Review: Poseidon (2006)

Poseidon
(c) 2006 Ray Wong (Ray's Rave Review at reelreviews.blogspot.com)


The Sea God is at it again... No, I am not speaking of the Greek god
Poseidon, but of director Wolfgang Petersen, who gave us seafaring
extravaganzas such as Das Boot and The Perfect Storm. The new film,
Poseidon, a remake of the 1972 film based on Paul Gallico's bestselling
novel, should have been an easy feat for Petersen. The result, however,
is rather underwhelming.

It's New Year's Eve, and the passengers on the luxurious ocean-liner
Poseidon are in for a shock. Dylan Johns (Lucas) is a charming
professional gambler who is rather a loner. Robert Ramsey (Russell) is
an ex-New York mayor who is rather old-fashioned, especially when it
comes to his daughter Jennifer (Rossum) and her boyfriend Christian
(Vogel). Suicidal architect Richard Nelson (Dreyfuss) just broke up
with his longtime companion. Single mother Maggie James (Barrett) and
her son Connor (Bennett) are having a grand time on the ship. Stowaway
Elena Gonzalez (Maestro) is on her way to see her sick brother, thanks
to the help of cruise employee Marco Valentin (Rodriguez).

Then on the brink of the New Year, a rogue wave hits the Poseidon and
turns it upside down. Captain Bradford (Braugher) ensures the surviving
passengers that they would be safe and should sit tight and wait for
rescuers. Dylan and the others are not convinced, and they decide to
find their own way out through the bowel of the ship. As the ship
starts to sink, it's a race against time to save themselves.

The cast is adequate when you consider the genre. Lucas (Glory Road)
handles the conflicted but heroic Dylan with intensity, but there's
always this "pained" look on his face, as if the director keeps telling
him: "Now, look distressed." Russell (Sky High) is an old pro. His
curmudgeon of an ex-mayor is one of the more-rounded characters in the
cast. Dreyfuss (Silver City) doesn't really have much to do. His early,
pre-disaster scenes are his strongest dramatically.

Barrett (Ladder 49) is very endearing as Maggie and Bennett (Firewall)
is fine as her son. Rossum (Phantom of the Opera) is adorable as
Russell's rebellious daughter, but Vogel (Rumor Has It) is rather bland
as her fiance. Maestro (Deepwater) is sympathetic as the sweet
stowaway, and Rodriguez (Six Feet Under) has a minor but good role as
the doomed waiter. Rounding out the cast is Braugher (Thief) as the
confident Captain Bradford, and Dillon (Out for Blood) as the cocky
Lucky Larry, both too minor to make any significant impression.

The real star of the film is, of course, Poseidon itself. The ship is a
marvel to behold, thanks to state-of-the-art CGI effects and busy but
effective sets. Unfortunately, we don't get to see the ship enough to
appreciate its grandeur.

The script by Protosevich (The Cell) rehashes the original movie while
changing almost all the characters. Gone are the old fogies like Shelly
Winters. Except for Russell and Dreyfuss (who are still in their 50s),
the cast consists of mostly young, attractive actors like Lucas and
Barrett. Protosevich sticks to the genre conventions. The result,
unfortunately, is that "been there, done that" feeling. Granted, he has
a tough job -- we all know the story; the only suspense is that who get
to live and who don't. There are some fine moments, such as Dreyfuss's
fateful decision in the elevator shaft, or the escape through a vent
duct. Unfortunately, those moments are far and between.

Director Petersen (Troy) rushes through the production. It would have
been better if he had spent more time exploring the myriad of
characters and showing us the magnificence of the ship before its
demise. Part of the charm of the original movie is that we got to care
about the characters, and that there was a sense of awe in the
destruction of the ship. In this film, we are never allowed enough time
to get to know these people, let alone care about whether they live or
die. The conflicts between and within the characters are superficial.
The special effects are impressive, but also forgettable because there
isn't much emotional investment. I think if Petersen had slowed down
the pace and refrained from rushing toward the big finale, Poseidon
could have been a better, more emotionally satisfying film.


Stars: Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, Jacinda Barrett,
Jimmy Bennett, Emmy Rossum, Mike Vogel, Mia Maestro, Andre Braugher,
Kevin Dillon, Freddy Rodriguez
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Writers: Mark Protosevich (based on novel, The Poseidon Adventure, by
Paul Gallico)
Distributor: Warner Bros.
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief intense and prolonged sequences of
disaster and peril
Running Time: 99 minutes


RATINGS:

Script - 6
Performance - 7
Direction - 7
Cinematography - 7
Music/Sound- 6
Editing - 8
Production - 8

Total - 6.8 out of 10