Simple but quite charming!

Rating: 8/10 (23 October 2004)

Although I never expect The Terminal, directed by the all-time genius Steven Spielberg, to feature bombastic special effects and create major attraction amongst the audience, this little gem turns out to be surprisingly funny and heart-warming compared to most movies I have seen this year. The plot is slightly more of a parody of Robert Zemeckis' Cast Away: Tom Hanks was once stranded in an unknown island. In The Terminal, he's once again stranded, this time however, in an airport in New York City.
Viktor Navorski (the role that Tom plays) comes to America to accomplish one thing that his father has requested before he died but due to conflicts and government overthrow in Krakozhia, his visa and passport are no longer valid in the US, forcing him to stay put within the terminal. To make matters worse, Navorski's English proves to be a pain in the neck, often causing misinterpretations and confusion. But there lies the brilliance of Tom Hanks: every gesture and expression he made in each scene is naturally flawless and hilarious. As in any Spielberg film, the editing is smooth, the camera angles are creatively used in a rather dynamic way and of course, bits and pieces of clever gags to make sure that the audience don't get bored easily. If some speak of some miscast in this movie, well, that may be half true. Catherine Zeta Jones plays her role nicely, Stanley Tucci fits the role of the 'villain' extremely well and the rest manage to give The Terminal a sense of magic even if it isn't obviously there.
I just only hope if Mr. Spielberg spends more time with the romantic relationship between Tom and Catherine but the rest of the production is plain exceptional. Overall, The Terminal is a perfect choice for lovers out there, including those in the airport.