Movie Review - Juggernaut

Juggernaut

1974

The Cast

On paper, this film should not be as monotonously sleep-inducing as it actually is.  That isn't the roar of the engines or the crashing of the waves against the ships hull you hear... it's the audiences snoring...

The story tells the tale of two courageous men... bomb disposal technicians.  Who have to cope with, not just one, but several cleverly constructed devices onboard a cruise liner.  This should, in itself, bring in a multitude of ways to create an interesting film.  Tension, suspense, panic, and fear at the very least.  Well, no!  The very least appears to be a total disappearance of these elements.  The way most of the movie is filmed is in such a fashion to hinder these feelings untenable.  For example, the scene where the heroes board the ship.  This should have been one exciting moment as the ship is in rough seas and the men are parachuting in from a plane... wasn't a helicopter available(?)  Of course one of them ends up in the sea and has to clamber onto a rope to survive.  However, this is rendered boring by bad editing and worse filming as the scene is shot from a distance and the sea spray renders the shot near impossible to view.  There are a lot of distance shots throughout.  This, at times - though not always, adds interesting camera viewpoints...  however, there's usually very little happening in these instances; a man walking through an office, a group of passengers dancing, a man walking through a bank, etc...  I believe the director was going for a realistic approach but on the whole, realism is boring.  I want my films to invigorate me, at least a little.  Take the ballroom scene when all the passengers are informed of the explosive predicament they are in.  Do they panic?  Do they get anxious and upset?  Do tempers and attitudes start to flair?  No, they just mope about; evidently, the pay for extra's was non-existent after paying for the good cast.  I've never seen a group look so bored.  So much for striking terror into the hearts of people!

Even the actors appear to suffer from the same malignity of dullness as their characters often appear two dimensional and flat.  The worst is Omar Sharif who's rendition of Captain Alex Brunel is so laid back and paper-thin he's almost not there.  Poor Old Roy Kinnear is just annoying as the Social Director of the cruise.  His jokes are worse than bad and his delivery is terrible.  The only thing funny is his name, Curtain - a good name for a person who arranges the entertainment; though I do wish they'd dropped the curtain at the start of this disastrous movie.

Not even the likes of Richard Harris, David Hemmings, Anthony Hopkins, and Ian Holm can lift this out off the doldrums... at times, Ian Holm looks as if he could join the audience for a snooze.  The best actor in the whole film, who actually adds an engaging spark, is Freddie Jones as Sidney Buckland.  If only the rest of the cast and characters were as appealing.  However, one character in a busload is too little... and he's not even a major character.

There are much better films of this ilk out there so I'd recommend you check out one of them rather than this film.

I give this a Juggernaut Of A Disastrous 3.75 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - The Cassandra Crossing

The Cassandra Crossing

1976

The Cast

I haven't seen this one in years and it's surprising how much actually stays in your memory.  Luckily for me, a TV station that specialises in old movies and television dramas decided to show this flick.  It was the star-studded cast that drew me to it, along with the storyline - I do like a good disaster film.

The first thing I have to do is praise the opening sequence as being one of the best I've ever seen.  It's a flight across Geneva to the World Health Organisation.  It's such a steady and beautiful shot that it really sticks in my mind.  

We then find out why we're at the WHO.  A terrorist group are about to break in and try to blow up the building.  However, their attempt is foiled.  Though, in the process, a couple of them are doused in a liquid that contains a fatally infectious disease.  One of the two is shot on site, though the other makes it out of the building to escape into a nearby rail station and an awaiting train.  Once onboard the audience is privileged to watch the spread of the infection as the escapee stumbles through the carriages.

What adds to the power of the film is the interconnecting stories of the travellers on the train.  Some are hiding secrets, some are hiding from life, some are trying to make the best of the life they have, and some are falling in love.  The diversity of characters and their realism only adds strength to the story and film.  Though I will say that the strongest and best character, for me, was Herman Kaplan who is brilliantly portrayed by Lee Strasberg.

On the whole, the directing and story is pretty average, though there are a few good scenes, such as the helicopter pickup - this gets you on the edge of your seat.  Then when we're coming to the climax the continual flashes to the dilapidated bridge do add an air of expectation and tension.

If there is one drawback it's the length of the film.  It could have done with losing a few minutes, just to tighten up the pace a little.  But that's it.  The ending is superb and actually sent a shiver down my spine and left a sarcastic smile on my face.

This is a pretty good film to watch on a Sunday Afternoon when you're podged with Sunday Dinner.  I would recommend this one to all the thriller and conspiracy lovers out there in the world, well worth a view or two.

I give this a heart beating and train stopping 6.75 out of 10.

The Trailer