Truly brilliant - and the nth time viewing . . it sucks!

Rating: Null/10 (23 October 1999)

Spoilers! (ahahh-ahh!! .. rememberin the late Sam K)
This is a film which simply doesn't hold up upon repeated viewing. In fact, this is the only film I have, that I purchased, that seemed to get palpably worse each time I viewed it.
Really, it SHOULD have won the Oscar. It's big budget, it has some good acting, great innovative effects, costumes and so on. Great film. But then it was a very weak year (has been for a couple of years).
Maybe it's that the sob scenes are SO calculated, that the effect or novelty is exposed 2nd/3rd time around. Maybe the flying prow scene just seemed too set-up. Maybe, truly, after seeing the film, the next time, or time after that, when you see it, you think of the real deal, the real ship, the real sinking, and wonder if the Irwin Allen treatment, here, isn't just a little too cynical and a little bit too much blood-money for the film-makers? I don't know.
The 'docu-scenes' that bracket the film will probably hold up the best. The 'Heaven' scene depends on the emotion sweeping you up, and that of course is lost on repeat viewing (but that would be expected). If the film were about something fantastical, unbelievable, wild adventure or weird sci-fi, it could be viewed over and over without a thought given to reality. If it were a character play, from Jane Austen to Shakespeare, it could be repeatedly view precisely for the insights into reality, and appreciated for the fantasy, as well. But this is just Poseidon Adventure, with superficial character studies, and a quick sinking (cause it was) that leaves little time for Shelley Winters, er (whoever), to put in a 'just help me get off of this tub', performance (or was 'Jack' playing Shelley Winters? - ?).
Almost gave the film away to a friend. Almost threw it out. Was surprized I still had it on the shelf. Don't plan to view it anytime soon.