The Poseidon Adventure (1972) YTS

Reviewed by CinemaSerf 7 / 10

It's a toss up for me between this

It's a toss up for me between this and "The Towering Inferno" (1974) as to which is my favourite disaster movie. This quite gripping drama sees an ageing ocean liner en-route to the scrap heap make one last, fateful, trip. As new year arrives, the ship is stuck by a gigantic tidal wave and capsizes. Carnage onboard ensues, with only a small band trapped in the ship's ballroom with the savvy to make for the part of the ship where the hull in thinnest - and the most likely spot for any external rescuers - before the ship goes the way of the "Titanic"! Gene Hackman is great as the almost maniacal preacher who leads this rather motley band through the innards of the rapidly decaying vessel with plenty of perilous scenarios for them to navigate. The cast are generally good - Oscar nominated Shelley Winters is super, Jack Albertson, Ernest Borgnine, Roddy McDowall and Red Buttons all really help the encroaching sense of menace as their task becomes more dangerous. Regardless of their billing - they are all expendable too, and that adds loads to the richness - and plausibility - of this borderline claustrophobic story that certainly doesn't encourage cruising. The cinematography is tight (OK, so you know it is the camera and not the set that is moving!) and there are plenty of pyrotechnics, obstacle courses and deadly traps from ordinary staircases to keep the whole thing entertaining for a couple of hours and I - almost 50 years on - still find it a good watch.

Reviewed by JPV852 9 / 10

Seen this one several times over the years

Seen this one several times over the years and still is fantastic, from the performances (Hackman and Borgnine especially) to some genuinely emotional scenes to the incredible set designs. Not sure if I place this over The Towering Inferno, but think it might be 1A and 1B amongst disaster films. **4.5/5**

Reviewed by mts43 7 / 10

After all these years, it' still one of the better Disaster Films.

Although the film was made in 1972, the special effects still stand up quite well even in this CGI era. While you might expect actors like Hackman and Winters to "walk" through their roles in a film like this simply "for the money", the cast does a solid job. Buttons, known for his proclivity to "ham it up", treats this role more seriously like he did in "Sayonara", and as a result is okay. Carol Lynley, never a great actress to begin with, gives the poorest performance, turning her character into a whiner. In the story, the ship is capsized at midnight on New Years Eve, and the story proceeds from there to the conclusion hours later when it is daylight. The action is continuous, which makes it more believable. As of this date, aside from the "kids" Pamela Sue Martin and Eric Shea, Gener Hackman is the only cast member still living.

The Poseidon Adventure

1972

Action / Adventure / Drama / Thriller

The Poseidon Adventure

1972

Action / Adventure / Drama / Thriller

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Movie Reviews

It's a toss up for me between this

Seen this one several times over the years

After all these years, it' still one of the better Disaster Films.

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