The Poseidon Adventure

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3:14

The Poseidon Adventure

PG

Released Dec 12, 1972

1h 57m

Adventure

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

30 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

En route from New York City to Greece on New Year's Eve, majestic passenger ship the S.S. Poseidon is overtaken by a tidal wave. With the captain (Leslie Nielsen) dead, surviving passengers, including the passionate Rev. Scott (Gene Hackman), band together in the ship's ballroom. The group struggles to avert fires, flooding, structural instability and mechanical malfunctions as they make their way through a maze of ladders and tunnels in their desperate attempt to escape a watery grave.

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Critics Consensus

The Poseidon Adventure exemplifies the disaster film done right, going down smoothly with ratcheting tension and a terrific ensemble to give the peril a distressingly human dimension.

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Pauline Kael

New Yorker

The picture would be more fun if we cared about who got killed and who survived.

Sep 29, 2023

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Eric Henderson

Slant Magazine

What the glittering, star-driving survivalism of Poseidon Adventure actually presents is a nightmarishly schematic fantasia of guiltless discomfort.

Rated: 3/4

May 8, 2006

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

Neither as exciting nor as unintentionally funny as one would like it to be.

Rated: B-

Apr 19, 2006

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Rachel Wagner

Hallmarkies Podcast

Compelling characters I enjoyed following

Jan 8, 2024

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

When reviewed, for the benefit of 21st century moviegoers, this is a rather silly but sweet disaster flick with a lot of camp appeal. When critiqued, to better understand cinema, this really is a mold-breaking master work.

Rated: 8/10

Mar 6, 2023

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Silly as it is, it was probably the best of the cycle it started in earnest.

Dec 14, 2022

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Kevin M

Saw this when I was 10, one of the most memorable movies in my life. Star-studded cast including a bit part with the once serious acting Leslie Nielsen (short-lived Captain). Became a Gene Hackman fan immediately probably mostly for the heroic character he played but soon realized it was just as much for the actor himself. Looking at it today you can see the aged effects and whatnot and I can see that I was much more tolerant movie critic as a 10yr old - lol.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/11/24

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Fábio A

Uma história impressionante Um filme muito bem construído do início aos fim com um senario bem realista que muito bom ascensão de que tudo aquilo está realmente acontecendo os personagens são muito bom e a direção também e o elenco também é muito bom

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/20/24

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Dean W

Hands down the best disaster movie ever made. The sets the stories the humor the horror all top notch. The images of the upside down liner are haunting and riveting.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

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Mitch M

This is my favorite "disaster" movie. The acting is just superb, especially Hackman's preacher role. Considering when this movie was made, the special effects are excellent. This is one of those movies that I just never get tired of watching. I saw it back-to-back nights in the movie theater when it first came out.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/12/24

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Alec B

There's an argument to be made that it is the best of the 70s disaster movies (an admittedly low bar) as it isn't too long and there is a willingness to kill off characters (most of whom are not too insufferable) in unceremonious ways.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/21/24

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Jake D

This movie still holds up today!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/02/24

Full Review

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Ronald Neame

Director

Irwin Allen

Director

Gene Hackman

Rev. Frank Scott

Ernest Borgnine

Det. Lt. Mike Rogo

Shelley Winters

Belle Rosen

Red Buttons

James Martin

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Critical Consensus: "Poseidon" Sinks, "Luck" Is Lacking

The Poseidon Adventure: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

En route from New York City to Greece on New Year's Eve, majestic passenger ship the S.S. Poseidon is overtaken by a tidal wave. With the captain (Leslie Nielsen) dead, surviving passengers, including the passionate Rev. Scott (Gene Hackman), band together in the ship's ballroom. The group struggles to avert fires, flooding, structural instability and mechanical malfunctions as they make their way through a maze of ladders and tunnels in their desperate attempt to escape a watery grave.

Director: Ronald Neame, Irwin Allen
Producer: Irwin Allen, Steve Broidy
Screenwriter: Paul Gallico, Wendell Mayes, Stirling Silliphant
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 12, 1972, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 3, 2016
Runtime: 1h 57m

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