The Impossible takes you inside the tsunami of 2004

Rating: 8/10 (30 April 2013)

While you hear about major event son the news all the time, seeing them come to life on the big screen brings them more to life giving viewers a bit of a closer idea of what those involved went through. One of the most shocking natural disasters took place in 2004 when a tsunami hit across Indonesia taking the lives over 200,000 people. This tragic event has now been brought to life in the film The Impossible based on one family experiences during this event, but is it able to convey the terror and desperation these people lived through?
The Impossible follows a family on Christmas vacation in Thailand. While hanging out by the pool enjoying the sun and fun, there comes a roar in the distance that will change their lives forever. This is an intense and powerful film that delivers way more than you may have thought from the initial trailers. The cast all do a great job with each of them having to convey a variety of emotions. The story is so insanely unbelievable you have to see it to believe it. Seeing what these people had to endure to survive not only keeps you on edge, but also gets you thinking about what other people had to endure that was easily much worse. The story structure really makes this film even more powerful than it may have been if delivered straight forward. It starts a bit slow while setting things up and makes you almost forget what is coming, only to suddenly slap you in the face when it hits the fan and never truly let's up. Sure there isn't much action beyond the initial destructive force, but the sheer drama and torment these people deal with in the aftermath will keep you stressed and on the edge of your seat. In addition it bounces back and forth between the various characters telling their stories, but still keeping the primary focus on the initial leads. High praise for both the actors and filmmakers for the choice to use and endure actual water on set for the scenes as opposed to all CGI. There is some CGI of course, but the scenes that are the most effective are those watching them really deal with the danger of the water. This keeps you invested in the film and the believability constant.
While this movie looked good from the trailers it delivers a lot more than you would expect. The performances are great; the visuals are beautiful and terrifying and it respectfully tackles a tragic event with intensity and passion to let you understand a small bit of what these people really dealt with. There are two sequences that to describe may not sound all that bad, but visually are brutal to watch and will no doubt effect you on some level which is what a great film is supposed to do.