Movie Description
German-born director Wolfgang Petersen (DAS BOOT, THE PERFECT STORM) returns to the sea for POSEIDON, a gripping remake of Ronald Neame and Irwin Allen's 1972 disaster classic, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. As passengers celebrate New Year's Eve aboard the massive ship Poseidon, a rogue wave devastates the luxury liner, turning it upside down as windows smash, fires break out, electric wires dangle dangerously, and people try to run for their lives--with seemingly nowhere to go. Despite Captain Bradford's (Andre Braugher) pleas for people to remain calm in the ballroom, a small group of people go against his orders and attempt to make their own way to the bottom of the ship, which is now the only section above water. Led by a low-rent gambler named Dylan (Josh Lucas) and the onetime mayor of New York City, Ramsey (Kurt Russell), and including a suicidal architect (Richard Dreyfuss), the former mayor's daughter (Emmy Rossum) and her fiancé (Mike Vogel), a stowaway (Mia Maestro), and a single mother (Jacinda Barrett) and her young son (Jimmy Bennett), they band together as they battle the elements, fight to save their lives, and learn something about themselves along the way. Although the special effects are cutting-edge, starting with the long, complex opening shot, Petersen makes sure to instill humanity into the characters, letting the film be driven by the story, not just the mechanics. To ensure the integrity of the project, one of the executive producers is Sheila Allen, who was married to disaster master Irwin Allen (producer of such films as THE TOWERING INFERNO, VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, and THE SWARM) until his death in 1991, and played Gina Rowe in THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (under her maiden name, Sheila Mathews). Fans of the Black Eyed Peas will get a kick out of Fergie as Gloria, the ballroom singer.
IN THEATERS MAY 2, 2006
A remake of the disaster epic THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, as envisioned by Wolfgang Petersen (THE PERFECT STORM), POSEIDON follows storylines for several disparate characters, including a pair of star-crossed lovers (Emmy Rossem and Mike Vogel), a suicidal man in crisis (Richard Dreyfuss), and a stowaway (Mia Maestro).
| Credits | | Cast: | Andre Braugher, Austin Priester, Gabriel Jarret, Kevin Leung, Kimberly Patterson, Kirk B.R. Woller, Kurt Russell, Stacy Ferguson |
Editorial Reviews
3 stars out of 4 -- "You don't expect a remake to spring surprises. This one does."
Rolling Stone - Peter Travers (05/18/2006)
"[I]t's a buoyant, old-wave disaster pic for a generation of well-conditioned thrill seekers....[Dreyfuss] holds the center of every scene he's in." -- Grade: B+
Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (05/19/2006)
"POSEIDON's action sequences are efficiently handled, conjuring a genuine sense of lung-busting tension..."
Sight and Sound - Mark Kermode (07/01/2006)
3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he movie's excellent visuals, set-pieces and breathtaking scale ensure it's an enjoyable piece of H20 hokum that makes for a solid (mari)time-filler."
Total Film - Total Film Staff (11/01/2006)
3 stars out of 5 -- "[A] technically excellent white knuckle ride....The thrilling set pieces work rather well..."
Ultimate DVD - David Richardson (08/01/2006)
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