quote: John T Hendrickson Jr

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Too bad. This one would have been a good "made for TV movie". Why Warners spent $160 mil is beyond me.

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The weird part is, they DID a "made for TV" remake last year. In that one, terrorists caused the capsize. Oh MAN was it bad.

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CINEMA: Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons, Sandy, UT
AUDITORIUM: Cricket IMAX
PRESENTATION: Uh, IMAX
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: None
RATING: Two and one half stars (out of four)

WARNING: A rogue wave can capsize spoilers

I actually know of a rogue wave tragedy. Ivar's Mukilteo Landing in Seattle was washed out by one a few years ago. The newly repaired restaurant now has this warning posted: "In case of rogue wave, order dessert first."

The movie wastes no time at all getting to the meat of things, taking about fifteen minutes to get to the capsize (I know...Brian counted twenty, but I'm sticking with what I recall), which happens quickly and without warning. Which is good because the casual banter leading up to it was horrible. It was like the director took a look at his work and said. "Wow. This sucks. Let's just move on." He STILL could have cut the lounge singing.

A lot of the ship shots and interior previous to the capsize looked like cheaply done CGI. Even the elevators didn't look real. The capsize, however, was awesome. As was the elevator shaft scene. The rest, well, it moved along quickly, which I very much appreciated.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-14-2006, 07:01 PM:
 
Today, 11:45AM, Regal Cinema World 8 in Eugene, House #4, SR•D. Attendance around 10-12 (and nothing was doing any business when I left either). Print looked great: bright, sharp, and steady. Sounded good, but I suspect there's only 1 working subwoofer driver -- the bottom end is there but just barely. There was more deep bass coming from MI3 next door.

I didn't hate it. It's neither great nor a stinker. It moves along so quickly there's little time for any real character development (maybe that's a good thing). "More action, less melodrama". Delivers the goods as disaster movies go, and the special effects are mostly pretty good (ranging from so-so to spectacular).

I give it 2.75 out of 5 stars.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-14-2006, 09:21 PM:
 

quote: Matt Fields

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The original was "The Poseidon Adventure". The 70's included lots of disaster flicks, including The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno.

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I suppose if this does well, we can expect a remake of "The Towering Inferno" called "Inferno."
 

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Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 05-15-2006, 05:30 PM:
 
Wretchedly awful. I walked out of it.
 

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Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 05-15-2006, 10:29 PM:
 
... And yet, I've been experiencing packed and sold-out shows that receive applause at the end. (They, clearly, were cheering because of my professional pre-show introduction announcement.)

It's been reported to me that the per-screen for the IMAX version of this was heftier than the 35mm. (And our location was #3 in the country for the IMAX grosses.) I don't see any lasting power, though.
 

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Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 05-17-2006, 03:22 AM:
 
I am whole heartedly agreeing with your original assessment of this picture. I was entertained, but annoyed at the same time. I did not care about any of these people, as I was given no reason to. Then everyone but a few die. Just empty stuff. Oh, and yes, I get it, Richard Dreyfuss is the gay guy because of the earring, right? I have a very good and dear freind who is Gay, and does not make this known. IF he didn't tell you, you just wouldn't know, and who cares anyway.

This movie bit largely. 25 minutes of development would have done the trick.

Ciao
 

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Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 05-17-2006, 04:09 AM:
 
I didn't notice the Dreyfuss earring. But I was baffled as to the significance of having this character be gay. Change two pronouns from one segment of his dialog, and he'd be straight, given the exact same performance. Is that a testament to politically correct screenwriting? "Let's make him gay, to show we're okay with it, but don't over do it." Or is it an honest and realistic approach to representing society? "There are gay people out there, and it doesn't affect anything or anyone else, so it's a part of life, and this movie is a slice of life, so it's natural that this guy can be gay, meaninglessly." It's a rhetorical question, really. I agree ... who cares, anyway?

quote: Dave Williams

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25 minutes of development would have done the trick.

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You mean in addition to the current running time? That would have put it up there as another 2-plus-hour action flick in which we probably still would have found the characters thin and uncared for. As shallow as Poseidon is in its current form, I think it was the best move to get to the 'splosions and get to 'em fast!

And, I'd just like to add, I've developed a thing for that Emmy Rossum ... well, if only her character wasn't such a bitch (SPOILER ALERT) who should have died but didn't.


 

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Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 05-17-2006, 06:10 PM:
 

quote: Brian Michael Weidemann

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And, I'd just like to add, I've developed a thing for that Emmy Rossum ... well, if only her character wasn't such a bitch (SPOILER ALERT) who should have died but didn't.

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Oh, well, I guess I'm going to have to see it now...just to get that saccharine sweetness she displayed in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA out of my system.
 

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Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 05-17-2006, 10:58 PM:
 
Well, not so much of the well-acted vindictive bitch variety, more a whiny teenage girl with a teenage-girl relationship with her father type of bitchiness. I never saw Phantom, so I'm not sure if this is a sweetness cure.
 

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Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 05-18-2006, 02:15 AM:
 
It isn't.

***Spoiler Alert***

And this is why it is NOT a sweetness cure.....

I WANTED HER TO DIE SO BAD... not because she was bitchy, or cute, but purely becuase she just came off as the most ungrateful person. If she were my daughter, I wouldn't die for her, but I would misdirect her to the poison brownies.

Ciao
 

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Posted by Phil Blake (Member # 2012) on 05-18-2006, 02:19 AM:
 
I quite enjoyed the original 70's The Poseidon adventure , as the Poseidon" has not yet opened in Oz , I am curious as to how the original 70's flick stacks up against this one ?
 

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Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 05-23-2006, 03:16 AM:
 

quote: Dave Williams

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I WANTED HER TO DIE SO BAD

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Dave, you reminded me of a story out of London where Pia Zadora (who evidently can't act her way out of a paper bag -- no disrespect to paper bags) was installed by her multimillionaire suger daddy as Ann Frank in the famous play, Diary of....

It was widely reported that at the opening night performance, she was so horrendous, that toward the very end of the play, at the point where the Gestapo come into the house and start looking for the Jews they suspected were hiding there, someone in the audience yells out, "She's behind the dresser."

True story.

And I swear, when those two obnoxious kids in JURASSIC PARK were scrambling to get away from the Pterodactyls in the kitchen and hiding amoung the pots and pans, I swear I was soooo wanting to see them get eaten.

Phil, I was wondering that too. I thought the original was a bit hokey, as most of the disaster films were, but thoroughly enjoyable....maybe it's because back then we weren't quite so jaded. But I wondered how closely did they follow the original? Was it a remake -- and if so, why not save all that money and just make some spiffy new EK prints of the original and do an anniversary release?

And was there a Shelly Winter's character in this new one? Her underwater swim, -- more like a whale dive -- was fantastic, if not for the effect, but for the pure guts Shelly musterd to do it, wet cloths clinging to her not exactly svelt frame and all. When she does make it to the other side, you can't help thinking she's looking a bit like a hippo fresh out of the pond.

I did notice in the TV trailer that famous shot of the guy falling into the huge stained glass window, and I thought, damn...that was DONE already! Why can't they come up with some original stuff? But then, perhaps that one effect, which was kind of the original's signature image and was really quite memorable, perhaps it was restaged (or rendered) as an homage to the original.

As for TOWERING INFERNO, I thought that was one of the best of the disaster flicks -- and as we know, it was "so BIG that it took TWO studios to release it!" -- I had to listen to the trailer proclaiming that silly hype line for two full weeks -- ugh.

If only they would bring these disaster flicks back as a group....they could rise to cult status -- throw in a few AIRPORT titles and EARTHQUAKE and you've got yourself one bitchin revival!

[ 05-24-2006, 01:54 PM: Message edited by: Frank Angel ]
 

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Posted by Christian Appelt (Member # 1067) on 05-23-2006, 11:24 AM:
 
I always like the older movie starring Gene Hackmann.
Paul Gallico's novel THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE on which both films are based is great entertainment too, much more exciting than run-of-the-mill Michael Crichton stuff.
 

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Posted by Diane Linton (Member # 3711) on 06-11-2006, 10:54 AM:
 
I didn't like it much either. My favorite part was when the wave hit. And I caught it through the porthole the first 20 times it happened.

I hate when there is no charater development.

*******Spoiler***********

And I was glad that whiney girl died. "I can't, I can't!" Well go die then while I get outta here!
 

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