Rated PG-13 for intense prolonged sequences of disaster and peril.
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen (Troy, The Perfect Storm, Air Force One…)
Starring Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Richard Dreyfuss
A decent remake, but nothing new to the genre of tragedy films.
After a massive rogue wave leaves their cruise ship floating upside down in the water, a small group of survivors tries to make their way to the bottom of the ship — that's now above them — to find a way out before the rising waters get to them.
THE GOOD:
- The film has strong performances—not surprising from Dreyfuss, Russell and Lucas.
- The pacing was good, bringing nonstop action to the screen.
- Often tragedy films put realism on the back shelf to other elements. Poseidon didn’t do that. When a huge luxury ship rolls over, a bunch of people are going to die and it’s going to be a big mess. And that’s exactly what happened.
THE BAD:- At no fault of Poseidon, the film will always be compared to other films in the genre, the most memorable being Titanic. Poseidon pales compared to Titanic.
- If you’re looking for a fun, feel good film… this isn’t it.
THE UGLY—SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
No way. The film has more dead bodies than a zombie film. The MPAA rating actually says it well: “intense prolonged sequences of disaster and peril.”
Side Note:
As said above, we don’t recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
