The terminal is a must see movie

Rating: 10/10 (7 September 2004)

Tom Hanks stars as Victor Navorski who has just arrived in New York city from eastern europe, whilst in the air the government of his home country has perished in the wake of a rebelion. Victor's passport is now invalid leaving him unable to return home or enter America. Leaving him with no choice but to live in the airport's terminal unable to speak any English.
The terminal from the start has a lot to live up to, being directed by the god like figure in the movies, Steven Spielberg, who over the past three decades has given us films such as Jaws, ET, Schindlers List, Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan. It also stars Tom Hanks, who in my opinion is one of the greatest actors of our time. Forest Gump, Cast Away, Saving Private Ryan and the Green Mile are films that really standout in my mind. With this mixture of talent you would be expecting something special and that is exactly what the terminal is, something special.
From start to finish in the terminal you can not help but to be drawn to the character of Victor. Tom Hanks gives a standout performance that will touch the hearts of all viewers as he brings the character of Victor to life. Hanks is able to evoke so much humour and emotion from this character that it really makes the terminal a must see.
It would be wrong to say that Hanks is solely responsible for making this film what it is. The support cast of Stanley Tucci's Immigration and security chief who can't do enough to try and get rid of victor, is excellent as always, in a role he seems to relish. also at hand are, Catherine Zeta-Jones, a stewardess who passes through the airport frequently, whilst passing through she meets Victor and then some what frequent encounters between the two begin to happen, gives an enjoyable performance. Kumar Pallana gives a very funny performance of a floor cleaner who loves to see unsuspecting travelers fall flat on their faces as the result of slippery floors.
The terminal is a touching and very funny story that will keep you gripped on watching victor adjust and deal with his surroundings and his interaction with people that he meets. Victor manages to touch the lives of so many that he meets in the terminal that it keeps the story rolling along at a nice pace and at just over 2 hours doesn't make it seem too long. The set itself, Spielberg had a complete terminal built from scratch, is fantastic and makes you feel as though you are caught up there with the characters.
This is a film that I feel is a MUST SEE, even if it is not the sort of film you'd go for.