Perfect example of how to do it right.
1972's The Poseidon Adventure isn't a remembered film because of the disaster it portrays. It's a remembered film because of its characters. Their interactions with one another combined with the disaster at hand is what makes The Poseidon Adventure so special. An event or disaster film is only as strong as its writing and characters. Fiery explosions and overturned luxury liners will only take you so far. If you don't have developed characters that the audience can connect with on some level (whether it be for positive or negative reasons mind you) then your film is as good as sunk. The premise is fluff no matter how you look at it. Whether it's a super secret spy mission, plane crash, boating disaster or even a killer stalking teens in the woods. If you have nothing else but the 'spectacle' of special effects at hand, then there is a good chance you have nothing. There has to be solid character development and dialogue or your film will never transcend the lines of trash or camp cinema. The Poseidon Adventure does this and does it well. Allowing us in turn to see even more of its worth, including the films' execution and special effects, which were (to say the least) way ahead of their time.

Perfect example of how to do it wrong.
2005 and NBC aired a 're-imagining' of The Poseidon Adventure which turned out to be an excruciatingly painful 3 hours of network television. The cause of the capsizing vessel was no longer an out of control tidal wave. It had now been replaced with a terrorist bombing. This was the first of many flaws (and cheap shots) that would ultimately hurt this doomed (for so many reasons) 3 hour 'epic.' The characters in this version of the film were home wreckers, adulterers, liars, cheats, sneaks and thieves. Extremely unlikable, which wouldn't be such a bad thing if it weren't for the fact that they were supposed to evoke sympathy once disaster had struck. Was I really supposed to care that Steve Guttenberg (who had abandoned his wife and children on the ship just moments earlier) needed shoes to protect his feet from shattered glass as he fled with his on board mistress? These characters were flat, underdeveloped cookie cutter stereotypes who were mean, hurtful and all around unlikable. It didn't work. And the fact that sub par digital effects were used to 'enhance' the proceedings didn't help much either.

So where does WB's big budget remake fit in? Somewhere in the middle, leaning more towards the side of success than anything else. Much like the original, the WB remake simply titled Poseidon, propels itself forward at a break neck speed. With about 15 minutes (at most) of exposition before tragedy, we're then dealt with a solid 80-minutes of water filled ballrooms and escape attempts. And much like the original, we experience this journey right alongside its participants. Our group of survivors are led by the ships resident gambling hustler Dylan Johns (played by Matthew McConaughey wannabe Josh Lucas) as he takes the lead for the others including Kurt Russell (playing an ex mayor of New York City named Robert Ramsey), on board with his daughter (Emmy Rossum) and her boyfriend (Mike Vogel). Richard Dreyfus plays Richard Nelson, a scorned gay lover who's about to commit suicide just before tragedy strikes, and of course there's the resident cute kid; this one comes with the hipster name of Conor (Jimmy Bennett). Sure the characters aren't as developed as the original and the remake lacks the luster of such classic actors as Shelly Winters, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons and Gene Hackman. But to be honest, having Kurt Russell and Richard Dreyfus ain't half bad either.

Make no mistake about it. Actual background on these characters is paper thin and I wasn't even sure if I was liking what I was seeing during the course of the film's opening moments. However, throughout the remainder of the film, we're really given the opportunity to get to know these characters...and much like the original film, it works. Not nearly as well, but still...it works. Believable sets and stunt work are really just the beginning, as the film somehow manages to become a character piece amongst all of the death and destruction. And there is plenty of death and destruction to behold, it's almost shocking at times for a PG-13 film. Definitely a plus. At it's heart, the film is still a survival action flick, so expect the unbelievable and 'nick of time' set pieces, but underneath it all, the characters do help to drive the action making for a very entertaining summer action flick. And that's exactly what I was looking for.