Three out of
Five stars
Running time:
99 mins
Boasting impressive special effects and a decent cast, this isn't a patch on the original movie but it's enjoyable enough for its remarkably trim running time.
What's it all about?
Continuing this year's trend for remakes, Poseidon is a remake of 1972's disaster classic The Poseidon Adventure. When a rogue wave capsizes the luxury liner Poseidon, gambler Josh Lucas and former firefighter (and mayor) Kurt Russell attempt to lead a group of survivors to safety, via the propeller openings in the hull.
The plucky group of wannabe survivors includes: suicidal loner Richard Dreyfuss, stowaway Latina Mia Maestro, ship's cook Freddy Rodriguez, panicky single mother Jacinda Barrett, her cute son (Jimmy Bennett), Russell's headstrong daughter (Emmy Rossum), her beefcake fiance (Mike
Vogel) and smart-mouthed gambler Lucky Larry (Kevin Dillon).
The Good
Director Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot, The Perfect Storm) clearly doesn't feel comfortable unless he can work with water and he has a whale of a time here. The effects sequences are excellent and the various set-pieces are both thrilling and suspenseful, with each one cunningly playing on different fears, whether it be fire, water, small spaces or heights.
Sensibly, the film-makers have opted not to go for a total remake. The characters bear no relation to the characters in the original film and it's fun to try and guess who'll survive, who'll die stupidly, who'll make a noble sacrifice, and so on.
The Great
The acting is suitably cheesy for this sort of thing. Lucas in particular can barely keep the grin off his face, he's having so much fun. Kurt Russell is perfectly cast as the rugged hero type and there's superb support from both Richard Dreyfuss and Kevin Dillon but the rest of the cast are fairly bland and forgettable.
Worth seeing?
Ultimately, the most original thing about the film is its upside-down poster but as pointless remakes go, this is a surprising amount of fun.