Did There Have to Be A Morning After?
Added 8/27/2009
The original was a hit; the sequel not so much. Why'd ya do it Allen? You pretty much ruined the film genre you made popular! Apparently he had Paul Gallico, the author of the original book, write a sequel book and it featured the characters played by Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons and Jack Albertson going back into the ship for some unknown reason (but it dealt with pirates). I guess Allen didn't like that premise so he came up with a story of a tugboat captain and his crew (who want salvage) along with some terrorists (who want plutonium). This could've been a good, if not great, sequel but it just falls flat. The idea of plutonium (along with crates of AK-47s and grenades) seems very far-fetched (more so than the ship actually still staying afloat after the events of the first film). I mean the ship would've blown up by now considering all of the explosions featured in that and this film. And I must make a quick note; this film made tedious and exhausting use of stock footage from the first film. Was the budget that low? I mean the only set that looks convincing is when Caine and the others enter the ship through the hole from the end of the first one. Once they enter the engine room, we see all-too familiar shots (including a cameo by the "late" Stella Stevens). The rest of the sets look like they were put together on a television budget (you can even see the wires moving a toy right before they rescue Jack Warden and Shirley Knight). The acting leaves a lot to be desired, ranging from the good (Caine, Malden, Warden, Knight and especially Savalas), the bad (Pickens and Jones) and the annoying (Field and Boyle, who just screams more than Borgnine and Hackman did the whole of the firsst film). Though Fields' character does have a few redeeming qualities (what they are yet I don't know) but she's not as annoying as Boyle. Like I said for Allen's other major disaster flick of the decade (Towering Inferno), only one death resonates with me and that's the death of Shirley Knight. She's just swept under the water after she and Caine fall from the ladder (much like McDowall from the first film) and never seen again. Warden's reaction is touching after learning the death of his wife (when Mrs. Partridge comforts him is probably her best bit of acting in the film). I guess Angela Cartwright, who plays Boyle's daughter, gives a heartfelt performance as she grieves her father's murder, but his character was just too unlikeable to really care.
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This is a dumb movie; don't waste your time watching it
Added 7/10/2009
I like ship movies. This one was just a big waste of time. Bad acting by every member of the cast, flimsy story line. After about 15 minutes of the movie, I realized that I would get just as much out of it if I watched most of it on "fast forward". I wish I could sell this or get my money back from the person I bought it from. The original Poseidon Adventure was enough. It did not need this sequel.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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salvage mission . . .
Added 6/21/2009
Producer Irwin Allen's, The Poseidon Adventure (1972) was a massive hit that helped fuel the `disaster movie' fad in the 70's. In 1979, sequels were not as common as they are now, but with the success of the original film, and the wave of popularity of disaster films, Beyond the Poseidon Adventure probably seemed like an intriguing project.
Unlike author Paul Gallico's novel, the film version of Beyond the Poseidon Adventure features an entirely new set of characters aboard the overturned luxury liner. Approximately five hours after the original survivors were rescued, two groups board the ship together. One is a salvage operation led by tugboat captain Mike Turner (Michael Caine), his crewman Wilbur (Karl Malden) and Celeste Whitman (Sally Field). The second group is a medical team under the command of Captain Stefan Svevo (Telly Savalas), supposedly on a mission of mercy, they are actually after a cargo of plutonium aboard the Poseidon. Along the way the rescuers discover additional survivors, pursue divergent goals, and face a variety of dangers.
While a decent action adventure, for many reasons Beyond the Poseidon Adventure pales in comparison to the original film. The writing is not as good, and the characters are not as compelling or well developed, and some of the dialog is just awful. The setting of a capsized ship is no longer unfamiliar territory, and with many of the elements of surprise gone, there isn't a lot of tension or real suspense. The survivors exhibit little genuine fear, with both Turner and Svevo proceeding confidently throughout the ship.
While The Poseidon Adventure was directed by Ronald Neame and produced by Irwin Allen, this time Allen is both producer and director. Allen's successful television career was largely built on science fiction adventures that featured action sequences and special effects. His programs were mostly entertaining and often fantasies where realism was not always a strong point. While directing action was his strength, he had less experience in general direction. Leave it to Allen to feature a firefight with automatic weapons in the ship's hold. Fortunately, the barrel with the plutonium isn't hit by a stray bullet. Throughout the film, explosions (utilizing footage from the original film) are repeatedly used to stir things up, or trigger a crisis. There are a couple of nice scenes featuring objects crashing through decks, but some of the action scenes are rather tame or plain silly, like jumping across an opening in the floor. It is remarkable that electrical power is still available, miraculously keeping the ship very well lighted most of the time. The original film is lighted much differently. But where are the sources of light? In the upside down vessel, the light fixtures should be either on the floor, or on the wall near the floor, but few are seen. It is not shown on screen, but Svevo's crew cuts another hole in the ship's hull in order to remove the cargo they came for. The underwater escape by Turner's group from the Poseidon is unexciting, and though they manage to surface in the same spot, somehow Wilbur is lost. Amazingly, although under rifle fire at close range, only one of the survivors is killed swimming to Turner's tugboat. Even a blind man (Jack Warden) makes it to safety. Fortunately, Turner's tug is apparently bulletproof. As the tug speeds away, the good ship Poseidon finally explodes (in a truly unimpressive fashion), destroying Svevo's group, and doing who knows what to that deadly plutonium.
The mostly familiar cast makes for some interesting viewing, as they face danger and physical hardships. Svevo comes off as a cold, brooding and pompous Bond type villain (Savalas was Ernst Stavro Blofeld in On Her Majesty's Secret Service), who delivers his lines magnificently. Peter Boyle as passenger Frank Mazzetti, has a role similar to Ernest Borgnine's Rogo, as the overbearing, continuous questioner of authority, but when the chips are on the line he does not hesitate to act. Wilber (Malden) is hampered by health problems, and can't do very much. Ex-UCLA quarterback Mark Harmon (NCIS), steps up strongly into the starting lineup in the later parts of the film. Slim Pickens is typecast as a cowboy type. Angela Cartwright who worked on Allen's Lost in Space as a child, looks younger than 27 here. The Turner and Whitman relationship starts out rough, doesn't seem to gel, and then fades into the background. Sally Field won the best actress Oscar for Norma Rae this same year (1979), and does what she can with a role that has some very awkward dialog, such as `I hate to be called monkey'. Despite having the `shortest legs' Field more than holds her own in taking on the physical challenges. As Turner, Michael Caine is rather abrasive throughout, not always likeable, but definitely a leader.
The extras include the trailer, and a 20 minute behind the scenes feature that although mostly a puff piece, does contain some interesting information and insight into how Irwin Allen worked. The sequel to The Poseidon Adventure is a mildly exciting action adventure, with a rather weak ending, that may be of interest to fans of the original film, Irwin Allen, or disaster films in general.
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BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE
Added 8/22/2008
This is a fair movie to watch and a must have for anybody who wants to comeplet there POSEIDON ADVENTURE movie set this movie puicks up after the first group of people is taken off the upside down ocean liner the movie is fair but not is good as the first one.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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What was Irwin thinking???
Added 2/2/2008
I was 13 when I saw the original Poseidon Adventure, and was mezzmerized by it! Being the first big screen action packed flick i'd ever seen..it was HUGE!
When this sequal came out in august of 1979 I was first in line!..wow..what an aweful movie. their was no thought, special effects acting, script or much of any of Irwin Allens talents in this...what happened?? budget problems? what? it was filmed with such a low cost feel too it, lots of stock footage from the original, poor set designs! I wish Irwin would have made a sequal to the book that Paul Gallico did focusing on the aftermath and used the characters from the original film instead of all these top stars of the day and altered the story so much.
I still pop it in and watch it from time to time and keep hopeing i'll find something good about it...
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Did There Have to Be A Morning After?
Added 8/27/2009
The original was a hit; the sequel not so much. Why'd ya do it Allen? You pretty much ruined the film genre you made popular! Apparently he had Paul Gallico, the author of the original book, write a sequel book and it featured the characters played by Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons and Jack Albertson going back into the ship for some unknown reason (but it dealt with pirates). I guess Allen didn't like that premise so he came up with a story of a tugboat captain and his crew (who want salvage) along with some terrorists (who want plutonium). This could've been a good, if not great, sequel but it just falls flat. The idea of plutonium (along with crates of AK-47s and grenades) seems very far-fetched (more so than the ship actually still staying afloat after the events of the first film). I mean the ship would've blown up by now considering all of the explosions featured in that and this film. And I must make a quick note; this film made tedious and exhausting use of stock footage from the first film. Was the budget that low? I mean the only set that looks convincing is when Caine and the others enter the ship through the hole from the end of the first one. Once they enter the engine room, we see all-too familiar shots (including a cameo by the "late" Stella Stevens). The rest of the sets look like they were put together on a television budget (you can even see the wires moving a toy right before they rescue Jack Warden and Shirley Knight). The acting leaves a lot to be desired, ranging from the good (Caine, Malden, Warden, Knight and especially Savalas), the bad (Pickens and Jones) and the annoying (Field and Boyle, who just screams more than Borgnine and Hackman did the whole of the firsst film). Though Fields' character does have a few redeeming qualities (what they are yet I don't know) but she's not as annoying as Boyle. Like I said for Allen's other major disaster flick of the decade (Towering Inferno), only one death resonates with me and that's the death of Shirley Knight. She's just swept under the water after she and Caine fall from the ladder (much like McDowall from the first film) and never seen again. Warden's reaction is touching after learning the death of his wife (when Mrs. Partridge comforts him is probably her best bit of acting in the film). I guess Angela Cartwright, who plays Boyle's daughter, gives a heartfelt performance as she grieves her father's murder, but his character was just too unlikeable to really care.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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This is a dumb movie; don't waste your time watching it
Added 7/10/2009
I like ship movies. This one was just a big waste of time. Bad acting by every member of the cast, flimsy story line. After about 15 minutes of the movie, I realized that I would get just as much out of it if I watched most of it on "fast forward". I wish I could sell this or get my money back from the person I bought it from. The original Poseidon Adventure was enough. It did not need this sequel.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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salvage mission . . .
Added 6/21/2009
Producer Irwin Allen's, The Poseidon Adventure (1972) was a massive hit that helped fuel the `disaster movie' fad in the 70's. In 1979, sequels were not as common as they are now, but with the success of the original film, and the wave of popularity of disaster films, Beyond the Poseidon Adventure probably seemed like an intriguing project.
Unlike author Paul Gallico's novel, the film version of Beyond the Poseidon Adventure features an entirely new set of characters aboard the overturned luxury liner. Approximately five hours after the original survivors were rescued, two groups board the ship together. One is a salvage operation led by tugboat captain Mike Turner (Michael Caine), his crewman Wilbur (Karl Malden) and Celeste Whitman (Sally Field). The second group is a medical team under the command of Captain Stefan Svevo (Telly Savalas), supposedly on a mission of mercy, they are actually after a cargo of plutonium aboard the Poseidon. Along the way the rescuers discover additional survivors, pursue divergent goals, and face a variety of dangers.
While a decent action adventure, for many reasons Beyond the Poseidon Adventure pales in comparison to the original film. The writing is not as good, and the characters are not as compelling or well developed, and some of the dialog is just awful. The setting of a capsized ship is no longer unfamiliar territory, and with many of the elements of surprise gone, there isn't a lot of tension or real suspense. The survivors exhibit little genuine fear, with both Turner and Svevo proceeding confidently throughout the ship.
While The Poseidon Adventure was directed by Ronald Neame and produced by Irwin Allen, this time Allen is both producer and director. Allen's successful television career was largely built on science fiction adventures that featured action sequences and special effects. His programs were mostly entertaining and often fantasies where realism was not always a strong point. While directing action was his strength, he had less experience in general direction. Leave it to Allen to feature a firefight with automatic weapons in the ship's hold. Fortunately, the barrel with the plutonium isn't hit by a stray bullet. Throughout the film, explosions (utilizing footage from the original film) are repeatedly used to stir things up, or trigger a crisis. There are a couple of nice scenes featuring objects crashing through decks, but some of the action scenes are rather tame or plain silly, like jumping across an opening in the floor. It is remarkable that electrical power is still available, miraculously keeping the ship very well lighted most of the time. The original film is lighted much differently. But where are the sources of light? In the upside down vessel, the light fixtures should be either on the floor, or on the wall near the floor, but few are seen. It is not shown on screen, but Svevo's crew cuts another hole in the ship's hull in order to remove the cargo they came for. The underwater escape by Turner's group from the Poseidon is unexciting, and though they manage to surface in the same spot, somehow Wilbur is lost. Amazingly, although under rifle fire at close range, only one of the survivors is killed swimming to Turner's tugboat. Even a blind man (Jack Warden) makes it to safety. Fortunately, Turner's tug is apparently bulletproof. As the tug speeds away, the good ship Poseidon finally explodes (in a truly unimpressive fashion), destroying Svevo's group, and doing who knows what to that deadly plutonium.
The mostly familiar cast makes for some interesting viewing, as they face danger and physical hardships. Svevo comes off as a cold, brooding and pompous Bond type villain (Savalas was Ernst Stavro Blofeld in On Her Majesty's Secret Service), who delivers his lines magnificently. Peter Boyle as passenger Frank Mazzetti, has a role similar to Ernest Borgnine's Rogo, as the overbearing, continuous questioner of authority, but when the chips are on the line he does not hesitate to act. Wilber (Malden) is hampered by health problems, and can't do very much. Ex-UCLA quarterback Mark Harmon (NCIS), steps up strongly into the starting lineup in the later parts of the film. Slim Pickens is typecast as a cowboy type. Angela Cartwright who worked on Allen's Lost in Space as a child, looks younger than 27 here. The Turner and Whitman relationship starts out rough, doesn't seem to gel, and then fades into the background. Sally Field won the best actress Oscar for Norma Rae this same year (1979), and does what she can with a role that has some very awkward dialog, such as `I hate to be called monkey'. Despite having the `shortest legs' Field more than holds her own in taking on the physical challenges. As Turner, Michael Caine is rather abrasive throughout, not always likeable, but definitely a leader.
The extras include the trailer, and a 20 minute behind the scenes feature that although mostly a puff piece, does contain some interesting information and insight into how Irwin Allen worked. The sequel to The Poseidon Adventure is a mildly exciting action adventure, with a rather weak ending, that may be of interest to fans of the original film, Irwin Allen, or disaster films in general.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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