L'aventure du Poséidon

for a disaster flick,this is one of the better ones.for 1972,it is well made and has some good effects.it's pretty convincing also thought the movie was compelling and touching,and sad,all at the same time.since we get to know the characters a bit,you can't help but feel for them in their(what seems hopeless)situation.i did think there were a few stereotypical characters,which was annoying,but the acting was decent enough.plus,the fact that the survivors had to go through what amounted to a labyrinthine maze as they tried to get out,really added to the feeling of hopelessness of the situation.i was also surprised at who ultimately survived and who didn't.for a nearly 2 hour movie,this one moves along pretty good.i was engrossed throughout.for me,The Poseidon adventure is a strong 8/10

Although the film was made in 1972, the special effects still stand up quite well even in this CGI era. While you might expect actors like Hackman and Winters to "walk" through their roles in a film like this simply "for the money", the cast does a solid job. Buttons, known for his proclivity to "ham it up", treats this role more seriously like he did in "Sayonara", and as a result is okay. Carol Lynley, never a great actress to begin with, gives the poorest performance, turning her character into a whiner. In the story, the ship is capsized at midnight on New Years Eve, and the story proceeds from there to the conclusion hours later when it is daylight. The action is continuous, which makes it more believable. As of this date, aside from the "kids" Pamela Sue Martin and Eric Shea, Gener Hackman is the only cast member still living.

The Poseidon Adventure is one of those movies I have seen at least once a year as long as I have been alive. I lived in Maine when I was a kid and we loved our natural disaster flicks. Of all the great disaster movies from the 70s, this has got to be the best one. Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelly Winters, Roddy McDowall, Leslie Neilson, and the list goes on.

The basic plot goes like this. The Poseidon is a cruise ship out for its last voyage and it is New Year's Eve. The guests are all celebrating while deep beneath the ocean's surface an earthquake is happening. The earthquake sets off a huge tsunami and the ship is knocked upside down. In order to be saved, a small group of people heads for the engine room at the bottom (make that top, since the ship is upside down) of the ship. At first, the ocean claims hundreds of the passengers until they are whittled down to about 10 people left. From here there are plenty of tense moments and a power struggle for control of the survivors. Typical disaster movie fare but done rather well.

This movie is a great main event for a disaster film weekend.

Irwin Allen produced this all-star disaster yarn about a luxury cruise ship that is overturned by a freak tidal wave on New Year's Eve, and the survivor's desperate attempts at survival, as they try to reach safety and eventual rescue through the top(well,the bottom now!) of the ship.

Cast includes Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Stella Stevens, Roddy McDowall, Carol Lynley, Pamela Sue Martin, Red Buttons, Jack Albertson, Shelley Winters, and Leslie Nielsen as the Captain.

Well directed by Ronald Neame, this film works despite the contrived premise because of the cast and interesting script, which balances seriousness with humor effectively, with many memorable scenes.

The aging liner Poseidon, on her final journey, is struck by a tidal wave that knocks her upside down. A small group of passengers realise that if they want to survive they must journey up into the bowels of the ship hoping for rescue from above.

The idea is well conceived and the excellent cast turn in good performances despite getting little help from the somewhat corny script. With above average special effects for the time and excellent sets that convincingly realise the upside down half-flooded ship and its bewildering maze of passageways, the movie manages to be compelling and exciting viewing.