9 Years Ago Today, 3 Marvel Stars Joined Forces For An Underrated Sci-Fi Movie That Deserves More Recognition

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This 2016 sci-fi film, directed by Morten Tyldum, is seriously underrated. Tyldum is known for great work like The Imitation Game and Headhunters, as well as TV series including Jack Ryan, Defending Jacob, and Silo. But his latest movie, featuring three actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other Marvel projects, hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves.

Released on December 21, 2016, the film Passengers, featuring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, tells the story of two people who wake up 90 years too early on a spacecraft headed for a new planet. While the movie earned $303.1 million worldwide on a $150 million budget, it received mixed reviews from critics, earning a 30% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences seemed to enjoy it more, giving it a 63% approval rating, suggesting the film deserves a second look.

Why Passengers Deserves More Recognition 9 Years Later

In the movie Passengers, a collision with an asteroid causes a malfunction on the starship Avalon. As a result, mechanical engineer Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) is prematurely awakened, 90 years before the ship reaches its intended destination, Homestead II. Finding himself completely alone with thousands of hibernating passengers and crew, Jim initially tries to enjoy the ship’s amenities. However, his isolation leads to despair. He becomes captivated by Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence), a writer and journalist also in hibernation, and wrestles with the ethical implications before ultimately deciding to wake her up to have a companion, effectively changing the course of her life.

Okay, so Passengers tells the story of a couple who fall for each other on a long space voyage, but their romance is complicated when secrets come out. There’s a real rift between them for a while, but they ultimately have to work together – along with the ship’s officer, Gus Mancuso (Laurence Fishburne) – to save everyone on board. Honestly, I think the film has been unfairly criticized. The acting is phenomenal – Pratt and Lawrence are great, but Fishburne and Michael Sheen, as the AI bartender, really shine. You genuinely feel the weight of Pratt’s character’s dilemma – that moral struggle about whether or not to wake Lawrence’s character early is powerfully portrayed. It’s not a perfect film, but it definitely deserves more credit than it’s getting.

Most large-scale science fiction films feature extensive casts, but Passengers stands out by concentrating on just two characters, Jim and Aurora. This creates a surprisingly personal and emotional story, even though it’s set in space. The film successfully blends thought-provoking ethical questions with exciting sci-fi action—something many similar movies don’t achieve. Although the plot sparked debate, particularly regarding a male character’s controversial decision affecting a female character, the story is ultimately honest and relatable. Passengers is a film that deserves a second look and greater appreciation.

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2025-12-21 17:40