Pure popcorn entertainment and an astounding achievement

Rating: 10/10 (12 July 2010)

So far, this is the most heavily user-reviewed movie I have encountered in IMDb. Here is yet another one (sorry)! During the summer of 1997, the studios ran grand coming attractions for "Titanic," which capsulized the entire story and even showed in detail what would happen to Jack and Rose. It was tempting to think "...why even see the movie? You already know what is going to happen!" The movie absolutely cleaned up during the holiday season of 1997 and into the first few months of 1998. The theatrical experience of watching it on a big screen with stereo sound was beyond compare (my sister swears that the cinema in Cincinnati where she saw it cranked the air conditioning during the sinking scenes to give viewers an extra dimension to the frigid cold endured by all the passengers).
On the surface, the plot lines and basic story seem trite and contrived (poor boy meets rich girl). The fantastic acting by the leads and the direction of the massive cast of extras along with the superhuman attention to detail are what makes Titanic jump from the screen at the viewer.
Think about the whole "king of the world" sequence with Jack and Fabrizio and the "flying" sequence with Jack and Rose. In the hands of a lesser director, both of these would have come across as self-aggrandizing pap, but the way both scenes is shot and Leo DeCaprio/Kate Winslet's uncanny abilities and chemistry sent a shot of ecstasy throughout the whole theater. These scenes, along with several others, works well to capture the fabulous grandeur of the original Titanic.
What is most often missed in reviews are the performances of actors in lesser roles, such as Billy Zane's turn as an elegant cad, David Warner's perfect casting as the classy "thug" bodyguard, Kathy Bates nailing her gauche, nouveau riche embodiment of the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown (she was a last minute casting), and scores of other astounding recreations from the captain to the top hatted billionaire and his eyes popping out when the water floods the stateroom.
According to the trivia page, cinemas wore out their copies and needed replacements. People have probably also worn out their VHS, DVD and blue-ray copies. Nothing will wear out the enduring appeal of this classic as pure, full-on entertainment.