User reviews

I still don't understand how people get on here and write reviews about movies, with statements like wasted actors talent, campy, don't you understand this movie was made in 1972 there was no CGI and copying movie like it's done today, this was an original and won awards and was up for many more nominations, these actors weren't wasted they were continuing to develop their craft. I saw this as a 6yr old and still remember it today on New Years Eve as I just watched it this morning bringing back so many memories that made me the movie buff I am. I never forgot it from the wonderful soundtrack (Oscar winning ) and the cinematography (Oscar winning) which was earned the old fashioned way imagination, not by some computer generated initiative. I love movies today but I still remember good movies and how they were made in yesteryear also. It's kinda like comparing atheletes when people(younger people especially) when they say Lebron is better than Oscar R or Michael J, the players are all great in their time, if either Michael or Oscar were here today they would still be GREAT, as Lebron is today, but to say he is better is foolish, This a Great Movie today as it was in 1973. PERIOD!!

for a disaster flick,this is one of the better ones.for 1972,it is well made and has some good effects.it's pretty convincing also thought the movie was compelling and touching,and sad,all at the same time.since we get to know the characters a bit,you can't help but feel for them in their(what seems hopeless)situation.i did think there were a few stereotypical characters,which was annoying,but the acting was decent enough.plus,the fact that the survivors had to go through what amounted to a labyrinthine maze as they tried to get out,really added to the feeling of hopelessness of the situation.i was also surprised at who ultimately survived and who didn't.for a nearly 2 hour movie,this one moves along pretty good.i was engrossed throughout.for me,The Poseidon adventure is a strong 8/10

The clothes and the likes are really the only thing that date this film. 35 years old, and it still holds up well. No CGI featured, and none required. I have not read the book of this film, so I cannot say if it is an accurate adaptation, in the spirit of the original. I will say that it is a well-produced piece of fiction. The plot is quite good. The writing is good, and has very realistic, great moments. Dialog is well-done, and delivered equally well. The characters are credible and well-written. There is a reasonable amount of development and background for them. The special effects are undeniably excellently done. They are convincing throughout. Nature itself becomes the threat, with realistic physics. The camera-work and editing are nicely done, save for an awkward cut or two. Cinematography is effective. The pacing is solid for the whole film. As far as the technical aspect goes, the film is great. The acting is of high quality. The kid isn't the most annoying ever seen. The tension is admirable. I haven't watched particularly many disaster films... in fact, this film may be 50% of the total amount... so I can't say if this is an outstanding one. I'm not sure you can really watch this without noticing the theme of passivity versus activity... or, blind faith versus a more critical, independent faith. The film takes a definite stance on that. All in all, entertaining and worth your time. I recommend this to any fan of the actors and/or the genre. 7/10

'The Poseidon Adventure' is a supremely entertaining flick from the days when blockbusters were amongst the best movies out there. Rather than the worst.

Sure, it's corny and it's histrionics can seem overly familiar, but it still packs a punch. This is due to the fact that it's played completely straight. Well, relatively straight in the case of the Borgnine/ Stevens double-act. And it achieves real dramatic resonance from it's allegorical plot line. It pretty much created the template for the 'disaster' film.

Favourite bits:

Red Buttons' funky little walk up on deck.

The way Pamela Sue Martin and her date boogie down when they hit the dance floor.

Pamela Sue Martin's legs. Ditto Carol Lynley.

Lynley's hippy brother.

Roddy McDowall's accent and dialogue (consisting mostly of "yes, sir" and "I think so, sir").

Ernest Borgnine learning that kids can be useful as well as merely irritating.

Hackman's "Please, God - not THIS woman" schtick and death scene.

All of Stella Stevens' wardrobe.

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.

Anyone who has seen as many disaster movies as I have knows that this is absolutely the best one ever made. For a film nearly thirty years old, Poseidon Adventure is still so effective that it would cause anyone planning to take a cruise to think twice. You probably know the plot--luxury liner capsized by a tidal wave. This synopsis is brought to life with suspense, drama, and sometimes, terrifying reality. One of the most effective cinematic touches is that in nearly every scene, the camera is slowly swaying back and forth to give us a sense that we really are at sea. Something "Titanic" completely missed.

We follow the journey of ten survivors through the inverted ship to their hopeful rescue--narrowly escaping fires, explosions, and flooding corridors every step of the way. The sets are epic and nothing less than spectacular. Especially the inverted dining room when the Atlantic Ocean comes crashing in, and the engine room which is now a horrifying twisted metal inferno. The cast is good, however Gene Hackman, Shelly Winters, and Stella Stevens are best. Hackman is our handsome hero, Winters is our unselfish caring mother, and Stevens is absolutely radiant (pre-capsize) and adds a welcome touch of humor to the mess.

No, the movie is not perfect, and it is of course starting to look a bit dated. However the suspense and dazzling effects will keep you glued to your seat and you certainly won't be bored. Poseidon Adventure is a true classic. A must see for everyone--not just disaster movie fans.

The Poseidon Adventure has gotten its reputation as the best of all the disaster films of the seventies, not just for the Special Effects good as they are. It's that select group of people trying to survive, they're a bunch you do get to care about even though some of them can be annoying as all get out.

The film is an adaption of Paul Gallico's novel which was written in the Thirties, but it was updated to the present for the film. While on the luxury liner Poseidon as a New Year's Eve Party goes on, Captain Leslie Nielsen takes note of an undersea earthquake and the tidal wave that will hit the ship in about fifteen minutes. But he's certainly not prepared for the wall of water that smacks the Poseidon broadside and capsizes it.

Before the big event and the special effects that got The Poseidon Adventure its Oscar in that department we are introduced to the group of people who elect to try and climb up to the keel of the capsized Poseidon while the rest remain in the grand ballroom. Leading the group is minister Gene Hackman and the rest are married couples, Jack Albertson and Shelley Winters, Ernest Borgnine and Stella Stevens, musician/singer Carol Lynley, hypochondriac Red Buttons, steward Roddy McDowell, and teenager Pamela Sue Martin and her little brother Eric Shea.

You do get wrapped up and sucked into the conflicts especially with Ernest Borgnine who's simultaneously got a war going with Gene Hackman and with his wife Stella Stevens. She's an ex-hooker who he busted several times and eventually married. He's got a rambunctious nature and Borgnine provides a lot of the interest here.

Jack Albertson and Shelley Winters are the typical elderly Jewish couple who are on a trip to Israel to visit the grandchild they've never seen. They're a calming and steadying influence on the others. So is Red Buttons who finds courage he never thought he possessed and he helps Lynley out who's devastated at the loss of her brother who was in the band performing at the New Year's Eve Party.

Gene Hackman as a minister takes his gospel from that noted skeptic Benjamin Franklin who said that God helps those who help themselves. For those who believe in a divine plan, he seems divinely sent to get these people to safety. Not all of them make it though.

The Poseidon Adventure got another Oscar for Best Song for The Morning After. Maureen McGovern's recording of that tune was playing everywhere in 1972. It's one of the few Academy Award winning songs that is still prized and remembered over the last 40 years.

Maybe Irwin Allen did a wise thing by not directing the film and letting Ronald Neame do it. Spectacle is great and I love it, but a good story with characters you care about is what makes the Poseidon Adventure the fine film it is.

Irwin Allen produced this all-star disaster yarn about a luxury cruise ship that is overturned by a freak tidal wave on New Year's Eve, and the survivor's desperate attempts at survival, as they try to reach safety and eventual rescue through the top(well,the bottom now!) of the ship.

Cast includes Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Stella Stevens, Roddy McDowall, Carol Lynley, Pamela Sue Martin, Red Buttons, Jack Albertson, Shelley Winters, and Leslie Nielsen as the Captain.

Well directed by Ronald Neame, this film works despite the contrived premise because of the cast and interesting script, which balances seriousness with humor effectively, with many memorable scenes.

The Poseidon Adventure is one of those movies I have seen at least once a year as long as I have been alive. I lived in Maine when I was a kid and we loved our natural disaster flicks. Of all the great disaster movies from the 70s, this has got to be the best one. Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelly Winters, Roddy McDowall, Leslie Neilson, and the list goes on.

The basic plot goes like this. The Poseidon is a cruise ship out for its last voyage and it is New Year's Eve. The guests are all celebrating while deep beneath the ocean's surface an earthquake is happening. The earthquake sets off a huge tsunami and the ship is knocked upside down. In order to be saved, a small group of people heads for the engine room at the bottom (make that top, since the ship is upside down) of the ship. At first, the ocean claims hundreds of the passengers until they are whittled down to about 10 people left. From here there are plenty of tense moments and a power struggle for control of the survivors. Typical disaster movie fare but done rather well.

This movie is a great main event for a disaster film weekend.

The film that set the early 1970's stage for practically a whole genre of "disaster movies" (aside from AIRPORT in 1970). Yes, the initial prologue and set up is rather inane, yet we grow to appreciate and care for these characters. Flashing back to when this was a new release, this had as much buzz going as TITANIC. You couldn't turn on the radio without hearing "THE MORNING AFTER" being played. I just about drove my mum off the deep end "filming" a THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, with her Kodak super-8 camera. It starred all of us kids in the neighborhood, and I turned the house topsy-turvy to get that perfect "upside down" look. It's a wonder she didn't end up in a straightjacket on that one. Anyone in possession of those reels could own my home via extortion.

The nucleus of the film, of course, is mega-wave capsizes the SS POSEIDON. Passengers make their attempts to survive and escape the ship, if possible. The acting gets a little heavy at places, yet we are swept up into the saga. Anything that we're not alienated or disenfranchised from, is bound to win us over to a certain degree. You can't help but get involved in their struggle. The script dawdles here an there, however, it's a well above average movie.

Special kudos for Red Buttons, who does turn in an understated performance, and shines superbly. Recommended.

The Poseidon Adventure was one of the first, and one of the best disaster movies.

A luxury liner sinks slowly beneath the waves as we follow a small band of survivors attempting to make their escape, led by Rev Scott (Gene Hackman). The Rogos are a squabbling couple of cop and former hooker (Ernest Borgnine and Stella Stevens); Acres is a member of the ship's staff (Roddy McDowell); the Rosens are a devoted couple (Jack Albertson and Shelley Winters); Susan and Robin are the token children (Pamela Sue Martin and Eric Shea); and Nonnie (Carol Lynley) is a singer hired to entertain the rich passengers on New Year's Eve.

Special effects are pretty good, from the actual crash and impact at the New year party, to the set pieces throughout. Guessing who makes it to the end is fun, and the acting (especially that of Hackman, Borgnine, Winters, and Red Buttons as the token good guy) is very good indeed.

A corker of a film.

This rather alarming film stars a young Gene Hackman in as about as bad a performance as he ever gave. Of course, his character -- a self-described "renegade" preacher -- is about the most arrogant, pretentious, bullying nitwit ever passed off as an adventure hero. The preacher's bellowing hostility and vicious emotional manipulation might have been something interesting and different if the script didn't seem so unaware that the character is, well, a jerk. The other male characters are pretty much stock types, though the always-reliable Roddy McDowall as a hapless ship worker is dignified and touching.

The women do even worse than the men -- among them are a bitchy ex-hooker, a starry-eyed teenager with a crush on the boorish preacher, and a hot-pantsed halfwit of a lounge singer who frequently becomes paralyzed with terror and has to be comforted in the manly arms of Red Buttons.

The single female character with any depth at all is Shelley Winters' sweet Jewish grandma, whose swim through the flooded propellor room ultimately makes it possible for the others to be saved. A generation of unkind jokes aside, her sensible, brave performance is the best thing in this very silly movie.

forget "the towering inferno" and "earthquake", when we look back at the disaster films of the 70's, "the poseidon adventure" is the archetype. many of the situations and characters in this film about a ship turned upside down might been new or original in 1972(although i doubt it) but all seem cliched today. nevertheless, this movie is worth watching for a good laugh. all the characters are one dimensional and underdeveloped, not that it matters because people don't watch films like these films for the acting. actually, gene hackman's performance is quite good, considering he is in such a schlocky film. however, the movie also has some god awful acting, particularly by carole lynley who hardly speaks thoughout the film but still manages to be completely annoying. i swear, if i were one the poseidon survivors, i would have straight out smacked her! pamela sue martin is cute but doesn't have much to do besides gaze longingly at hackman, who, by the way, plays a preacher!? this movie is really sexist, as all the women act really passive and all wear really short, shorts with their butt cheeks hanging out. basically, this film is a perfect representation of the "silly seventies".

In some ways "The Poseidon Adventure" is a bad film. The dialog is occasionally goofy and the characters are mostly caricatures. But you come to expect that from producer Irwin Allen....as his shows and movies were all about spectacle and disaster and had little in the way of realistic human interactions. In these ways, his films are a bit like Cecil B. DeMille's.

I just saw "The Poseidon Adventure" today. It was my second time--the first was in the theater when I was a boy. Both times I enjoyed it....but this time I could really see how cartoony many of the folks were in the film. There's the preacher (Gene Hackman)...a profane man who curses a lot and seems to have no faith in anything but himself. Then, there's the obese lady (Shelley Winters) and there are quite a few fat remarks at her expense in the film. And, there's the angry man (Ernest Borgnine) and his ex-prostitute wife (Stella Stevens). There are more...all seemingly one-dimensional characters occupying this disaster-fest. But, oddly, despite itself the film IS entertaining and you won't be bored watching it. The special effects are amazing and the film satisfying if, at times, a bit silly.

I have seen many disaster films in my day but The Poseidon Adventure is truly a film that will leave you on the edge of your seat because each moment after the being hit by a tidal wave is unpredictable. The survivors have to find a way out of the ship and a preacher (Gene Hackman) has to lead them out that becomes dangerous and often scary situations they face. Each cast member played their parts with emotion that becomes dramatic at times. All in all I thought this was better then the Titanic. I know they did a remake of this film in 2005 but as I always say, stick with the classic.

Here we actually have a well made and entertaining disaster film. "The Poseidon Adventure" contains moments of tension and suspense as the survivors of the cruise ship wreck attempt to reach safety and against overwhelming odds.... Most of the time, the leading man or lady isn't required to act very much. They are required to look either brave or frightened. In this case, Gene Hackman made his character - a maverick priest - a multi-dimensional one. He doesn't feel he is any more brave or heroic than the average person. He never forgets the terrible task that he is faced with, as leader of the survivors on board the cruise liner. A great performance. Ernest Borgnine and Shelley Winters give the best performances in the supporting cast. The screenplay is a lot better than films of this kind usually are. The director Ronald Neame sensibly allows the audience to know the backgrounds of all the main characters before disaster strikes. The introduction of all the characters helps to give them much needed shading. Everything about this film looks frighteningly real. The fact that the "The Poseidon Adventure" was directed by an Englishman can't make it that bad a film! This is the definitive disaster film by a long way.

If you have three and a half hours to kill, do NOT watch Titanic. Take the three and a half hours and watch the Poseidon Adventure twice. Okay, it's campy and it's the consummate 70s disaster flick, complete with ensemble cast.

But when you put them up against each other, Poseidon Adventure is just leagues better than Titanic. Titanic is over three hours, and centers around two characters. In that time, the two characters are hardly developed at all, they're terribly one dimensional and probably could be summed up in about a sentence each.

Compare this to Poseidon Adventure. Stars off with a dozen main characters, and in half as much time, they all have their own personalities, quirks, and are real identifiable people. And far from the Titanic tendency of stamping "I'm gonna die" on people's foreheads, in the Poseidon Adventure you don't know initially who's going to die- or at least not how or when anyway.

The Poseidon Adventure is just a more interesting movie. It may not be as glossy or as pretty, but it's got it where it counts... it's just a better film.

Famous disaster film with a sensational cast and spectacular scenes , being winner of numerous Oscars . Thrilling screenplay by Stirling Silliphant based on the novel by Paul Gallico who was inspired to write it by a voyage he made on the Queen Mary . This formula catastrophe movie from Irwin Allen (Towering inferno) concerns about a notorious luxury ship , wreckage Poseidon after being swamped by a rogue wave. On New Year's Eve, the luxury ocean liner capsizes when a tidal wave overturns it , now a rag-tag group of survivors, spearheaded by a priest (Gene Hackman) must journey through the upside down vessel and attempt an escape . After sea tragedy Poseidon centering on survivors from liner passenger and the rescuers of the shipboard .

This splendid movie blends action , intrigue , disaster spectacle , suspense and emotional byplay with romance included . Thrilling and entertaining disaster movie but full clichés and stereotypes with strong performances from Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine. This is the undisputed king of the catastrophe films of the 70s , a successful film that grossed at box office . Filmed at the height of the disaster genre from the 7os , this entry in the spectacular series profits of a strong acting by awesome players . Our heroes get stuck in the ship before it sinks and the protagonists spend most of their time devising grisly ways for avoid to die . The explosions , pyrotechnics , floods are spectacular and breathtaking , being well made by FX experts . Most of the external shots of the Poseidon were shot using a model built from the original blueprints of the Queen Mary . Some of the pre-capsize sequences were shot aboard the Queen Mary, including the opening storm sequence, the pre-disaster scenes in the staterooms and hallways, the scenes above decks, furthermore , an early scene in the engine room and 125 stunt people were used during the filming , no one was killed or injured. Magnificent main and support cast as Leslie Nielsen , Stella Stevens , Arthur O'Connell , Jack Albertson , Carol Lynley , Red Buttons , Roddy McDowall and special mention to Shelley Winters who gained 35 pounds for the part and trained with an Olympic swim coach so that her character. Except for the most dangerous sequences , all of the stunts were done by the actors themselves , all the actors at one point complained to the production staff about how difficult the shoot was physically . Lively and rousing score musical by the great John Williams , before his eternal and extraordinary collaboration to Steven Spielberg . Colorful and gripping cinematography by Harold Stine . The explosion , pyrotechnics , floods are spectacular but the film is just another usual Hollywood product that had a great success and elevated box office . The picture is one of the main Irwin Allen's hits along with ¨The towering inferno¨ , after that , succeeds failures as ¨Beyond Poseidon¨, ¨Swarm¨ and ¨When the time ran out¨ . This big-budgeted disaster movie was professionally directed by Ronald Neame , habitual of disaster films as ¨Meteor¨ . Neame was one of Britain's best cameraman in the 1930s and 40s, working for David Lean, later he turned to direction in 1947 with 'Take my life'. His biggest hit was undoubtedly 'The Poseidon adventure' and 'Odessa file' . Ronald Neame's usual actor was Alec Guinness , both of whom worked successfully together in 'The card' , 'The hours's mouth' and 'Tunes of glory' his best film . Rating : Good and entertaining , it's a fairly watchable disaster movie.

It' followed by ¨Beyond Poseidon¨, this picture isn't bad but deeds better and more spectacularly filmed in ¨The Poseidon adventure¨, it contains some former footage sprinkled into the opening sequence and succeeds only in wasting various talented actors , an all-star-cast formed by Michael Caine in a similar role Gene Hackman-alike , Sally Field , Karl Malden , Jack Warden as a blind passenger , Slim Pickens , Peter Boyle as a zealous father of his daughter Angela Cartwright enamored by Mark Harmon , besides appears Veronica Hamel , Shirley Knight , Shirley Jones . In addition , ¨Poseidon¨ , (2006) by Wolfgang Petersen , it's an Irwin Allen's rehash of former disaster movie , plenty of clichés that even the splendid casting cannot save , including a modern all-star-cast as Josh Lucas , Kurt Russell , Jacinda Barrett ,Richard Dreyfuss , Emmy Rossum , Mía Maestro , Mike Vogel ,Kevin Dillon and Andre Braghuer . And for TV ¨Poseidon¨(2005) by John Putch with Adam Baldwin , Rutger Hauer , Steve Guttenberg , Bryan Brown , C. Thomas Howell , Peter Weller , Alex Kingston , Peter Dobson and Sylvia Syms

The aging liner Poseidon, on her final journey, is struck by a tidal wave that knocks her upside down. A small group of passengers realise that if they want to survive they must journey up into the bowels of the ship hoping for rescue from above.

The idea is well conceived and the excellent cast turn in good performances despite getting little help from the somewhat corny script. With above average special effects for the time and excellent sets that convincingly realise the upside down half-flooded ship and its bewildering maze of passageways, the movie manages to be compelling and exciting viewing.

It is possible to go one better than a lifeboat for oceanic claustrophobia… What you do is have a luxury liner completely capsized by a tidal wave, and you let ten people live on in a pocket of air, their only hope being to make their way through fire, dead bodies and endless amounts of water of the sinking ship to a propeller shaft, where the hull is thinnest and where there is a chance of rescuers cutting their way through…

This was the terrific idea set up in Paul Gallico's most well-known book, which descended with awful disappointment on to the screen, but caught the public fancy, and started a cycle…

And while the tense adventure lacks the austere presence of George Kennedy, no one could ask for a better set-up for suspense—naturally, when the genesis was with that old master of mass emotions, Gallico… But oh, what a waste was there in Ronald Neame's motion picture…

Partly it was due to the lack of the technical perfectionism of a Hitchcock, and much more to the stereotyping of the characters and the excruciating banality of their dialog… There was a muscular clergyman to lead, an old Jewish couple still in love after some time of marriage, a hot head detective and his well reformed happy hooker wife, a young lady Pamela Sue Martin, (and his nice younger brother) and a hippie girl singer who were there presumably to give a pleasant show of legs in hotpants, a lonely haberdasher, and a nice cool steward along for the ride…

Gene Hackman was cast as the preacher– the most unlikely reverend I could imagine… Presumably he was chosen because of his well-deserved success as the cynical, determined New York narcotics cop in "The French Connection." He played the character every bit as rough and tough… Whenever he heaved his muscles and opened his mouth I anticipated the coming of… "I got the God connection."

But one must not blame the cast… There were fine actors among them and it was not their fault that the situations were evidently prefabricated, that the characters were as realistic as the cutouts at the back of a cereal box, living and dying as contrived "incidents."

This movie is my ultimate disaster flick and even though I really liked Titanic. This one, as others have said IS better and I'll tell you why. In Titanic we have just one story going, where as in this one we have several. The subtle budding romance between Nonnie and Mr. Martin was very interesting to watch. I thought they were a rather odd pairing at first, but it worked seeing how they both needed each other. Linda Rogo was my favorite character. She knew what to say and how to say it. She even told her pompus husband off a few times. The fact that she's an ex-prostitute and her husband being the cop that arrested her made their story rather interesting. Mr. Rogo and the Preacher's quarrels were amusing and heated. I liked the Rosens, they were the strong ones and you could truly see the love they had for one another. The kid was annoying, but useful and I really enjoyed the sexual tension between Susan and the Preacher. Their scenes were my favorite. This movie has a cast of truly rich characters that were more entertaining to watch than the actual effects. Ah! The good old days where character development and an actual plot outweigh the special effects and the disaster itself. 9 out of 10.

This film trudges forward solely on the power of a truly annoying set of characters, most of whom are filled with self-pity from start to finish, and none of whom seem particularly worthy of surviving the disaster. Everyone screams, everyone whines, everyone complains, and everyone moves slower than molasses to escape drowning at the top (bottom) of a capsized cruise ship. One main character (Nonnie) remains almost catatonic throughout the entire film, much like the plot. Heavily dated in the early 1970's. Only worth watching Leslie Nielsen as the caption until the boat capsizes. From then on this film is a disaster. Rating: 2/10 for Nielsen and sets/special effects that are impressive for the period.