The Poseidon Adventure (A or 4/4 stars)
After a record-sized luxury ocean liner capsizes in the Mediterranean Sea en route from NY to Athens, a handful of desperate survivors work for a slim chance at rescue in 'The Poseidon Adventure' (directed by Ronald Neame). Shortly after midnight on New Year's Day, with Auld Lang Syne being sung & confetti still raining down over the main ballroom, the top-heavy SS Poseidon encounters a rogue 90-ft. tidal wave - much to the dismay of Captain Harrison (Leslie Nielsen). It is the last thing that Harrison, his crew, & most of the passengers see before drowning; as the ship gets flipped upside down, with only a handful of survivors.
Those few survivors divide into 2 groups: a group who will remain in the ballroom & await help, and a group who follow no-nonsense Reverend Scott (Gene Hackman) as he plans to head up toward what is now the bottom of the ship - he believes this to be their best chance for rescue. The dwindling group includes: combustible Mike Rogo (Ernest Borgnine), his buxom wife Linda (Stella Stevens), Acres (Roddy McDowall), & a 50-something couple, Manny Rosen (Jack Albertson), & his wife Belle (Shelley Winters). They meet some catastrophic obstacles - from explosions, flooding passages, & spontaneous fires, to their own crippling fears & uncertainties. The water rises higher in the sinking vessel. There's only one specific route of escape. And their time is running out. Drama ensues.
All the characters react authentically under the intense duress of their situation. We meet them, learn a bit about them, the wave hits, they fall, scream, get injured, their hair/outfits get ruined, they re-group, worry, sweat, become ill, climb, crawl, fret, & yell at each other. This is all to be expected. And the performances pop. Gene Hackman binds the cast together as the fiery reverend who preaches that strength comes not from God (his faith has been wavering since the beginning of the film), but from within. And he proves his point by the end. The other performance of note is Shelley Winters - the overweight former swimming champion who is called-upon to be a heroine late in the proceedings.
Part of what makes the film so effective is the novelty of seeing people trapped while literally being upside-down; where barber chairs & toilets dangle eerily from the ceiling; and where a giant artificial Christmas tree becomes a ladder to a higher deck that was once underneath them. 'The Poseidon Adventure' is just a gripping motion picture. The sense of foreboding (before the wave even hits) is intense. The actual tidal wave sequence is harrowing. The unique set design (a massive upside-down ship) is exceptional. The sound work & special effects are great. And John Williams' music score keeps you on edge.
The sense of danger is palpable at every obstacle they encounter. There are near-misses. There are heroics. There are shocking deaths. There is blood; but thankfully, the cameras don't linger too long on the dead. And it's completely voyeuristic to witness a group of people (who could be YOU in that situation) deal with what they have to deal with. On a surface level, 'The Poseidon Adventure' is one of the best disaster flicks that you could see. But the film also emphasizes strength of character, sheer determination, grit, courage, & even some ingenuity in the face of calamity. Great movie.
Those few survivors divide into 2 groups: a group who will remain in the ballroom & await help, and a group who follow no-nonsense Reverend Scott (Gene Hackman) as he plans to head up toward what is now the bottom of the ship - he believes this to be their best chance for rescue. The dwindling group includes: combustible Mike Rogo (Ernest Borgnine), his buxom wife Linda (Stella Stevens), Acres (Roddy McDowall), & a 50-something couple, Manny Rosen (Jack Albertson), & his wife Belle (Shelley Winters). They meet some catastrophic obstacles - from explosions, flooding passages, & spontaneous fires, to their own crippling fears & uncertainties. The water rises higher in the sinking vessel. There's only one specific route of escape. And their time is running out. Drama ensues.
All the characters react authentically under the intense duress of their situation. We meet them, learn a bit about them, the wave hits, they fall, scream, get injured, their hair/outfits get ruined, they re-group, worry, sweat, become ill, climb, crawl, fret, & yell at each other. This is all to be expected. And the performances pop. Gene Hackman binds the cast together as the fiery reverend who preaches that strength comes not from God (his faith has been wavering since the beginning of the film), but from within. And he proves his point by the end. The other performance of note is Shelley Winters - the overweight former swimming champion who is called-upon to be a heroine late in the proceedings.
Part of what makes the film so effective is the novelty of seeing people trapped while literally being upside-down; where barber chairs & toilets dangle eerily from the ceiling; and where a giant artificial Christmas tree becomes a ladder to a higher deck that was once underneath them. 'The Poseidon Adventure' is just a gripping motion picture. The sense of foreboding (before the wave even hits) is intense. The actual tidal wave sequence is harrowing. The unique set design (a massive upside-down ship) is exceptional. The sound work & special effects are great. And John Williams' music score keeps you on edge.
The sense of danger is palpable at every obstacle they encounter. There are near-misses. There are heroics. There are shocking deaths. There is blood; but thankfully, the cameras don't linger too long on the dead. And it's completely voyeuristic to witness a group of people (who could be YOU in that situation) deal with what they have to deal with. On a surface level, 'The Poseidon Adventure' is one of the best disaster flicks that you could see. But the film also emphasizes strength of character, sheer determination, grit, courage, & even some ingenuity in the face of calamity. Great movie.