Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (DVD, 2006)

I literally just finished watching this disaster of a movie. Earthquake, Towering Inferno, Airport and others came out at the same time as the original Poseidon Adventure. Poseidon is a classic of the disaster genre which had its "golden age" in the 1970's so I am not surprised they did a sequel.

What is surprising is that they were able to get Michael Caine, Sally Fields, Telly Savalas, Peter Boyle, Jack Warden, Karl Madden and Shirley Jones to star in it. And check out Mark Harmon in a small role.

So Gene Hackman was wrong and there were survivors left on The Poseidon. Michael Caine is the capt of a salvage boat that goes back on board to get diamonds and gold left behind in the ship's vault. Telly Savalas plays a terrorist pretending to be medical rescue - but what he is really after is plutonium, oops! That was a big mystery throughout the movie, but it was not very mysterious. On their way to finding the loot they find survivors - lots of coincidences there! The groups split up - like that ever works! Telly Savalas and his group go looking for "survivors" and instead we find that one of the survivors ith the other group is in cahoots with Telly's group - I told you lots of coincidences.

If you liked Poseidon Adventure then watch this one, not as good as the first but it is a little more of the story so it might be worth it to fans. The bad part is that we know the formula by now, we know who makes it and who doesn't, who sacrifices them selves for the others etc. We've seen the characters before in other disaster movies, including Poseidon.

Ok...where in the world to start? First...where the heck is the "loose tiger" from the book? Second...a TIDAL WAVE, caused by an "undersea earthquake off the coast of Crete" capsized the Poseidon...NOT "a storm" as Michael Caine explains. Third...how did all the LIGHTS get turned on? The ship, as I recall...was much darker when Hackman and Borgnine and others were squirreling their way thru the 1972 classic. But when this cast arrives...it looks as if maybe Shelley Winters DIDN'T die, and simply was faking it, so that she could go around and flip all the lights on when they finally came to rescue them in 1979.
Okay...the "1979" should tell you everything you need to know here. SEVEN YEARS after the original to release a sequel? And of course, released by Warner Bros (who had NO idea how to produce a disaster film during the 70s) and directed by Irwin Allen (who was a PROLIFIC producer, but couldn't direct himself thru the back of a Campbell's Soup can). These three combined make for a recipe that its number should have been "666".
Now...the "thesps". Michael Caine is sailing a tug boat (?!?) across the sea to Africa with Karl Malden (whose performance is so wooden, that it is surprising they didn't use HIM for bouyancy),and stowaway "Celeste The Monkey" (played by Sally Field---who looks cute, but embarrassed to be in this mess). They happen upon the overturned Poseidon, and are about to climb aboard to get the loot, when Dr. Stefan Svevo (Telly Savalas) arrives looking dapper (sans lollipop) and has another motive to climb aboard.
Fast forward to the "getting into the boat thru the Red Buttons hole" thing, and you get an explosion...one of the "who cares if he dies?" extras has an "anxiety attack" and then a steam pipe burts...and out pops Shirley Jones (playing the ship's nurse that was played by Irwin Allen's wife "Sheila" in the orginal, and who looks to have lost weight in the seven years while waiting for Caine and Savalas to arrive)...Veronica Hamel (looking really hot in a Givenchy "copy" gown)...Peter Boyle (looking really out of place in this film)...from a steam room.
The cast wanders around the set trying to find the purser's office, more explosions...then hey, MORE SURVIVORS! Mark Harmon and Angela Cartright (who must have been on the OPPOSITE diet that the ship's nurse was on these past 7 years, as Angela was MUCH thinner when she was Lost in Space), and Slim Pickens (carrying a coveted wine bottle).
The cast wanders some more...more explosions...they find the purser's office, and then hey, MORE SURVIVORS. Enter Jack Warden and Shirley Knight playing "blind idiot and wife just sitting in their (well-lit) stateroom with all the furniture nailed to the floor/ceiling).
So...you guessed it...they wander around some more. Hamel knocks off one of Svevo's baddies with an axe (she looked really hot too swinging that axe), they hide behind what appears to be a "green herbie the love bug" in the cargo hold while Svevo tries to shoot them.
They escape...scuba their way out of the ship...Pickens gets shot in the water (still holding his wine bottle), and then the ship explodes.
It seems that more deaths in this film came from bullets than drowning. Not a good sign for an underwater disaster flick, and frankly, NOT one of Irwin's better moments. Definitely a MUST HAVE for "Poseidon/Irwin Allen Completists", but manages to make Allen's NEXT bomb "When Time Ran Out..." look half-way decent.

I have seen the movie and wanted it to add to my collection. Down to earth price as well. Will most likely buy here again.

he thought it was the first one i said no it was the second one he said it was ok it was his birthday one

Some pretty good special effects and acting by well knowns,.Got Movie at a pretty good price and found it very entertaining and worth the price. Not exactly a must see but, better than average.

It is O.K. as far as a sequel,It helped some not so known actors,get put in the spotlight.Nothing will ever compare to the First one.I saw it in surround sound and a round theater.I will say this,you checked for water.

this was really awesome I finally got to finish my poseidon adventure collection.I have a collection of 630 dvds.My collection rox