The Terminal (2004, VHS)

Traveling to the United States can often present some problems for certain people. With all the emphasis on security, it can sometimes be difficult to get into the country. But imagine if you were an immigrant to the U.S. and, while on your way over in the airplane, your nation has been wiped off the map due to war. It sounds far- fetched, but it is the basis of this movie, The Terminal, a film from director Steven Spielberg.

Movie Facts:

Rating: PG-13
Format: Color
Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenplay/Writing Credits: Andrew Niccol, Sacha Gervasi, Jeff Nathonson
Theatrical Release Date: June 18, 2004
Movie Length: 128 Minutes

Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta- Jones, Chi McBride, Stanley Tucci, Diego Luna, Kumar Pallana, Corey Reynolds, Eddie Jones, Barry Henley, Zoe Saldana, Jude Ciccolella, Rini Bell, Michael Nouri, Stephen Mendel

Contents of This Movie:

Victor Navorski (played by Tom Hanks) is a man traveling from his home country of Krakozhia to the United States. Everything should go smoothly and he should have no problem getting through U.S. customs and then making his way onto United States soil. He is ready to fulfill some family business and relax a little.

But there s one small problem- on the way over the Atlantic Ocean, a war has broken out in his home country. Now, all of a sudden, his nation is non- existent. This means that he no longer has a valid passport and cannot enter the country. And to add to the mess, he cannot be deported because of the military and political situation. He is stuck at the airport until things shape up back in the homeland.

Frank Dixon (played by Stanley Tucci) is the head honcho of airport security and he feels threatened by Navorski s presence. He is worried he will not get the promotion he desires because of the problems with Navorski. So, he follows Navorski around, watches him on camera, and tries to set him up to get arrested.

Meanwhile, Victor Navorski is stuck living at the airport, trying his best to communicate with the airport personnel and others as he waits for something to happen. He develops a semi- love interest in a woman named Amelia (played by Catherine Zeta- Jones), shows his humorous side (often without even realizing it), and makes new friends as he struggles to survive while stranded inside the airport.

Final Thoughts:

The Terminal is one of those movies that seems very intriguing at first glance. It stars Tom Hanks, one of Hollywood s greatest stars, and it was directed by Steven Spielberg. The story sounds interesting: a guy with a heavy foreign accent who knows almost no English is stuck at the airport because his nation is no longer recognized. The performers, director, and story seem appealing and they convinced me to get this film and give it a view.

I liked the premise of this movie, but what followed while watching was a mixed reaction. I felt the movie was good, but not as great as what I expect from a Steven Spielberg film. First of all, I liked Tom Hanks in the lead role. His accent, while extreme, seemed believable enough to me and he came across as a likable guy who is forced to deal with a tough situation and is handling it the best he can. He doesn t get angry, like many people would in this situation. He is frustrated, but his English is limited so you often cannot tell exactly how he is feeling.

Stanley Tucci is also pretty good in this movie as the head security guy. He seems very paranoid of this foreign- speaking traveler named Victor Navorski and he has a nasty streak in him that Tucci is able to capture with little effort. He spies on Navorski constantly, watching his every move, just like you would expect if someone suspicious was roaming around an airport.

As for the bad points, well, there were several things that prevented this movie from being as believable as it could have otherwise been. Starting with Navorski s problem speaking English- why couldn t the airport security people find someone who could communicate with Navorski? I realize his country was a small one, but we are talking about the Homeland Security Department of the United States. Certainly there would have to be someone who could communicate with this man and who could find some type of resolution for his problem. And even though Hanks is appealing as the struggling foreigner who can t communicate, I got a little frustrated watching him struggle to say and interpret simple statements.

Next, I wasn t too thrilled with Catherine Zeta- Jones. Yes, she looks hot like she always does. But her performance is only average, and that s being nice. Also, because of the limited communication ability of Hanks character, it is difficult to accept and believe the love interest between them. You cannot even tell if Hanks really means it because he doesn t seem all that excited and he doesn t speak much English.

Another thing I wished had been different was the way the story was told. It s an original, but it s basically too simple. I don t understand why Spielberg didn t develop the plot further than he did. When you think about the classic movies that Speilberg has directed, you wonder why he didn t try harder to make this another great film to add to his portfolio.

In spite of its shortcomings, however, I liked enough about this movie to give it a small recommendation. It s one of those movies where I cannot really explain why I liked it as much as I did. Based on my comments thus far, I have made more negative points than positive ones. But for whatever reason, I still liked The Terminal enough to give it a three- star rating and a recommendation. Maybe it was Tom Hanks performance and my love of travel that make me like the movie more than I otherwise would. Maybe I m prejudiced to like anything with Steven Spielberg s name on it.

Whatever the reason for my overall positive feelings, I recommend giving this film a view. But I wouldn t spend a lot of money on it or think about purchasing it. A $4.00 rental should suffice. It s ok, but most will agree that it doesn t come even close to the classics that Hanks and Speilberg have starred/directed in before and it doesn t quite meet the high potential that it had to be a very good film.