The film must have been exceptional at the time of release but unfortunately did not stood the test of time. The ship so clearly is nothing more than a model in a pond. The ship's interior scenes were far more realistic and here the sets were quite impressive. The script was corny and silly, though, and at times it felt I was watching a comedy or spoof instead of a dramatic disaster movie. The dialogue was really bad - no, terrible, actually. At times the silly dialogue was just downright inappropriate and I couldn't help but wonder what the hell they were thinking! The acting was also over-dramatic and over-sentimental, and not believable at all. None of the characters were really fleshed out and seemed very one-dimensional. How did the preacher (Hackman) know so much about the ship anyway that he was able to lead everyone through an upside down ship to where they needed to be? At one point he says "Just one more door and we're home". What did he mean?? They're in the middle of the ocean on a capsized boat!!! They had no idea what was waiting for them on the outside...At the end our hero (Hackman) also seems to simply give up by 'falling' into an inferno. There didn't appear to be any struggle on his behalf - he just let go for no reason. I didn't find that scene one bit believable. I actually never realized how bad this film actually is.

I am amazed that there haven't been many comments about John William's brilliant score! Just listen to the Main Titles it shows an ominous enemy (the rough sea) is battling against them but somehow it also personifies the courage and resolve of the people on board. A most beautiful introduction which should draw people into the movie like it did me when I first saw it at age 10. These Poseidon remakes couldn't even hold a candle to this wonderful score. All in all a fine cast that did a great job despite the rather pedestrian script they were dealt and who can forget "just panties what else do I need" :) For my part Borgnine, Winters, Hackman and an honorable mention to Leslie Nielsen as The Captain and Fred Sadoff as the "bastard Linarcos" If you want to wax nostalgic then definitely watch this fixture of the 1970's.

A passenger ship turns over at sea.According to the DVD of this film, Irwin Allen did not direct this movie, but he wanted to direct it, he was always sticking his nose in the sets, and giving out storyboards (sheets of paper with drawings of what each scene should look like) to the British director...who just ignored Irwin.However, Irwin would have his chance to direct the sequel, Beyond The Poseidon Adventure (1979), which I personally think is a wonderful film filled with interesting (and sometimes amusing) people. John Williams did not score the sequel but another less known composer did a reasonable score for "Beyond".So there you have it, you can't just see the first movie, you have to see them both, as they are both great...but stay clear of the 2006 remake just titled: Poseidon.

As opposed to the moron who currently has his review on the main page, who casually said "the cast doesn't matter -- what matters are the special effects..." well, all I can say to that is: "thank God you're not in the film business, pal!! Because brother, you haven't got a goddamn clue."Make no mistake: the cast is EVERYTHING in this film. That's why it's a great movie... along with a fantastic script, great sets and perfect editing that moves the story along at a thrilling pace. And speaking of the cast, in my opinion it's an absolute crime that Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons and Carol Lynley didn't all win Academy Awards -- or at least nominations -- because they are all superb. In fact, every performance is powerful and believable, adding to the drama and emotion and constantly pulling the viewer into the scene. Because of these performances, the film is as heartbreaking as it is breathtaking... NOT because of the special effects (which are fantastic, incidentally, courtesy of the great L.B. Abbott).A good lesson in how NOT to involve the audience can be seen in the multi-million dollar turd of a remake, directed by some clueless idiot whose brain apparently works the way the aforementioned reviewer's does. In the remake, the effects are EVERYTHING and the cast is basically nothing. Not that Richard Dreyfus and the others don't do a good job. They do. But with the lame writing and unsympathetic characters, no one gives a crap. That's why the film failed.In "The Poseidon Adventure," however, every scripted word counts, and every second of valuable screen time matters, dramatically moving the story along, building unbearable suspense and audience involvement. It's a great lesson in filmmaking, which clueless amateurs like Tarentino obviously never bothered to learn (as so painfully demonstrated in his latest snore-fest, "The Hateful Eight."As directed by the great Ronald Neame, "The Poseidon Adventure" is not only the greatest of the 70s disaster films, it's one of the most dramatic and exciting adventure movies ever made.