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Customer Reviews of The Poseidon Adventure

A world turned upside down...
One of the best, and one the most well-known disaster films ever, the Poseidon Adventure is the story of a small group of survivors trapped in a capsized luxury ship. The film follows their struggle to survive, and persevere in an unusual and extremely dangerous situation. The story, based on Paul Gallico's novel, features a wonderful all-star cast, headed by Gene Hackman, and Ernest Borgnine, with Shelley Winters, Roddy McDowall, Red Buttons, Stella Stevens, Jack Albertson, Carol Lynley, Pamela Sue Martin, Eric Shea and Leslie Nielsen.

It is New Years day, just after midnight, when a huge wave strikes the USS Poseidon, twisting the huge cruise ship, and leaving it upside down in the water. Inside, the passengers and crew, who had been joyously celebrating the New Year, are suddenly facing a deadly situation. Emerging from the crowd trapped in the ship's dining room, is Reverend Scott (Gene Hackman), who spearheads the effort to climb "up", towards the bottom of the ship. A small group of survivors join the Reverend in the journey. The movie focuses on their adventures, as they slowly make their way through the bowels of the ship, searching for a safe route to the "top", staying just ahead of the rising water. As we follow along, we learn much about the survivors as people. The characters become defined, and we come to have strong feelings about many of them.

Reverend Scott, is constantly challenged by Rogo (Borgnine), a police officer with his own ideas of what they should be doing. The tension between the two men, keeps the atmosphere edgy. The group endures much, and overcomes even more, in their perilous journey. They struggle on, through hell and hardship, because as Scott says, "...life always matters very much". Although not everyone will make it to the end, the survivors never give up. As long as there is life, there is hope. This is the theme of the memorable Oscar winning song, "The Morning After". John Williams' powerful score, earned him an Academy Award nomination too.

Shelly Winters was nominated for an Academy Award as well, and the film has many other fine performances. Hackman, and Borgnine are marvelous, their clash of wills, creates sparks on the screen. Roddy McDowell is very good, in an understated but brief role as a steward. Jack Albertson was never better, and Pamela Sue Martin, TV's Nancy Drew, makes her film debut. If you have not seen this before, you have missed a real classic.

As to the DVD itself, the widescreen presentation is without any extras, except for a trailer and skimpy cast bios. Most regrettable, in light of the recent "Backstory" feature on A&E about this movie, which detailed Irwin Allen's efforts to bring this story to the screen. Catch this feature too, for some interesting background information. There is so much more, that could have been done, to honor this film, and the wonderful cast that worked on it so hard. Good or bad, the success of this film, and films like Airport (1970), helped launch the 70's wave of disaster films. Irwin Allen, would follow up himself with The Towering Inferno (1974). A few years later, there would be an inferior Poseidon sequel, "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure".

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4.5 stars -- more enjoyable than "Titanic."
"The Poseidon Adventure" is the quintessential disaster movie -- the very best of the disaster film genre that reigned through the 70's and early 80's.

This particular disaster flick involves a ocean liner capsized by a tidal wave (on New Year's Eve of all times!)and the ten survivors who struggle to make it up to the hull (which is actually the bottom of the ship) to possibly find a way out through the stern. Being that everything is upside down presents major obstacles to the cast.

The pic features a stellar cast, including a young Gene Hackman and a fit Ernest Borgnine, who are constantly at each others throats because, as the Hackman character points out, they're two of a kind and Borgnine simply doesn't like what he sees in the mirror. The female cast includes Pamela Sue Martin (Nancy Drew), Carol Lynley and Stella Stevens, all well-cast as scantily-clad babes in distress. Also, Shelley Winters does a nice job as an overweight heroine. Red Buttons, Roddy McDowall and Leslie Nielson (in a serious role as The Captain) are also on hand.

The sets of the sinking, upside down ship are absolutely outstanding. The scene wherein the ship tips over showing the party-goers fall/slide to the ceiling is superb.

The characters are great and you really start to care for them. Okay, there is admittedly some silly dialogue, but I KNOW people who talk like this in real life, so it's not as campy and unrealistic as some criticize.

Hackman as the fiery-passionate rebel preacher is excellent. His real struggle is ultimately with his Creator, who he "has it out" with at the end. Unspiritual people will no doubt tend to laugh at this scene, but it powerfully portrays humanity's grappling with the universal question "Why does a righteous God allow evil and hardship to exist?"

The "Preacher" is nicely balanced out by the Pamela Sue Martin character who loves him and the Borgnine character who despises him; but observe Borgnine's nice change-of-heart at the very end.

It's interesting to note that, even though some say this flick has campy aspects, everyone highly rates it. "The Poseidon Adventure" is just a very entertaining and moving motion picture. It's got "cult movie" written all over it.

I find it of interest that many reviewers state how they like "The Poseidon Adventure" better than "Titanic." "Titanic" is hailed as one of the greatest, most popular pics of all time, yet all these folks say they prefer to see the former. I'd have to agree. "Titanic" is a good flick, there's no doubt; but given the choice I'd much rather see "The Poseidon Adventure."

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My Favorite Disaster Movie!
I have written a review of The Poseidon Adventure before but that was before I got the DVD and in that review I basically was reviewing the movie so I thought I would write a new review. I received the DVD for Christmas and just watched it a little while ago and though I do think that they should release a new special Edition DVD with anamorphic widescreen and more extra features I'm pleased with this letterbox widescreen for now but will definitely think of getting a special Edition DVD if one is ever released. I enjoyed watching this movie and I think this is the best disaster movie I have ever seen and the whole cast is great. Gene Hackman (The French Connection), Ernest Borgnine (The Dirty Dozen), Shelley Winters (Night of the Hunter), Stella Stevens (Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows), Jack Albertson (Chico and the Man), Pamela Sue Martin (Dynasty), etc. If you are looking for great extra features on this DVD you will find that this is a bare bones DVD and the features are rather sparse and are only the trailer and a couple of short biographies and filmographies of only a couple of the actors from the cast and I hope that if a new DVD is released that it will have more special features that will include a biography and filmography of the whole cast and also cast interviews, deleted scenes and all of the usual extras. Well anyway until a better DVD comes along I'm actually content with this one.