Poseidon

Director: Wolfgang Peterson

Starring: Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Richard Dreyfuss

Known for his expertise in filming in and around water (Das Boot, The Perfect Storm), director Wolfgang Peterson delivers this remake of the 1972 sea disaster adventure. The predecessor is a classic, but Peterson has managed to make his version a lot more realistic. Relying more on elaborate sets and adding in daring stunts and lots and lots of fire, the film is a nightmare to watch and you'll be biting your fingernails the whole way through.

It's New Year's Eve and the festivities have begun aboard the eponymous luxury cruise ship and many of the ship's guests have gathered to greet the New Year in style in the magnificent ballroom. As they raise their champagne and Captain Bradford sings Auld Lang Syne, the Chief Officer upon the bridge senses something is wrong. Scanning the horizon, he sees a monstrous wave bearing down on the ship at tremendous speed. He tries to steer the ship away from maximum impact but it's too late. The wave strikes with colossal force, turning the ship upside down. The few hundred survivors huddle in the main ballroom, now resting below the waterline.

The Captain maintains that they should all wait together for rescue. However, professional gambler Dylan Johns (Josh Lucas) would rather test the odds alone. Ignoring orders, he prepares to exit the ballroom but is supported and followed by a few other passengers. Wary of alliances, Dylan reluctantly leads a small band of survivors upward through the bowl of the ship, accompanied by a suicidal man and a shy stowaway. Bonds quickly form, but who can survive this journey of sheer drops, dead ends and mounting impossibility?

Throughout the film, the cast do look visibly terrified and there is a great sense of realism. The special effects are pretty top of the range but Peterson does well to centre his film on the human interaction side of events rather than creating a CGI epic. He also proves that a film steeped in visual effects can run at less than two hours. Prepare to be knocked off your seat by this non-stop action disaster movie.

Victoria Galloway