Poseidon (2006)

Director:

Wolfgang Petersen

Writers (WGA):

Mark Protosevich (screenplay)
Paul Gallico (novel)

Release Date:

12 May 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Mayday

Plot:

On New Year's Eve, the luxury ocean liner, Poseidon, capsizes after being swamped by a rogue wave. The survivors are left to fight for survival as they attempt to escape the sinking ship.

Plot Keywords:

New Year's Eve Party | Psp | Architect | Propeller | Impalement

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Josh Lucas	...	Dylan Johns
Kurt Russell	...	Robert Ramsey
Jacinda Barrett	...	Maggie James
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Richard Nelson
Emmy Rossum	...	Jennifer Ramsey
Mía Maestro	...	Elena
Mike Vogel	...	Christian
Kevin Dillon	...	Lucky Larry
Freddy Rodríguez	...	Valentin
Jimmy Bennett	...	Conor James
Stacy Ferguson	...	Gloria
Andre Braugher	...	Captain Bradford
Kirk B.R. Woller	...	Chief Officer Reynolds
Kelly McNair	...	Emily
Gabriel Jarret	...	1st Officer Chapman

Also Known As:

The Poseidon Adventure (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense prolonged sequences of disaster and peril.

Runtime:

98 min | Germany:94 min | Philippines:98 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Sonics-DDP (IMAX version) | SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Philippines:PG-13 | UK:12A | Norway:15 | Hong Kong:IIA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | South Korea:12 | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Portugal:M/12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42617) | Australia:M | Malaysia:U | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Brazil:12 | Sweden:15 | Venezuela:PG-13 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Hungary:16 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-11 | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The "upside-down" set was built on top of a large water tank in the sound stage so that it can be filled with water and drained in a matter of hours.

Goofs:

Factual errors: As the rogue wave gathered water, the ship would have gotten sucked towards it significantly, rather than staying in the same place until the moment it was hit.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Christian: When?
Jennifer Ramsey: Mmm. Today.
Christian: Yeah. When today?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The DiCaprio Code (2006)

Soundtrack:

Half Light

The Hollywood imagination

This movie epitomizes what is wrong with Hollywood today. Because they lack imagination, the major film studios either copy an idea from a foreign film (Japanese, French, English, especially) or make a sequel or remake of an an existing moneymaker and milk it to death. Where are the original ideas? The Hollywood movie industry (and most of American TV for that matter) has become far too idealistic in my view. The characters are depicted as, not how people really are, but how we would like them to be, and the viewers often emulate what they see on screen as if life actually IS like that. Why should it be all about the 'bottom line'. Out of the top 10 top grossing movies each year, how many actually make a profit? It seems to be a matter of just churning out this sort of garbage and hoping for the best. Why don't the major studios spend the same amount of money making fewer but better films? One wonders sometimes how people are convinced into investing good money in making this rubbish. Poseidon? So far this 'blockbuster' has grossed $50 million – a long way from the $140 million it cost to make. Chances are it won't even break even. It becomes very obvious right from the start that it is formulaic and clichéd. For example, why anyone in their right mind would take a woman and her young son along with the exploring party is anyone's guess. Probably because they prove useful along the way. The Hispanic busboy (Valentine) who tags along was the obvious candidate to die being a nonentity, an unknown actor. It's all squarely aimed at the 'demographic' – the 13-30 group. That's why there is always a child involved in the story, why most of the characters are 30 years old – and good looking. That's why we have a politically correct cast with a black captain, Hispanic entertainers, etc. There is a always a love interest to attract the female segment of the audience and there is always a happy ending one way or another. We have the usual combination of 'B' list actors and those desperate for work, who go through the motions of what passes for acting these days. 'Stand on your mark and say your line when it's your turn'. Don't the directors realize that when people talk to one another, they often interrupt one another? Robert Altman knows this but few others. The special effects are good but with a few too many quick camera movements that are hard on the eye after a while. After only a few minutes I realized that I had seen this movie before in all its forms. Even though the backdrop changes, the character development is always the same. The guy who cares only for himself discovers that he has some redeeming features, The hero will do heroic things and maybe make the supreme sacrifice to save others. Father and son/daughter will reconcile their differences, the coward becomes brave, etc.etc. I've seen it all before.