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The Poseidon Adventure
1972 117 min United States of America PG 12+
★7.8
Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Director: Ronald Neame
📖 Based on the novel
«The Poseidon Adventure»
byPaul Gallico
Trailers
Description
When their ocean liner capsizes, a group of passengers struggle to survive and escape.
Budget:
$5M
US Gross:
$84.56M
Worldwide:
$84.56M
Starring
Gene Hackman
Actor
Ernest Borgnine
Actor
Shelley Winters
Actor
Awards
BAFTA 1973
— Best Actor
Academy Awards 1973
— Special Achievement Award
Academy Awards 1973
— Best Original Song
Academy Awards 1973
— Best Supporting Actress
Academy Awards 1973
— Best Sound
Academy Awards 1973
— Best Costume Design
Academy Awards 1973
— Best Film Editing
Golden Globe 1973
— Best Original Song
Academy Awards 1973
— Special Achievement Award
Academy Awards 1973
— Best Original Song
BAFTA 1973
— Best Supporting Actress
Academy Awards 1973
— Best Cinematography
Academy Awards 1973
— Best Score for a Drama
Golden Globe 1973
— Best Supporting Actress
Golden Globe 1973
— Best Original Score
Key opinion
The Poseidon Adventure is widely regarded as a foundational classic that defined the 1970s disaster genre, balancing spectacle with character-focused human drama. While many praise its ensemble cast and realistic production design, others find the pacing dated and the script's reliance on clichés unconvincing.
| Acting | Gene Hackman's performance as an unconventional, steadfast priest provides a necessary anchor for the film's survival narrative. | |
| Production | The use of practical revolving sets and high-frame-rate effects creates a grounded, realistic atmosphere that holds up despite the film's age. | |
| Theme | The narrative succeeds by focusing on the psychological development of its diverse ensemble rather than relying solely on visual spectacle. | |
| Pacing | The film's deliberate tempo and lack of modern kinetic editing create a contemplative, realistic experience for some, while others find it uneventful and slow by modern standards. | |
| Screenplay | Critics are split on the quality of the script; some appreciate the classic disaster tropes and character arcs, while others dismiss the dialogue and character deaths as clichéd or absurd. |