... I felt like I'd been in the THEATRE for nine months

Rating: 5/10 (10 July 2004)

Widely publicized and reviewed, it hardly seems necessary to recount the premise for this one. For tradition's sake, here goes: The Terminal is about Viktor Navorsky, a man forced by bureaucracy to live in an airport terminal for months -- his country, the fictional Krakozhia, has been the victim of a bloody coup during his flight, leaving him with no homeland and no international recognition. He begins with no English whatsoever, and finishes with a high-paying job, friends, romance and an impressive command of the English language.
Parts of this film work, and work well. Tom Hanks is one of the most likable guys in Hollywood, both on- and off-screen. Spielberg, no matter how much you lament his success, is a proven storyteller. He pushes buttons like no other filmmaker on the planet. Whether you appreciate her acting chops or not, Catherine Zeta-Jones has a kind of on-screen shine like few of her peers. And the talented Stanley Tucci, at times, is able to inject some feeling into the one-dimensional bureaucrat responsible for Navorski's stay in travel limbo.
All of those things help to make bits of The Terminal palatable -- unfortunately, Spielberg neglected to use the editing parts of his skills with this picture. All the scenes that don't quite work, the ones that usually end up in the 'deleted scenes' portion of the DVD, that drag the story or give unnecessary distraction for a bit of character development... They're all here in the theatrical release which clocks in at a way-too-long 128 minutes.
The screenplay uses every hackneyed script tool that focus groups approve of: snippets of dialogue, charming at first, repeated at key points in the movie to be pithy, insightful or condescending; unlikely combinations of ethnic characters in supporting roles; the unwavering, nasty antagonist who wavers in the end; the heartfelt quest eventually fulfilled; and the gorgeous love interest where real life would serve up, if any, a wholly average human specimen.
These elements are introduced in such a formulaic fashion that not a one surprises. Each step of the way is overly choreographed, and unfortunately, well-telegraphed. If I could see the future like this at the casino, I'd be a rich man.
Only in the United States could someone become trapped by regulations for such a long time without someone saying, "wait a minute -- the rules weren't meant to do THIS." (The fact that many people believe this movie is based on a true story is testament to the sometimes amazing incredulousness of US Customs & Immigration.)
Only in the United States could so many powerful, talented people get together and make this much of a bore out of this much potential.