Poseidon

www.kajatm.com It has been said that the imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. However when it comes to remakes in Hollywood imitation often result in movies that are far worst than the original. The remakes that have actually turned out to be good, while limited, have had some success in recent years. Such movies as the Thomas Crown Affair, Ocean's 11, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Grudge and The Italian Job we very well done and have become some of my favorites. Poseidon, my friends, is not one of these movies.

Just like the original, Poseidon is the story about a new cruise ship that has been struck by a rogue wave which results in the ship flipping over and trapping the guest within the sinking ship. The main characters of the original have been replaced by Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss* and Jimmy Bennett. Again just like the original, a group of passengers realize that if they stay where the captain wants them to stay they are in certain doom and will end up drowning. And this is where Poseidon lost me. Where is the compelling speech from Josh Lucas, just like Gene Hackman before him, to try and convince the passengers to follow him out of the ship? The whole scene is lost without this speech. Why is it that from that point forward it seems like the whole new version of Poseidon is on fast forward? There is no plot development, no character development and basically it just seems like Wolfgang Peterson had something better to do while making this movie. I understand that the ship is sinking and they have to get off as soon as possible but I distinctly remember the original having the same story line and I didn't feel like the characters were running some obstacle course that they needed to get through in 2 minutes. I think that if he would have taken the time to watch the original he would have come to the realization that he could have put 30 more minutes in the movie and it probably would have turned out better.

The only positive thing that I saw about this movie was the scenes that showed the ship getting hit by the rogue wave. I would like to take the time to thank whoever created CGI. People flying everywhere, people dying, water taking over the boat and just the realistic destruction that they can create using a computer is really amazing. This is the only category that tops the original. But outside of that this movie left me very unsatisfied.

Some classic movies such as The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen, Empire Strikes Back, The Magnificent Seven, The Wizard of OZ, Caddy Shack, Airplane, Jaws, Raging Bull, Cool Hand Luke, The Sting and Rear Window should automatically go on the "These Movies Reached Perfection the First Time so we are Never Ever Remaking Them!" list. Poseidon Adventure should have been one of these movies. I hate the fact that nothing is sacred in Hollywood.

Give me Gene Hackman, give me Ernest Borgnine, give me Red Buttons, give me Roddy McDowell and give me the original Poseidon Adventure. Don't give me Josh Lucas, don't give me Kurt Russell, don't give me Kevin Dillion and don't give me the new Poseidon. If you have never seen the original Poseidon Adventure I fully expect you to enjoy this movie but unfortunately I have and that ruined my movie experience. But then again, what do I know? *Why didn't someone tell me that Richard Dreyfuss now looks like he is 101 years old. What happened? Did he enter some sort of aging machine that took him from his 50's to senior citizenship?

This version isn't that bad but it's nothing if you compare it to The Poseidon Adventure (1972) - which is a far superior film. But this 2006 is still worth a watch if you want a pretty decent remake.

The stars Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, Andre Braugher, and Kevin Dillon are in this - and as always they shine on screen. The rest of the actors aren't bad either.

Lots of visual eye-candy, good cinematography, good acting helps this mediocre script.

If you want a super good version of the book then watch the 1972 film, but you won't go to wrong watching this 2006 remake - just don't expect it to be great.

6/10.

Poseidon was the Greek god of the sea, and is thus a fitting name for a huge and luxurious ocean liner. She's on a New Year's cruise when the unexpected occurs at the height of the revelry: a rogue wave overtakes and capsizes her. Among those celebrating in the ship's ballroom and who survive the initial impact are Dylan Johns (Josh Lucas), an itinerant gambler, and Robert Ramsey (Kurt Russell), a former fireman and the ex-mayor of New York City.

While the ship's captain (Andre Braugher) tries to calm the hysterical survivors, Dylan is focused on nothing but getting out of the ship he knows is bound to sink. Ramsey, meanwhile, is more worried about his daughter, Jennifer (Emmy Rossum) and her boyfriend, Christian (Mike Vogel) who were ringing in the New Year one floor down from the ballroom in the ship's disco.

Though Ramsey and Dylan met earlier in the evening as adversaries over a high stakes game of poker, they find themselves working together to rescue a young child, Conor (Jimmy Bennett) and calm his mother, Maggie (Jacinda Barrett). Once Maggie discovers that Dylan has a vague plan to escape the doomed ship, she demands to accompany him. Ramsey joins them with his own parallel agenda, as does the broken-hearted Nelson (Richard Dreyfuss), who is all but suicidal until his life is threatened by the ship's mishap.

With guidance from a ship's waiter, the small troupe defies the captain's orders to stay put and wait for rescue, and they begin their journey on the topsy turvy ship to reach the bottom by climbing up. The group faces terrible dangers from many sources ranging from shifting objects to broken electrical and gas lines, but they finally reach the disco to discover a scene of carnage there. The few survivors, however, do include Jennifer and an injured Christian as well as a young Hispanic woman named Elena (Mia Maestro).

With a growing sense of urgency, the group now begins its climb in earnest, but they find their best laid plans thwarted at virtually every turn. It's in the face of their fears and the imminent threat of death, however, that some in the group find their finest moments. And as the great ship endures her death spasms, there are those who will, despite their courage or their need, die with her.

Josh Lucas is always fun to watch simply because he's so good at being a lovable rogue. In Poseidon, he's all that, but he also shows the ability to convey true courage which isn't the lack of fear, but rather the ability to act despite being afraid. He's also got a future as an action star if he wants one — a few of his stunts are impressive to say the least! Kurt Russell is aging very well, showing a mature authority and capability here without pretending the physicality of a younger man.

Emmy Rossum who was so brilliant in The Phantom of the Opera is fine here and so is Mike Vogel; Jacinda Barrett is completely convincing as the near hysterical young mother, though Jimmy Bennett could have been a bit less strident. Richard Dreyfuss, who has so often been cast as a slightly bumbling every man, is in fine form as the fussy Nelson. Mia Maestro is particularly effective. Her fears became my own despite the fact I'm not claustrophobic, and there were moments where I was literally short of breath as I watched her dragged (almost literally) kicking and screaming to the next challenge by her fellows.

The script is, of course, somewhat predictable. Like Titanic, we all know what's going to happen. But reading the book or seeing the 1972 version (entitled The Poseidon Adventure) won't spoil this remake for you: The characters are all new as are their challenges, so you'll find the who-lives-and-who-dies suspense well in place. Though the characters aren't as developed as some of us might like them to be (okay, as I might like them to be), the fact that the movie is relatively short (98 minutes) and the action is non-stop actually make the film better in its genre.

Director Wolfgang Peterson has a moderately uneven past, but with Troy (which I thought was a better effort than some critics did), The Perfect Storm, and Air Force One on his résumé, there's some unquestionable skill and experience he's able to lend to Poseidon; he moves things right along, and his tight edits and the focus on the terror of individuals is just terrific for adding to the overall effect of the movie. It probably goes without saying, but lest you wonder I'll say it anyway: yes, the special effects are awesome, and some of the stunts are pretty amazing, too.

Poseidon is probably not everything the commercials and trailers would have you believe that it is, but it's pretty good none-the-less. If you want action, suspense, special effects, and human drama all rolled up into one neat hour-and-a-half long package, well, Poseidon will do the job for you. And while you may not relive moments of the film in your mind in the days to come, you'll almost certainly enjoy the ride as long as it lasts.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: Poseidon is rated PG-13 for "intense prolonged sequences of disaster and peril." There are also some rather creative ways various people meet their deaths, and though it's typically not graphic, a few of them are pretty awful. As a result, I don't recommend this movie for kids under the age of 13 or 14 or so. But if the rest of you are just looking for a good time, Poseidon could fit your plans to a T.

Especially one that sinks Titanic in special effects...

This is a remake of The Poseidon Adventure (1972). Before you jump on the bandwagon and start bashing it on this basis alone, keep it mind that the original film was not exactly a masterpiece. It was a film that sacrificed scientific reality to propel an inane plot, filled with one-dimensional characters and compensated for it with action-overload. Poseidon is exactly the same -- ridiculous plot, intrepid characters and big slice of adventure. What is different in this version is the masterful CGI. This is a perfect time to remake a film like this (much better than in 1972) -- just go overboard with special effects and no one will notice the flawed writing (which is basically a sketchbook mess).

This is the reason Poseidon does not fail in entertaining the audience. I'll admit that I was skeptical when Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas appeared in all her plastic surgery glory and Josh Lucas spouted out some cheeseball line ("Where is the disco?" "Why, you feel like dancing now?"), but I set its cringeworthy dialogue aside early on and focused my energy on not wanting to kill Fergie. The giant tidal wave capsizing the luxury liner Poseidon would take care of that, leaving only a small group of people fighting to reach the top and get out.

Another thing, besides special effects, that is by far better in this version is that the characters are actually interested in surviving and do not stop every few minutes for a petty argument as in The Poseidon Adventure (1972). Make no mistake however, these characters are still dumb to the core, getting by on lucky circumstances, occasional heroic feats and conveniently appearing objects and hatches – you've seen it all before, but damn, this is sensationally quality action.

Overall, Poseidon is bathed in a militantly hectic mood and is as fast-paced as any action film you'll see. It features mind-numbing special effects, overdoses of excitement and just typical Wolfgang Peterson overkill. It definitely won't disappoint you if you're looking for cheap but solid adrenaline kicks. I'd even happily sit through this experience again.

6.5/10

Although 'Poseidon' was not all that well received, I actually enjoyed it more than the original, highly acclaimed 'The Poseidon Adventure' (of which 'Poseidon' is a remake), which I found too comical and unbelievable despite its good cast.

'Poseidon' is an action adventure survival thriller, with the focus on the survival element. It doesn't spend much time on character introductions and jumps right into the chaos, so we get to know the characters once their quest for survival begins. Excellent visual effects and a fantastic production design help bring this film to life, making it realistic and conceivable. The capsize scene, especially, was incredibly well done.

The film does follow the same pattern as most disaster films of this genre, with stereotypical characters, and it's always easy to spot the dispensable ones. Essentially, this is a slasher movie - just a different kind of slasher. Due to the film's short running time (94 minutes), it is fast-paced and entertaining throughout and doesn't waste a minute of screen time.

The film features a stellar cast, but I don't think I would have cared who the actors were, as the story was interesting enough and well executed. It is a nail-biter with one primary focus: survival. In my humble opinion, the film succeeded in that aspect. I've watched the movie a few times and enjoy it every time. 'Poseidon' is a disaster movie that delivers.