"Pandorum," according to the film, is a sort of space madness, the result of spending too much time in a vacuum away from blue skies and green forests and such. "Pandorum" is apparently also the default state of humanity, where evolution takes us naturally given enough time. If that seems like a bit of a stretch, well, it still will after you see the film. But the filmmakers make a valiant effort to connect the somewhat standard outer space horror plot with a more sophisticated inquiry into human nature. The two threads never completely come together, but they run parallel for long enough to force the viewer to ponder some interesting questions.
     Setting aside all of that for a moment, "Pandorum" is primarily a well-executed sci-fi horror film. Two men awake in a space ship called the Elysium, with no memory of who they are or how they got there. They are trapped in a small section of the ship, so Payton (Dennis Quaid) sends Bower (Ben Foster) out through the air ducts to investigate. What he finds is less of a space ship and more of a fully functioning world, with different environments to explore and inhabitants to meet. The art direction brings the film to life with imaginative sets that recall some of H.R. Giger's work on Alien.
     The first third of the film is tense and disorienting as we get our bearings along with the characters. Jump-cuts and quick editing capture the disorientation of Bower in particular without going overboard as some films have lately. The ship is without power leading to some very dark scenes early on. Negative space is used quite effectively--the light sources are few and far between (mostly Bower's glow-sticks). Some of these early scenes are reminiscent of the even darker The Descent.
     Bower doesn't remain alone and confused for long. He meets some inhabitants of the ship who are friendly (fellow humans Nadia, Manh, and Leland), and some that aren't so friendly. Apparently there are monsters on the loose in the ship--either invading aliens, hyper-evolved crew-members, or something else. Given the other strengths of the film, I have to question the need for a conventional sci-fi monster. Not that it is handled particularly poorly, but there is enough tension present between the human characters that non-humans weren't really necessary (the same complaint I have about The Descent). The suggestion that the monsters might be evolved humans does open some interesting doors but they are only opened, never walked through.
     As the survivors slowly regain their memory we are treated to flashbacks elaborating on the present situation and the ship's mission. It's all rather fascinating, and the mystery of where they are and what went wrong drives the film forward more than the monsters do. Pandorum doesn't paint a very pretty picture of human nature. Apparently we destroyed Earth and don't seem to be doing a very good job with our new home, the Elysium, either. Most of the characters seem to be either looking out for their own interests or going crazy. Even if they do get to a new habitable planet, will things be any better?
     It is those sorts of questions that elevate Pandorum above other sci-fi horror films. Any old movie can elicit screams from the audience by making monsters pop out from the darkness (and Pandorum does that plenty), but only a few can make you think about where the monsters came from and if the humans are any better. Pandorum misses greatness by never bringing its themes to the surface and tying all the loose ends together, but for two hours it offers a compelling story and a thrilling experience.

Buy: 

Pandorum

Buy: 

Pandorum [Blu-ray]