# Pandorum -terrific science fiction film! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 7, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907 "2009-10-07T05:47:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/1 "2009-10-07T05:47:14Z")
[Pandorum](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188729/). Anyone else seen this yet? German production, American actors (mostly). Damn fine film. For my money, the best science fiction film of the year. Yes, better than [Section 9](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136608/) in my opinion, though I am not trying to set up a competition between the two in this thread. Having said that, I would call _Pandorum_ the best science fiction film of the decade. For me, this movie had it all: interesting plot and characters, plenty of suspense but also lots of action, slowly-explained mysteries to keep you guessing, strong horror elements, and some great set designs. Share your thoughts! ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/2 "2009-10-07T06:00:34Z")
I suppose I should add a short (and spoiler-free) synopsis: the characters awaken aboard an interstellar vessel. The suspended animation has caused them some temporary memory loss, which creates problems and adds to the confusion of the characters. Even through this confusion it becomes clear very quickly that something has gone horribly, horribly wrong on this ship. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/3 "2009-10-07T06:18:29Z")
I saw it and thought it was OK. I’m never a fan of the OMG-SUDDEN-LOUDNOISE-AND-VAGUE-FLASH-OF-SOMETHING-VAGUELY-INDISTINGUISHABLE!!!11 genre of lame horror films, though. I thought they could have done a lot more with the memory-loss theme and conflict between the civilians and crew on the ship. I also thought it was totally obvious that The crazy lieutenant and the other crazy dude with him were the same dude. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/4 "2009-10-07T06:44:12Z")
Hmm I want to see it but **friedo** summed up my feelings about it. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/5 "2009-10-07T12:29:52Z")
Well let the naysaying begin, I guess. 🙂 **friedo** , I couldn’t disagree more. This is _not_ the typical loud-noise, jump-out-and-startle-the-audience Hollywood fare. Really a disservice to people who haven’t seen the film to describe it that way. This film invites viewers to use their brain cells and think about what has gone wrong on the ship. It is not a passive shut-down-your-brain-and-wait-for-the-scare picture. (It _is_ a horror film, though. Prospective viewers should make no mistake about that.) One addendum to the OP: I forgot about _Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_ as a science fiction film. That probably gets best-of-the-decade honors. But _Pandorum_ is the best sci-fi horror film by far in my book. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/6 "2009-10-07T14:18:38Z")
I’m wary of films that nobody likes and (the OP aside) [very few](http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/pandorum) [people appear to like](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pandorum/) it. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/7 "2009-10-07T15:12:31Z")
It was alright, but nothing special. I was expecting more but it seemed to just go for the cheap horror scares rather than anything that deep. The explanation for the monsters made no sense and the “twist” that \*\*friedo \*\*mentioned was obvious the moment it began. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/8 "2009-10-07T15:15:30Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > I’m wary of films that nobody likes and (the OP aside) [very few](http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/pandorum) [people appear to like](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pandorum/) it. You mean very few _film critics_. I remember very well how _Blade Runner_ got ripped apart by critics when it debuted. John Carpenter’s _The Thing_ also got roundly panned. Which only proves that film critics are idiots when it comes to science fiction. I am content to let history judge those critics. Meanwhile over at [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188729/), _Pandorum_ is currently getting a 7.3 rating from viewers. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/9 "2009-10-07T16:30:42Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > You mean very few _film critics_. I remember very well how _Blade Runner_ got ripped apart by critics when it debuted. John Carpenter’s _The Thing_ also got roundly panned. Which only proves that film critics are idiots when it comes to science fiction. I am content to let history judge those critics. > > Meanwhile over at [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188729/), _Pandorum_ is currently getting a 7.3 rating from viewers. Pah! What do the Unwashed Masses know? They never went to film school! (:rolleyes: at all critics everywhere. Useless bunch.) ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/10 "2009-10-07T18:03:35Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > You mean very few _film critics_. I remember very well how _Blade Runner_ got ripped apart by critics when it debuted. John Carpenter’s _The Thing_ also got roundly panned. Which only proves that film critics are idiots when it comes to science fiction. I am content to let history judge those critics. > > Meanwhile over at [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188729/), _Pandorum_ is currently getting a 7.3 rating from viewers. I usually go by the “Users” (not “Critics”) section of Yahoo Movies. Pandorum gets a B+ from them, a very respectable rating. This is completely at odds with a co-worker who said it was one of the worst movies he’s seen. I guess YMMV. J. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/11 "2009-10-07T19:53:57Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > You mean very few _film critics_. I remember very well how _Blade Runner_ got ripped apart by critics when it debuted. John Carpenter’s _The Thing_ also got roundly panned. Which only proves that film critics are idiots when it comes to science fiction. I am content to let history judge those critics. > > Meanwhile over at [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188729/), _Pandorum_ is currently getting a 7.3 rating from viewers. With 2,559 people voting so far, that’s a fairly resepctable rating. I’ll add this to my list. ---
**Author:** ![SweetLucy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@SweetLucy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetLucy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/12 "2009-10-07T23:15:06Z")
I liked it. I was scratching my head at the end, not being able to totally understand everything that happened- but hey in my mind that’s what makes an SF movie great. Darn, I try, try, and try, and still can’t figure out how to do the Spoiler thing (everyone else seems to figure it out, I’m pretty technologically stupid) so I can’t really comment further. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![SweetLucy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@SweetLucy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetLucy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/13 "2009-10-07T23:18:43Z")
I liked it, though I was scratching my head at the end because I had a hard time understanding everything (reminiscent of this year’s “Moon” as well). Although about 1200 of the Earthlings made it alive to Tanis’ surface, all their supplies and the “Noah’s Ark” of Earth animal life was presumably still trapped underwater in the ship. I guess the humans would have to really use their brains to survive on the new world. ---
**Author:** ![SweetLucy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@SweetLucy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetLucy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/14 "2009-10-07T23:27:34Z")
:smack: I am so sorry for the blatant spoiler in my previous thread! I have tried, tried, and tried, and still can’t figure out how to do the hidden spoiler thing. Everyone else on Straight Dope seems to do it with ease, so maybe I’m just stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/15 "2009-10-07T23:30:07Z")
> [@SweetLucy](#): > > :smack: I am so sorry for the blatant spoiler in my previous thread! I have tried, tried, and tried, and still can’t figure out how to do the hidden spoiler thing. Everyone else on Straight Dope seems to do it with ease, so maybe I’m just stupid. use instead of {}. The code will look like this (without the spaces): [spoiler]Content[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/16 "2009-10-07T23:30:51Z")
Just put [and] around the word _spoiler_. ---
**Author:** ![SweetLucy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@SweetLucy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetLucy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/17 "2009-10-07T23:34:29Z")
Thanks, Ogre and Eyebrows 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/18 "2009-10-07T23:39:27Z")
well I thought it was OK, not great,as an action/horror movie, as scifi, not so much. It had a real video game feel to me as well, start with no memory and no weapons and work your way up. I was surprised to find out it wasn’t based on one. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/19 "2009-10-08T00:05:27Z")
> [@SweetLucy](#): > > I liked it, though I was scratching my head at the end because I had a hard time understanding everything (reminiscent of this year’s “Moon” as well). > > Although about 1200 of the Earthlings made it alive to Tanis’ surface, all their supplies and the “Noah’s Ark” of Earth animal life was presumably still trapped underwater in the ship. I guess the humans would have to really use their brains to survive on the new world. I thought about that too. Part of what made the film interesting to me was thinking about what happens next. What will they do now? Will they re-enter the ship to retrieve their “Noah’s Ark”? If not, most or maybe all of them may starve. Will any of the creatures in the ship escape? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907/20 "2009-10-08T00:17:57Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > well I thought it was OK, not great,as an action/horror movie, as scifi, not so much. It had a real video game feel to me as well, start with no memory and no weapons and work your way up. I was surprised to find out it wasn’t based on one. YMMV When I saw the first trailer, I said “Oh, Dead Space: The Movie.” Is that inaccurate? I’ll still watch it when it comes out on DVD though :). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandorum-terrific-science-fiction-film/512907.md?page=2)