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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
With the ever present ticking of a clock and nerve-wracking machine sounds, this is a taut, nifty disaster thriller, with the cruise ship HMS Britannic sailing to America, unknowingly with 7 bombs scattered aboard, set to explode; they have multiple booby-traps, and the saboteur wants not only money but revenge against the system that in his twisted mind feels slighted him.
The cast is great, with Richard Harris as the head of a demolition team, David Hemmings as his right-hand man, Omar Sharif as the ship's captain, and Anthony Hopkins as the man in charge of finding the bad guy (whose wife and children are aboard the ship); Shirley Knight, Ian Holm, and Roy Kinnear round out the cast.
The cast is great, with Richard Harris as the head of a demolition team, David Hemmings as his right-hand man, Omar Sharif as the ship's captain, and Anthony Hopkins as the man in charge of finding the bad guy (whose wife and children are aboard the ship); Shirley Knight, Ian Holm, and Roy Kinnear round out the cast.
The direction by Richard Lester, better known for his comedic musical films with The Beatles and not thrillers, is fast paced, with some superb effects; I especially like the suspenseful moments when the demolition crew arrives on the scene, parachuting into the stormy sea.
The screenplay by producer Richard DeKoker is intelligent, raising this film up from the average production in this genre, and the cinematography by Gerry Fisher excellent. The score by Ken Thorne is also good, but mostly one can only hear the tick...tick...tick...of the bomb.
Total running time is 109 minutes.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Less spectacular and big budget than the contemporary Towering Inferno and Earthquake, this slick, clever thriller shows just what tenacious UK producers could do with a few pennies. Great cast line-up including Richard Harris and a well-fed David Hemmings. Filmed mainly on board a rusty cruise liner in dreadful weather, it could only ever be a British film. Clifton James makes an appearance as well as a stereotyped boorish American tourist - passing through on his way from the James Bond 'Golden Gun' stage, probably. Roy Kinnear appears as the reluctant entertainments officer offering just the right amount of comedy relief.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A liner in the middle of a storm riven Atlantic. 8 bombs aboard set to go off at dawn. A race against time to catch the bobmer and defuse the devices. So far so standard 1970's disaster movie. But there is something that sets this apart from the rest. There are no hysterically overdone performances here, heroic dramatic sacrifices, tearful confessions or the other overacted staples of the genre. That isn't to say there isn't a feeling of tension - there's plenty of that. But the understated performances of many of the cast, especially those portraying the passengers, really does give the impression of normal people dealing with extraordinary circumstances.
Richard Harris finds himself perfectly cast as the head of the bomb disposal team, scarred by a life spent on the edge. Anthony Hopkins as the detective quitely and calmly trying to find the bomber turns in a worthy performance. Ian Holme stands out as the beleagured chair of the liner company. The best turn though is Roy Kinnear's entertainment officer, trying to keep everyone's spirits up in those last few fateful hours.
The scenes of the attempts to defuse the bombs are totally gripping, and contrast well with the stories of the passengers waiting nervously until dawn for their fate. It is this contrast of quite realistic high drama with the tales of the 'ordinary folk' that makes this film such a standout for me.
A must see film.
Richard Harris finds himself perfectly cast as the head of the bomb disposal team, scarred by a life spent on the edge. Anthony Hopkins as the detective quitely and calmly trying to find the bomber turns in a worthy performance. Ian Holme stands out as the beleagured chair of the liner company. The best turn though is Roy Kinnear's entertainment officer, trying to keep everyone's spirits up in those last few fateful hours.
The scenes of the attempts to defuse the bombs are totally gripping, and contrast well with the stories of the passengers waiting nervously until dawn for their fate. It is this contrast of quite realistic high drama with the tales of the 'ordinary folk' that makes this film such a standout for me.
A must see film.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Juggernaut
I first watched this film many years ago and even though I have seen it several times it still manages to hold the tension even though I know the ending.
Published 3 months ago by Reverend C. Waters
ashley's dad, an international terrorist ??......
saw this film years ago, great little time filler and good performance all round, especially Roy Kinnear's comic imput as the under pressure and much unappreciated ship's... Read more
Published 7 months ago by A. L. Simpson
Medicinal effect
You have come to the right place. You look tired, worn and just a little angry. You need break from the multiple Matt Damon/Liam Neeson/Tom Cruise thrillers that modern life has... Read more
Published 9 months ago by rampton uk
An excellent film
I have watched this film several times on the TV and decided to get a copy. Richard Harris is Excellent, Omar Sharif is a little wooden as the Captain of the Britannic. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Happybeaver
Great thriller
Based on a real-life incident where the PIRA claimed to have put bombs on the QE2 and the SBS parachuted onto it in mid-ocean, this is a great thriller. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Blaise F. Egan
Blue or red wire????
This is essentially a very good film, full of suspense and drama. However, the end of the film ruined it for me. Read more
Published 17 months ago by IrishSetter
Look! He came as a dog.
Creditable for its edge of the seat plot, good character performances by Ian Holm and Anthony Hopkins, and a memorable appearance by the late, great Roy Kinnear, bless him. Read more
Published 17 months ago by vbprogman
Still fantastic after all these years!
And even better than many recent thrillers . . . one could even say this could have inspired the 1997 laughfest SPEED 2 and the Hallmark POSEIDON ADVENTURE remake/retelling with... Read more
Published on 23 April 2010 by Mr N Forbes-warren
Good...
I'd forgotten how tense with an element of brutality this film was when you consider the other disaster films of the same era. Read more
Published on 8 Oct 2009 by Gerard F. Smith
BOMBS ON BOARD
GOOD DRAMA, WONDERING IF THE BOMB OR BOMBS WOULD BE EXPLODING ON BOARD THE HUGE SHIP, AND RICHARD HARRIS TRYING TO DEFUSE THEM WITH THE HELP OF HIS MATES, WHILE THE PASSENGERS... Read more
Published on 23 July 2009 by June Rough
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