Poseidon

This third version of Paul Gallico's 1969 thriller is yet another remake that lacks the heart and wonder of the original. [If you've seen either of the two earlier interpretations, it is important to note that all three have entirely different characters and names.]

As revellers ring in the New Year aboard the luxury cruise ship Poseidon, the liner is capsized by a 150-foot high rogue wave. A small group of survivors decide to take matters into their own hands by racing up to hoped rescue through the bowels of the rapidly sinking vessel. Among them are a gambler (Josh Lucas), an ex-fireman (Kurt Russell), his daughter (Emmy Rossum), her fiancé (Mike Vogel), a mother (Jacinda Barrett) and son (Jimmy Bennett), a stowaway (Mia Maestro), and a suicidal gay man (Richard Dreyfuss).

Screenwriter Mark Protosevitch, whose last effort was the 2000 Jennifer Lopez clunker The Cell, offers little or no back story to the characters and doesn't bother to explore their motivation -- it seems unlikely a self-centred gambler would so willingly become the leader of the desperate party. Director Wolfgang Petersen proves he is just another hackneyed director, whose past successes were mere flukes. In his hands, even the disaster sequence falls short, and leaves you wanting more. The ballroom set, so key to the original, is much less spectacular, while the multi-deck lobby is underutilized. Petersen is clearly motivated by shock value, choosing to crush many passengers while lining every corridor with twisted bodies. While this may excite teens, it just adds to the film's sterility. Although the film is suspenseful and fast-paced, it seems everyone involved with the project was in a rush to finish it.

The special effects are top-notch, but they are never enough to transport a viewer into the action. Poseidon is just an average attempt to masquerade as a blockbuster...cancel your boarding ticket now. Rating: 5 out of 10.