Somehow, I came out of the theater and rated it an 8/10

Rating: 8/10 (29 June 2004)

Where do I start with this one? This is a movie that one can easily pick apart for any number of reasons, all argued persuasively on this site...everything from the annoying product placements or integrations, hokey story lines, underdeveloped characters, changes in tone and character motivations ...Looking back on the movie, it is far from perfect, and yet....
As I watched it, The Terminal earned a certain good will, and I did willfully suspend my disbelief for it. I give Tom Hanks much of the credit for this (Who else could've pulled this off? Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, I don't know) because if you don't like his character and if you can't see the movie through his eyes, this movie will go nowhere (no pun intended on his Victor's plight). The other acting was fine: I happen to think CZ-Jones is very talented and not only beautiful, and she did fine with what she had to work with. The almost romance btwn her and Hanks is just okay. The support from Tucci and the rest is on the whole. very strong.
A couple more observations: To me, the comedy worked so much better in this movie than the gravity. I thought that the scene where Victor is called in to calm down a passenger is heavy-handed, the 'quickie-marriage was a bad end to a decent story line, and Gupta's surrender was also too shrill a moment
But having said all that, if I rated it element by element, it may get a 6/10 at best ...but as I watched it, it was an "8", for Hanks, for his support and for a few great laughs! Not quite Frank Capra quality, but basically a good-natured film with a romantic sensibility.