more.

It wasn't bad, by any stretch of the imagination.  Like I said, it wasn't a great movie, it's basically a character study of the stoicism of the Queen.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Glad I saw it, but once was good enough.