Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
Kurt Russell stars as fireman - Robert Ramsey in 'Poseidon'. - CONTRIBUTED
POSEIDON HAS many of the elements that should make it an interesting
disaster film. Unfortunately, it is also missing some key ingredients that would allow it to make riveting watching. However, it does not completely sink, though it could have used a life raft or two.
FROM A NOVEL
The film is based on Paul Gallico's novel (from which a film was already made in 1972 - The Poseidon Adventure). Directed by Wolfgang Peterson (The Perfect Storm and Outbreak), the story was scripted by Mark Protosevich (The Cell).
It is the story of a band of survivors who attempt to escape from a luxury liner after it has been overturned by a rogue wave. The movie uses good enough effects and camera work to achieve the gravity of the disaster of the overturned boat and the impending watery grave is made ever present.
The wreck itself is quickly got out of the way, so that most of the film focuses on escape. As such, the film gets off to a fast paced start and promises an elating experience, but it is never able to make good on this promise.
This element helps to sustain the energy in the film and the movement of the plot as the survivors try to out manoeuvre time and their fate makes the movie just engaging enough. That aside, there is enough wrong with Poseidon to threaten to sink the entire film.
First, interestingly, the film continues to hold to the film prescriptive that says only white people can escape from disasters. Of the hundreds of passengers on the ship, the only ones who make it off the ship are six white people, including two women who brought nothing of interest to the entire film, but simply spent the 2 hours taking up space.
Indeed, that is Poseidon's largest problem. The characters are not very interesting, and neither is the dialogue. Josh Lucas, as Dylan Johns leads the cast and one gets the impression he was intended to mirror Mel Gibson's Maverick, but he never gets there.
THE CAST
The entire cast is peopled by characters who should have been more interesting but simply paled under the crushing weight of all that water. Kurt Russell plays Robert Ramsey, an over protective father who is willing to give everything for his daughter. Emmy Rossum plays his daughter (Jennifer) one of the characters whom merely turned up but came empty-handed.
The cast also features Richard Dreyfuss (Richard Nelson), Jacinda Barrett (Maggie James), Kevin Dillon (Lucky Larry) and Freddy Rodriquez (Valentin). Of these Lucky Larry is the most interesting.
As a result, the most interesting thing about this movie is the boat, and there is only so much one can demand of a sinking boat. Attempts at invoking drama simply result in having supposedly emotionally revealing conversation at inappropriate times, which is merely frustrating.
Poseidon never quite floats, but it limps along well enough. With more interesting characters and energetic dialogue it might have been able to sail beautifully, but its visual achievements are not enough to keep it from running aground.
