The epitome of a fake Hollywood movie

Rating: 3/10 (27 June 2004)

If you ever want to see an example of what modern independent film makers point to when they talk about superficial and false Hollywood movies see The Terminal. The Terminal is a highly implausible and manufactured story of this guy stuck in a New York Air Port for God only knows how long. This movie presents the audience with a series of unreal characters and situations and tries to pass it off as drama or romance. Consider the character that Stanley Tucci plays; why does he hate Victor Navorski so much? Is he really jeopardizing his chance to move up in the ranks? Is he even that annoying? It's really none of those reasons, the only reason he hates him is because the movie requires a villain. Just like the movie requires a stupid romance based on chance meetings. The Catherine Zeta Jones character is really pathetic too. She complains about being forced to wait for this guy for 7 years and being a stewardess for 20 years. Well it's her own fault. She choose to have an adulteress affair with a married man, and chose to keep waiting on him (here's a tip girls, if you have been going out with a married guy for more then 5 years and he hasn't left his wife yet, he isn't going to and you are getting played). I guess I can forgive her being a stupid character, because guess what that's not even the dumbest romance in the movie. That dubious honor goes to the one because the cute girl at the passport approval desk and the Hispanic guy who drives the food cart. In this whirlwind romance the guy wants to ask her out but is afraid to (ok nothing too out of the ordinary yet)...so he asks this guy from eastern Europe who has been stuck in the airport (and who he hardly knows) to find stuff out about her so that they can fall in love. The girl apparently just as stupid gives Tom Hanks all sorts of information and then without ever meeting the guy agrees to marry him after Tom Hanks gives her a ring. I don't know about you all but if I was working a desk job somewhere and some guy from Eastern Europe (or from anywhere really) starts asking me questions about myself and then one day gives me a ring and asks me to marry this other guy who I have never seen before in my life, I would have to respectfully decline. Along with this romance the movie has other stupid characters including this old Indian janitor (and just between you and me I wanted to see him get deported, and if Spielberg had any balls left show the 7-7 prison cell that old fart would be living in for the remainder of his days). The reason Tom Hanks came to America is a mystery (and I won't spoil it for you) but it's really stupid and definitely a movie contrivance. There are far more ridiculously implausible scenes in the movie, and none of which are very funny or heart warming. The Terminal is a movie with a ridiculous plot that could be found in a movie from the 20s or 30s without the charm. It's hard to believe that the guy who brought us such films as Jaws, Jurassic Park, and Schindler's List is reduced to this.