They've done it again!

Rating: 10/10 (23 June 2004)

The Magic of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks comes to life in "The Terminal" a seamlessly filmed story of Viktor Navorski, a man with "no country, and No real identity (or so it seems)". The story unfolds in a very lifelike replica of JFK or any one of today's airports across the country. Victor finds himself stranded in The Terminal after his country's government has been taken over by a violent coup.
As time evolves, and Victor is not allowed to leave the terminal, he finds his way thru the day to day life of living in an airport terminal , and trying to make ends meet. He has no money, no way to contact anybody from his home country (try using a 10.00 prepaid phone card to call Krakozhia!)... Soon, to the chagrin of the security department at the airport, Victor is working, living and interacting with the the people who earn their living on the day today workings of the Terminal. This all sounds very commonplace as I describe this, but what is truly amazing is the story that is told just beneath the surface of this wonderful movie.
This is partly a story of loyalty. Loyalty to good things, and to bad things, and what the consequences of them are. In the end, what is good, and true will come through no matter what the obstacles are. Truth prevails, patience wins, and a dream has a birth place...In, The Terminal.
This is a wonderful movie full of laughter, humor, humility and some unabashedly shameful moments as we see people, mostly Americans at their best and worst. There are moments of tears, joy, and laughter. My husband and I saw this together, and the men of the audience truly enjoyed the movie as my husband did. This isn't just a "chick flick" it's a movie for anyone who has ever had a dream, or made a promise and vowed to see that thru no matter what.
Enjoy Tom Hanks in another heart warming performance that will have you completely believing that Victor Navorski truly exists! Tom never lets us down! Saying that, I believe that Catherine-Zeta Jones was wasted in this movie..her role seemed superficial at best, and misplaced and out of sync with the entire pace of the movie at worst. She just doesn't seem to fit. I felt her performance lacked emotional impact in many ways..she just didn't seem to portray the character of someone struggling with the inner demons that are supposedly waging war within her heart and mind. I just didn't buy it....It could have been the writing for her script..something was just off with her character and performance. Fortunately, Tom Hanks can hold any scene and better yet, will anchor any scene all on his own, and will save the day as always, and in that fact, the impact of her performance doesn't cause as much of a problem as it would have if Tom had not been Viktor Navorski.
Well, enough has been said, and I will leave you by saying that this movie is definitely worth the money that you spend to see it, and will be a great addition to your DVD collection when it comes out!! Enjoy the movie, and enjoy Tom and Steve on one of their lighter projects!!
PJ Clearwater FL