Over-rated and over-blown but worth seeing

Rating: 7/10 (3 January 2002)

When Michael Bay made Pearl Harbor, he must have been watching this film over and over again. He repeated many of its strengths and all of its weaknesses.
Both films are modern retakes on unforgettable historical events. Both feature spectacular special effects and appealing, talented actors. And both films are rendered mediocre by the same weaknesses: a hackneyed, cliche-ridden romance plot and the weak, clunky dialogue that accompanies it. Add in a few two-dimensional stock characters to back up our young lovers and you've got the modern Hollywood version of the historical epic. Kurosawa and Lean must be spinning in their graves.
Nonetheless, I have to give Cameron some credit. He may not have made a really great film since The Terminator or maybe Aliens, but he's never made a boring one to my knowledge. Titanic entertains in spite of its weaknesses--it moves along at a good clip and is well-photographed. Cameron certainly captures the look of the era.
The bulk of the credit for this film's success, however, must got to the two charismatic leads. DiCaprio and especially Winslet do an admirable job with the limited material they're given. The scene that worked best for me was when Rose has to rescue Jack, who's been left handcuffed in a room that's rapidly sinking below the waterline. After trying (unsuccessfully) to get men to help her--the expected course of action for a young woman of her time--Rose grabs and axe and sets out to rescue her lover, swallowing back tears and her uncertainty. We see her, in that moment, taking the first steps towards becoming the bold, confident older woman charmingly portrayed by Gloria Stuart in the modern-day sequences.
Cameron's very good at showing female characters finding previously untapped depths of character and strength, and he successfully goes back to that well in Titanic. If only he'd punched up the dialogue and done justice to some of the secondary characters, Titanic could have been a great film. As it is, it's just okay. 7/10--barely.