The Impossible isn't quite mission accomplished, but is probably on the better side of most likely genre contenders.

Rating: 7/10 (3 January 2013)

A Hall Of Fame/ Walk Of Shame Review
With the sun set on the horizon of 2012, the flood gates open for 2013's rather hefty load of comic book sequels and horror reboots, with some looking promising and others nauseating. But leading the charge of the new year is The Impossible, a families true story of survival during 2004's devastating Tsunami (with only the ethnicity of the family being altered from Spanish to British as some sort of insensitive marketing technique).
The cast is fronted by Naomi Watts and Ewan McGreggor, who awkwardly deliver underwhelming dialogue in the scenes leading up to the pivotal catastrophe. The sense of unity and family is never entirely established because the on-screen chemistry seems forced and slightly 'robo-tronic', with the child actors actually upstaging their piers, as their playful innocence seems more organic than their parents' stiff interaction. This could perhaps be director Juan Antonio Bayon inability to direct actors in none distressing scenes, as both lead performances and new comer Tom Holland performances start sloppy but thankfully pick up as the film goes on and the situation get more intense with no favours from the wishy-washy screenplay.
However, if conversation isn't Bayon's forte, then visual direction most certainly is with The Impossible being filled to the brim with astounding shots of total destruction, with the tidal wave act definitely surpassing Eastwood's efforts in Hereafter (hmm, you don't remember it either?) The cinematography and set design is an achievement in it's self, remaining slightly unnerving how Bayonmanages to keep such malfunction under such control. The make-up on the injuries is unsettlingly profound, really pushing the boundaries of blood and injury in a PG-13 film. The wide shots of the panic in the hospitals and wards needs to be applauded, however Bayon does manage to drop the ball when it comes to commemorating the lives lost of the countries natives and portrays a almost 'I Am Legend' like aura in a disaster claiming 30,000 lives. This refrains the film from much needed authenticity, but it's enough to keep you somewhat engaged in the survival and discovery of the other family members.
Disaster movies do suffer from taking lulls after the main attraction hits in its second half (in this case, with waves from the Indian oceans tearing up the scenery) but to it's credit, The Impossible quite comfortably pulls off interest in it's 114 minute running time, with an execution that isn't too sweet, but savage either, but just right. It's moving without being upright tear jerking, which is surprising considering it's subject matter, probably due to cliché secondary characters weighing down the realism when it comes to panic and social interaction.
So, to conclude
More of an achievement than a mission accomplished, The Impossible succeeds in it's visuals, but isn't quite the triumph when it comes to it's human side. Moving with out leaving you distraught, positive without leaving you inspired. Will offend by the thousands, but is probably on the better side of most likely genre contenders.