Film Review - Poseidon

Dangerous waters
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

Starring: Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Jacinda Barrett, Richard Dreyfuss, Emmy Rossum
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
Official Movie Site

'Poseidon' is what 'Titanic' has brought into the big screen. And after a number of films of the same plot and theme, such a story has convincingly sailed these waters before. Pretty formulaic stuff. But what makes this movie float still is that it brings the audience into an almost two-hour contemplation of what people do for survival. And it is this struggle that makes the film, in one way or another, effective still. From initially presenting a grand and spacious cruise ship to a suddenly perilous and claustrophobic death ship, it conveys how life and death decisions are made in a jiff. And this disaster film remake of The Poseidon Adventure of the 70’s becomes an intense thrill ride of watertight action.

The majestic 360 degree shot exploring the enormous modern day (Titanic-like) luxury cruise ship is such a blast – an unforgettably impressive opening shot worth the price of admission to the theater. Indeed, the said shot conditions the viewers for what’s in stored for them.

A massive ocean liner is struck by a 150-foot killer tidal wave and flips the ship upside down. And as the clock ticks, the ship is gradually destroyed. Panicking, terrified and trapped within the closed spaces of the sinking ship, a maverick group of passengers fight their way to the ocean surface by escaping through the bottom of the ship that is now found on top. The metaphors on starting off with a splendid and spacious cruise ship to an enclosed space lacking much escape routes and the lives of the passengers turning upside down are good ways to creatively present such a film which is nearly and inevitably accused of being one of those formulaic sea-travel thrillers with ready-made template for the filmmakers to fill.

The intensity seen in the film is mainly physical. It has solid special effects that blends into the visuals and makes it considerably seamless. It is good that the effects doesn’t drown the story. On an action movie level, this film is nerve-wracking as it taps into the audience’s primal fears. Seeing a number of struggling survivors passing through complicated and labyrinth-like passageways amidst helpless souls becomes an engaging ride to the viewers. The tightly-paced action can make them hold on to the edge of their seats. But what this film is missing is a more elaborate characterization. It is action-packed but it is quite thematically bare. The stereotyped characters have not been carefully explored as compared to the film’s effective metaphorical side. It is quite observable that the thin script is tumbled down by the requirements for large action and suspense scenes. A balance between the screenplay and the thriller requirements could have made it much better. Nevertheless, the action clichés still make huge waves to the audience’s heart. Director Wolfgang Petersen knows how to hammer tension. The intensity maybe more on the physical level but the intended emotional impact from the rough seas below is still achieved.

The redemptive element is Kurt Russel. His sacrifice is exactly what Bruce Willis had in the movie 'Armageddon' – very much the same except for the asteroid setting. Sadly, this one becomes a disappointment for me as I have already seen the said scene in 'Armageddon.' And it is not in any way impressive with that. Josh Lucas keeps the action up and going. His bright blue eyes and rugged look within his coat and tie contribute greatly to the physical stream of his character. He moves the action to a certain level but not much in terms of acting. Overall, his aura can fit either a protagonist or an antagonist role. Richard Dreyfuss appears too detached; but not to the point of being too lost for the story to sink into the abyss. Jacinda Barrett as the concerned single mother is very cliché just like the others. But her character still works for the story. Barrett and accomplished child actor Jimmy Bennett (recently seen in the movie Firewall) complement their mother-and-son role. Emmy Rossum doesn’t give justice to her role. There is no much emotional tension created between her and Russel. Their father-daughter relationship is very superficial. So goes with her relationship with her fiance portrayed by Mike Vogel. Actually, the story doesn't give all their roles much texture anyway. Mia Maestro becomes effective with her 'panicky acting.' As usual, Black-eyed Peas member Stacy Ferguson gives a dash of performance. Her role is entirely a cruise ship performer so don't expect some acting moments from her. The Emmy Rossum-Mike Vogel love team is presented in a bearable level. Indeed, Poseidon is not the Leonardo DiCaprio-Kate Winslet 'Titanic.' However, the Rossum-Vogel tandem has no chemistry at all to at least create a considerable touching moment for them in the movie.

There is one petty thing that is noticeable in the film's mise-en-scene. Actually, I haven't been in a luxury ship before. But I have a couple of friends who are photographers in a cruise ship sailing from the Carribean waters to America and to Europe. So I tend to question a bit of Poseidon's production design. New Year is just a week after Christmas but I haven't seen much Christmas designs or even a Christmas tree in 'Poseidon.'

This new rough seas action thriller from Petersen is an update to the 1972 disaster pic. And this new one lets you see how people can possibly behave and react in such a life and death situation. The treatment is still very traditional – yielding to a tried and tested box office formula. The cliches are all there. But at least, the film tries to connect with the audience in terms of drama, tension and thrills. And all these tries to cover up a bit of its flaws. And if your motive for watching is purely for a blood rush while holding on to the edge of your seat, this one keeps up to that expectation.