The Summer of 2006 was a tough one for Warner Bros., which produced a trio of films that failed to meet box-office expectations: M. Night Shyamalan’s critically-reviled “Lady in the Water,” the expensive (and as such only moderately successful) “Superman Returns,” and May’s would-be action spectacle POSEIDON (98 mins., 2006, PG-13; Arrow), which regrettably marked the final English studio film of director Wolfgang Petersen.
This expensive -- but shockingly not expensive-looking -- remake of the old Irwin Allen disaster classic is pretty much a misfire across the board, with inferior special effects, non-existent character development, and even an annoyingly repetitive soundtrack making for a hugely disappointing movie.
It also doesn’t help that the film suffers from a notable lack of star power: made during the short-lived window when he was netting top-billed lead roles, Josh Lucas stars as a playboy on the move (he’s listed first on the film credits), while Kurt Russell nabbed the prominent spot in print advertising as a disgruntled father. Neither are able to keep the film’s pedestrian survival drama afloat, though admittedly, the movie also doesn’t bother to develop any of the Poseidon’s survivors or the ship itself as they attempt to make it to the surface, following a rogue wave that capsizes the luxury liner before we even hit the 20 minute mark.
Writer Mark Protosevich is the sole credited writer on the film, which is utterly uproarious when one considers his claim that he wasn’t responsible for a single line of dialogue in the picture – and that “dozens” of other writers had worked on the film after him...none of them wanting credit!
It’s certainly believable when one considers the 98-minute (with several minutes of credits) running time is indicative of editors dropping material left and right on the cutting room floor. Perhaps they had good reason to, since what little human interaction there is in the movie is cliche-city, and the cast of young, mostly undistinguished supporting names (Jacinda Barrett? Mike Vogel? Mia Maestro? Jimmy Bennett?) fails to provide much interest; only Richard Dreyfuss, as a newly single gay man (that’s basically the extent of what we know about his character), offers a few unintended yucks when he opts to jump off the ship, only to discover “the wave” rising in front of the moon, and later -- however reluctantly -- sends a Poseidon waiter to his death while trying to escape an elevator shaft.
Director Petersen had the midas touch in directing back-to-back blockbusters for Warner (“The Perfect Storm” and “Troy”) which both were genuinely impressive visual spectacles, but nothing in “Poseidon” clicks, from the been-there, done-that action scenes to production design that seems asleep at the switch (isn’t this a luxury liner that’s been turned upside down? Other than two primary sets, the movie could have been made at a Best Western, with its threadbare backdrops and empty corridors!). For a movie that reportedly cost upwards of $160 million, it’s downright shocking how cheap “Poseidon” looks at times. The opening, computer-rendered shot of Lucas running around the Poseidon’s deck is appallingly produced, with a notable lack of detail and fake-looking water. Adding further insult to injury is the picture’s limp soundtrack, with Klaus Badelt’s tired, Zimmer-esque score adding little to the already limited thrills of “Poseidon.”
Arrow debuts a new 4K UHD (2.39) of “Poseidon” this week and the Dolby Vision HDR adds enhanced color, if not detail, as some of the VFX-intensive sequences still possess a somewhat “glossy” digital appearance. The original 5.1 DTS MA sound was well engineered and is reprised here, while extras include interviews with DP John Seale and production designer William Sandell, plus effects supervisor Boyd Shermis and make-up artist Michael Deak. All laud the hard labor that went into the production and best intentions of Petersen and company, while additional extras include a visual essay from podcaster Heath Holland and archival extras from the previous release.