The Terminal

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Jo P Inane and mawkish I don’t think this movie worked. It lumbered through a series of disconnected scenes without building the storyline and took far too long about it. It didn’t hang together emotionally or logically so the sentimentality was all the worse for being incomprehensible. Some of the acting was good, some was fairly over the top. The score was peppy and annoying. I found the film childish and unsatisfying and wish I hadn’t watched it. Sorry to sound grumpy but anything impressive about the set and camerawork is beside the point because of the vacuum at the heart of the screenplay. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/16/25 Full Review Kevin P An underrated gem and a pleasant surprise as one of Steven Spielberg’s lesser-known movies. The movie’s premise is fascinating and very creative with a foreign traveler who can’t return to his home country, nor be granted access to American soil, and is therefore confined to living in an airport. It’s an interesting setup and the film takes great advantage of using this airport setting and bizarre scenario to explore how one would survive in an airport without any reliable income, food, shelter, or support. The movie starts off really sad, but gradually grows more hopeful and lighthearted as Tom Hanks’ character’s kindheartedness and creative adaptability rubs off on the terminal employees. The way they gradually warm up to him despite his quirky antics feels genuine and earned, which can also be said for Stanley Tucci’s “Villain in Suit” archetype being subverted with how gradually he grows pettier and more heinous as the film goes on, which is further motivated by his chance at a promotion, and is expressed so casually and nonchalantly that it feels more shocking that most other examples of this antagonistic archetype and serves as some witty commentary on how brutally paranoid and heartless post-9/11 TSA and American xenophobia could be. The movie is also very funny and it’s cute seeing how much an early 2000’s time capsule this movie was with how prominently you see stores like Borders, Baja Fresh, Baskin Robins, and Jamba Juice. Tom Hank’s character even improvises by eating ketchup crackers, which is something I always did as a kid whenever we ran out of potato chips at home. The cast is terrific and the characters are all well-realized. Tom Hanks’ character romance with Catherine Zeta-Jones’ character thankfully rises above rom-com tropes by making it feel genuinely supportive and friendly while avoiding the all-too-common creepy “romance” tropes like the plague. There’s a bit of the cliché misunderstanding conflict near the end, but luckily it’s quickly resolved and their relationship is concluded in a bittersweet note that helps Tom Hank’s character get his true happy ending. It can be a bit schmaltzy at times, but I feel like this movie really earned it and I am really glad that Schaffrilas Productions recommended this underappreciated Spielberg movie cause it’s easily among his best. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/25 Full Review William B Great movie. Definitely recommended to anyone. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/20/25 Full Review Drew B Basically Cast Away in an airport. To me it shows you can be just as alone in a crowd as you are by yourself. But it also speaks to strangers connecting across cultural barriers. I did enjoy it. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/10/25 Full Review Samuel W Tom Hanks has always played interesting characters with unique situations going on around them, this movie continues that trend with a story based on a real event. Basically, his country is under war and the government had been overthrown, making it where Tom Hanks’ foreign man, who had never really spoken English, gets stuck in an international American airport in New York City. The tale tells how he survived and lived for over a year in the airport and showed his unrelenting optimistic attitude, his love for people, and his creative perseverance to live the best life he can while being a prisoner of this airport. The movie is very heartwarming, peculiar, and unique in the way it is done, making for a fun experience with some humor and a love for the character and the real man. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/01/25 Full Review Nim T Interesting to see Tom Hanks being a Krakozhian and trying to speak in a different language than English. The concept is something I like because the title while simple conveys a clear message. Tom Hanks's character stopped at a terminal in the airport and throughout the months that he was stuck at the terminal, he showed how a person can adapt no matter the difficulties one might endure. It was motivating to see him not knowing any English to being able to communicate as much as possible to other characters. While I do agree with some people that there wasn't as much chemistry with Catherine Zeta-Jones in terms of relationship, but the story nevertheless showed her being a motivation for Tom Hanks to keep fighting to accomplish his wish. Despite not being together, it wouldn't mean that there was no love and respect between each other. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/26/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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