DVD : Poseidon [2006]

Rating: - Reasonable entertainment
I didn't expect a masterpiece with this movie and I certainly didn't get one.What I did get though was a pretty entertaining 90 minutes or so.It was much as I expected it to be and in that sense 'Poseidon' did it's job.

The acting is hammy at times,the dialogue is cheesy in the extreme and the storyline is overly familiar.But the effects are OK,the action kicks in quickly and the movie isn't overlong.As stated earlier,this isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination but as a piece of Saturday night entertainment it definitely does it's job.

Watch it,forget about it but be prepared to be entertained for a short while.Not bad.

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Rating: - Fantastic Remake Of The 1972 Classic
I loved the original Poseidon Adventure, it was a great movie but after 20 years, the film started to show its age, so it was time for the classic to be remade.

I was glad to hear that Wolfgang Peterson was directing the film as he directed 'Das Boot' and 'A Perfect Storm', which were both amazing films and as he was directing the film I had high expectations of 'Poseidon', and it definitely lived up to my expectations.

It is 'New Years Eve' on the 'Poseidon' and shortly after the clock strikes midnight, a enormous rouge wave hits the ship and gets turned upside-down. In the aftermath, a small group of passengers, a professional gambler Dylan (Josh Lucas), former New York mayor Robert (Kurt Russell), a nurse Maggie (Jacinda Barrett), her young son Conner (Jimmy Bennett), an architect Nelson (Richard Dreyfuss) and a young waiter Valentine (Freddy Rodriguez) decide to try to reach the bottom of the ship to try to escape.

After climbing one floor, the group find survivors in the trashed nightclub. They are Robert's daughter Jennifer (Emmy Rossum), Jennifer's fiancee Christian (Mike Vogel), a stowaway Elena (Mia Maestro) and a fellow passenger Larry (Kevin Dillon). From here, we see the survivors struggle to reach the surface before the doomed ship sinks.

The special effects in Poseidon are fantastic, with a 3 minute long shot of the ship sailing through the water without cutting, the capsizing scenes are spectacular and horrifying, and the upside down sets such as the ballroom and the lobby are amazing.

The only complaint I have about Poseidon is that the ship is only up right for 10 minutes so there is very little character development but that is a small price to pay. If you loved the original, then you'll love Poseidon.

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Rating: - Well,I enjoyed it!
Having read the extremely negative reviews,I approached viewing this film with no great expectations.
To answer some of the criticisms.
"A pointless remake"-the original film was made in 1972.How many cinema goers know of it's existence,let alone have actually seen it?
"The film is too rushed"--given the scenario of a capsized liner which could sink at any moment,the film represents the group's imperative to get to safety in the shortest possible time.
"A lack of back story for the leading characters"--what exactly would this have added,apart from a longer film?
Given the current trend in the industry towards ever larger liners accommodating anything upto 3500 passengers,it is extremely easy to meet people for the first time at the end of a 14 day cruise.
Therefore,the the fact that the film depicts strangers thrown together by a disaster is not far fetched.
Rogue waves do occur.Some years ago a P & O liner was hit by one,with several cabins being completely flooded.As a sign of the times,the passengers affected sued the Company for damages!
As stated in the title,I enjoyed this film.

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Rating: - Nice effects, shame about the real tension
This is a disaster movie. Plain and simple, you expect the ship to sink and so you are looking for stories, characters and events to keep you enthralled. What you get in this film, is great effects. They are really good, you really do think they are in a ship thats sinking - a testament to the fx guys. Unfortunately, you can pretty much guess who survives the ship.

Yes, this is an american film, so some survive but where usually you have to work it out, in this film its evident from about 20 minutes in.

The film is not really something to rent or buy, more something to watch on tv when you have absolutely nothing else to do. In that scenario, its an ok waste of an hour and half.

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Rating: - Fast paced exciting movie.
This is a disaster movie on an epic scale.
The cast lurch from one crisis to the next in an effort to avoid the fate of the multitude who took the Captain's advice and stayed put!
Great special effects and very believable acting.
Special features are fascinating to see how it was all put together and how active the actors were in the stunts.
If disaster\action movies are your thing, I recommend this one.
Excellent.