| THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE |
 1972
- USA
Director: Ronald Neame - Reviewed by Kerri  For
an all-around adventure/disaster film I am struck by the simplicity of The
Poseidon Adventure, yet the movie resonates
deeply (no pun intended). There's no hit soundtrack (with the exception of the hit single "The Morning
After"), no Celine Dion, no teenage poster children, no British actresses trying to
pass themselves off as American, no multi-millions spent on special effects, and no cheesy love scenes. Instead you get a film that
leaves you hanging (again, no pun) and interested, instead of bored and unsurprised.
The cruise ship S.S. Poseidon is on its last voyage in the Mediterranean when it is struck by a tsunami and overturned on New Year's Eve. Here's where delightful set design comes into play, as the ceiling literally becomes the floor. A group of partygoers, led by the Reverend Frank Scott (Hackman), decide that they must make their way to the "top" of the ship to find help. What follows is their adventures in mayhem, danger, and courage. That's it. That's the whole plot. The film is so superbly done you are enthralled with the group's struggle to make their way through a ship that is hanging upside-down in the middle of the sea. The characters are three-dimensional and interesting. The tension is high. The tribulations are many. In all, you are left surprised, worried, intrigued, and just plain entertained. It's a refreshing departure from the big-budget-low-substance action/disaster films that we see today. |
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