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That's what made the original film superior in story. It followed the methodical (sometimes tedious) arguments and decisions that would bring an everyday group of people from point A to B and everywhere in between. Here the focus is more on action and intensity, and while that's better for the adrenaline rush of a popcorn movie, it misses the opportunity for a more realistic storyline. Also, by shifting the focus from "how to survive" to "who dies next," the filmmakers unintentionally make The Poseidon Adventure more like Ten Little Indians or Final Destination.

Still, I'd be lying if I said that Poseidon wasn't at least partly enjoyable. It more or less meets expectations with a fair share of suspense and impressive action sequences that remain true to the spirit of recent films in the genre. This certainly isn't as dramatic as Titanic, and the original Poseidon Adventure is still slightly better. But if disaster films are your cup of tea and you don't mind Hollywood tinkering with the original, there's little reason to talk you out of this voyage. However, if the concept seems too tired, formulaic, or depressing for your entertainment value, then don't bother boarding this ship.

1. In one particularly intense scene, a character is forced to shake another survivor loose from him in order to save his own life. Did he do the right thing? What would you have done? What allows us to make such split second life-and-death decisions with any sense of morality?
   
   
2. Many characters have to cope with the death of a friend or loved one, forced to leave them behind as they move on to safety. Do you think you might struggle with that if placed in a similar situation? Why or why not? What factors would affect your decision making the most?
   
   
3. Is Robert Ramsey (Kurt Russell's character) too domineering a father? Do you feel his concerns over his daughter Jennifer's relationship with her fianc are justified or more paranoid?
   
   
4. Do you find disaster films depressing or, depending how things turn out, uplifting? What can we learn from seeing people experience tragedy-and facing our own mortality? Is there a danger of exploiting the action and desensitizing us to the needs of others?
   
   

There are only a few profanities in Poseidon, but the film really earns its PG-13 rating for intense prolonged sequences of disaster and peril, including a couple of scary scenes involving a little boy. When the ship is capsized, most of the passengers are killed from falling, burning, electrocution, drowning, or being crushed by heavy objects. Though not a particularly bloody movie, there's horrific realism to these deaths, with bodies strewn throughout the ship. Consider whether or not you would show your children the horrific after-effects of the 9/11 attacks when deciding on this film.

Photos © Copyright Warner Bros.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

from Film Forum, 05/25/06
Gene Edward Veith (World Magazine) says: "The movie shows some acts of self-sacrificial heroism, but Poseidon is mostly a sensory onslaught of dead bodies—falling, burned, piled up, floating. Also explosions, falling equipment, drownings, and crawling through claustrophobia-inducing passages as the water keeps rising."

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