The Poseidon Adventure

Rating:
Summary: Bottom Looks Like Up
Review: Previously known as the creator of such 1960s TV shows as "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" and "Time Tunnel", producer Irwin Allen earned the title "Master Of Disaster" in 1972, when THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE was unleashed on audiences and basically kicked off the disaster film era that was to dominate the cinema until nearly the end of the Seventies. Putting together an all-star cast (fifteen past Oscar winners), a robust plot (courtesy of Paul Gallico's 1969 novel), and Oscar-winning special effects, this film had it all, and in many ways still does.

This is the saga of the S.S. "Poseidon", en route from New York to Athens on what is to be her final voyage on New Year's Eve. But Mother Nature has other plans for this ship, which one of the crew refers to as "a hotel with a bow and a stern." A massive undersea earthquake northwest of Crete has created a monstrous tsunami; and at one minute past midnight, that wave slams into the ship with such violence that it causes the boat to completely turn over. What began as a celebration of the new year's arrival has suddenly turned into hell and a lot of water. It is up to a rebellious priest (Gene Hackman) to lead as many people as he can to safety; even here, he finds opposition from an argumentative New York cop (Ernest Borgnine). But for anyone to survive, they now must somehow get to the bottom of the ship, which is now up, and do it before the boat finally goes under.

Although some of the melodrama is hugely forced by today's standards (sometimes, it's even a bit laughable), and the notion that a tsunami can completely overturn a passenger liner is a bit of a stretch in reality, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE still manages to work because of the sheer force of its being a survival story. Hackman and Borgnine, not surprisingly, are very good antagonists, but the cast also includes Shelley Winters, Red Buttons, Carol Lynley, Roddy McDowall, Pamela Sue Martin, and Stella Stevens. British director Ronald Neame works with a solid screenplay adaptation by Stirling Silliphant and Wendell Mayes, and the Oscar-winning effects work of L.B. Abbott and A.D. Flowers is still impressive, even after the spectacle that was James Cameron's TITANIC.

Topped off by the Oscar-winning song "The Morning After" (later a big hit for Maureen McGovern) and an early grandiose score by John Williams, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE manages to maintain plenty of tension and terror, even though many of its situations have become cliches by now. It is a very good film to own, especially if you are into all-star epics similar to it.

Rating:
Summary: The classic disaster film...
Review: This film tells the story of a group of people who survive the sinking of a cruise liner, the SS Posiedon. Essentially, the plot boils down to character conflicts and the eventual triumph of the human will and spirit over adversity. It's quite an enjoyable film, even though the special effects (once regarded as exceptional), are somewhat lame by today's standards. Regardless, the movie is fun to watch and Gene Hackman is tremendous. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: A Classic Disaster Movie
Review: What starts out as a New Years' pleasure cruise soon turns into disaster for the passengers and crew of the S.S. Poseidon. Starring Gene Hackman (Rev. Scott), Ernest Borgnine (Mike Rogo), Red Buttons (James Martin), Carol Lynley (Nonnie), Roddy McDowall (Acres), Stella Stevens (Linda Rogo), Jack Albertson (Manny Rosen), Shelley Winters (Belle Rosen), and Pamela Sue Martin (Susan Shelby), this movie continues in the fashion of other classic disaster movies of the early 1970s.

The Poseidon is sailing from New York to Athens packed full of holiday passengers. After surviving a bit of rough weather, the Poseidon soon resumes sailing in calm seas. However, a report is delivered to the Captain, played by Leslie Nielsen, describing an undersea earthquake near 8 on the richter scale. This quake is causing huge waves due to the shock, and the Poseidon, on her last voyage, is heading directly into the epicenter of the quake.

Soon, a huge wall of water slams into the ship and leaves it capsized, with the hull facing up. Rev. Scott soon manages to save a group of passengers by having them climb up the large atrificial Christmas tree located in the main ballroom to a balcony on the next level.

The group is soon snaking their way through the doomed vessel, trying to reach the engine room. The hull is only supposed to be an inch thick in the engine room, so Rev. Scott seems to think that this would be their best place to be rescued. Meanwhile, the inevitable conflicts break out among the group members, especially between Scott and Mr. Rogo. Despite these arguments, the group manages to keep moving upwards toward the hull. The upturned tables and, in one scene, barberchairs, add greatly to the capsized illusion. After some harrowing escapes, and despite the loss of a few of the survivors along the way, the group manages to finally reach the engine room, but will they be rescued or is it too late?

I thought this was a very good movie. The acting is first rate. Gene Hackman is excellent in his role as the defrocked Rev. Scott, while Borgnine, Albertson, Buttons, and the rest of the cast do a good job as well. The special effects are very good, considering this movie is over thirty years old. The scene where the tidal wave slams into the Poseidon is exciting, and the undersea explosions are captivating, too. However, I thought the ending was a little anti-climactic and could have been done better. Still, I recommend this film. Action and disaster movie fans will surely enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Hackman rules in terrific thriller
Review: "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972) is a terrific thriller which ushered in the era of '70's disaster movies which reached its zenith with the thrilling "The Towering Inferno" (1974). Actually, it's a tossup among fans over which is better. My vote goes to the latter, but this Irwin Allen-produced gem is a close second.

There's no use regurgitating the plot, since everyone knows it involves a capsized luxury liner. The real joy here is the cast, which includes Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Stella Stevens, Jack Albertson, Shelly Winters, Carol Lynley, Red Buttons, Roddy MacDowell, Eric Shea, Pamela Sue Martin, Arthur O'Connell, and, in a serious cameo, Leslie Neilsen as the ship's ill-fated captain. Winters got the Oscar nomination for her touching work as a matronly Jewish grandmother, but the real knockout performances here are by Stevens in a very funny, scene stealing scorcher of a turn as a foul-mouthed ex-hooker, Borgnine as her bitter, pessimistic policeman husband, and especially Hackman as a nearly insane, defrocked minister who doesn't believe in prayer and has a adversarial relationship with God. In fact, while some find Hackman over-the-top, this is one of my all-time screen performances and shows what a great actor can do with unusual material. (In a word, he rules.) Albertson is also very touching as Winter's husband, and Buttons scores solidly as a lonely bachelor who falls in love with Lynley, who is mourning her brother's death. Actually, the only weak link in the cast is young Shea, who is unbearably obnoxious as pre-teen Robin Shelby, who at one point gets lost in the ship. Would that he stayed lost, viewers may find themselves saying.

The direction by Ronald Neame, the musical score, editing and photography are all stellar, and the Oscar-winning special effects still impress 30+ years later. They all more than make up for the by-the-numbers script, which Stirling Silliphant very loosely adapted from Paul Gallico's best seller. Silliphant's introductory scenes and initial character development are pretty lame, to say the least, but things pick up considerably after disaster strikes, and for once it's not that easy to figure out who will make it out alive and who won't. (Let's just say only the two Shelby kids seems safe bets.) Among the highlights: the spectacular capsizing sequence, the harrowing trip through the engine room, and the final fifteen minutes, which are almost unbearably suspenseful. In fact, the film never bores and maintains an admirable amount of suspense for nearly 90 of its 115 minutes.

In all, "The Poseidon Adventure" remains a terrific spectacle and companion piece to the superior "The Towering Inferno." In fact, the two films make a great day-long double feature, especially on a rainy day. Even though Irwin Allen could not maintain the high standards of these two films, and followed them with awful offerings like "The Swarm" and "When Time Ran Out..." that gave the genre the bad name it maintains to this day, for these two films, he definitely earned the title "master of disaster." **** (out of *****) for the film; ** (out of *****) for the DVD, which like "The Towering Inferno" offers less special features than the special edition VHS version released several years ago. Maybe one day Stevens, Hackman, Borgnine and Winters will reunite for a cast commentary. One can only hope.

Rating:
Summary: the best of the best of the best
Review: The film that put Irwin Allen in the big leagues.Widely regarded as one of the best disaster movies of all time this one started off the swingin seventies obsession with disaster flicks.Its im possible to name all the things right with it. There is only one thing wrong with the film and its the special affects but im gona go easy on it sure the posidon looks like a model and sure when the tidal wave hits it looks like some one threw a bucket of water at Leslie Nielson but it still is a good film the capsize bit is spectacula.Only Irwin Allen could turn something so out landish as a ship gettin hit by a tidal waze on new years eve into something very realistic. Like in real life disasters theres always a chain of events that lead up to the tragedy. In posidon adventure Allen gives us little snippets of infomation giving us an idea of what is about happen. Leslie Nielson makes a great captain pitty he dies so early in the film also Hackman and the rest of the cast do a great job as well this film is worth the money you pay for it.