The 1972 disaster hit The Poseidon Adventure was ripe for a big-budget CGI remake, and who better to helm it than thriller expert Wolfgang Petersen, director of Das Boot and The Perfect Storm? It hardly matters that a TV movie remake (also based on Paul Gallico's original 1969 source novel) was made less than a year before, because Petersen's version is far more spectacular, with shocking digital effects, massive sets, amazing stunt-work and enough fire and water to fill five movies with challenging worst-case scenarios. Once again, the plot concerns the capsizing (by a massive "rogue wave") of a state-of-the-art luxury liner, and the struggle of a small group of survivors (including Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Emmy Rossum, and Richard Dreyfuss) to climb upwards, to the ship's hull, in their treacherous quest for a safe exit. Unfortunately, most of these characters are two-dimensional and under-developed (especially when compared to the 1972 film's all-star cast), and the unimaginative screenplay by Mark Protosevich (reportedly worked on by several uncredited writers) subjects them to a rote series of obstacles that grow increasingly routine and repetitious, not to mention contrived and illogical. Again, it hardly matters, because Petersen's handling of non-stop action is so slick and professional that Poseidon gets by on sheer adrenaline. The capsizing scenes are nothing less than awesome, with some effects so real (and so horrifying) that younger and more sensitive viewers may need to look away. And while it lacks the engaging humanity of the 1972 version, Poseidon is certainly never boring. Faint praise, perhaps, but you'll get your popcorn's worth of mindless entertainment.--Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
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... more info
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... more info
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... more info
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... more info
![Poseidon [2006]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NE5P7R6DL._SL160_.jpg)
