Event Horizon Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: In 2047, a rescue team attempts to recover an experimental spaceship that went missing seven years prior and must contend with what the ship has brought back with it.

Review: Here we have another mixed bag of good ideas not executed to their best ability. Any fans of the video game "Dead Space" should be quite familiar with this film as I know it must have been a huge influence. The plot is pretty straightforward but tries to keep things interesting: some spaceship called the Event Horizon, using an experimental "gravity drive," bent space and time as a means of travel but disappeared for seven years. Now a rescue team is trying to recover it while simultaneously uncovering the mystery of what killed the crew and why it came back now. The best thing this film did right was create a solid atmosphere keeping the audience on their toes. There are even some set pieces that you think will be used in a certain way only to never see fruition; I think it is a nice touch when the audience's expectations are toyed with. The basic concept is that the EH traveled into a different dimension (possibly hell) and brought back the evil in the ship much in the way you would imagine a haunted house. So the film focuses on this evil presence screwing with the minds of the rescue crew, but any kind of primary goal makes no sense. This is where the film falls apart for me. If the ship is possessed by some evil force and wants more people, why did it take so long to come back? And no, it did not take seven years to finish up the first crew as we see from the ship's video logs; they seemed to die almost immediately (lightweights!). And why does it want more people...to torture them or something? If that's the case, why is it killing them all off before taking them back to this dimension?! Stupid evil being. Plus, like many of these "your worst nightmare" type scenarios, why are their fears always something so convenient for putting to film? This seriously bugs me; don't even tell me I'm the only one afraid of being eaten by a shark or something along those lines? It's always the same bull shit about losing a loved one or something lame like that! The other thing this film has going for it is a strong cast of actors. Even though we get some bare basics of a cliched spaceship crew, they make the most of what they have to work with; Sam Neill, Jason Isaacs, Laurence Fishburne, etc. all did a commendable job and brought some life to their characters. The pacing is okay and the gore and action were decent enough. I've read there was a much longer version, but it was significantly cut down after the first test audience. What do those idiots ever know? As it stands, this is good sci-fi horror despite a lot of wasted potential. The scares are okay, but it's the atmosphere and general curiosity of the direction that keeps you entertained. The ending is lame as well, but I suppose they wanted to either give the audience that final zinger or set up some kind of sequel. Regardless, this film is worth a view, but don't expect anything exceptionally scary.

Notable Moment: When the main crew uncovers the video of the Event Horizon's crew killing each other and mutilating themselves.

Final Rating: 6/10