Impossible Missions

Rating: 5/10 (26 February 2013)

Aside from all I read about the changes to the "real" true story of the family portrayed in The Impossible, the movie did manage to move me in spots. Of course, that was the main reason for the movie, I believe.
The movie is a real straight forward account of a family of Christmas breakers at a holiday resort swept away, literally, by a tsunami they had absolutely no chance of escaping or could possibly know was on its way. Not only must that be scary, but they surely showed how caught off guard they were and what anyone of us would experience.
The remaining story is the family either staying together or separating and trying to get back together in one Hallmark moment after the next. Really, I'm not trying to downplay their plight, and again, the movie truly got me going at a few scenes. But, then that seemed more its mission than to tell a great story.
To me, it might have been even more moving had a story been told about a completely less fortunate family or islander's struggles. This family was wealthy and had the grand fortune of the mother being a doctor. And I don't want to spoil the ending, but damn, I felt incredibly less sorry for these folks once you see the privilege they had compared to all the less financially backed families "our heroes" left behind.
(Just the next paragraph is a spoiler. If you object, skip just one paragraph.)
Example: with so many either dying, infected, in agony or had dead family members, this family of 5 take up an entire plane to go get "top medical" help in another country, when so many seats could've been used to help those left behind to rot or die. If that ending doesn't p|ss you off on how little they did or what could've been done to aid even just a few dozen more victims, then your heart is in the wrong place.
SPOILER OVER. Okay, the movie wasn't too bad, and mercifully, very quick. That was probably because there was so little build up, and even less plot during. But, if you're looking for an intentional tear-jerker, this is your Lifetime movie for a Saturday night.