SnoReptilePlenty
Memorable, crazy movie
WillSushyMedia
This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
Philippa
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
poisonwc
I don't think my review has any spoilers, but just in case it does, **SPOILER ALERT**This was not a terrible movie, but, let's be honest: it will probably never make it onto "AFI's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time" List. That being said, yes, we all now know the RMS Titanic did not sink in one piece and raising her would be, on too many levels to list here, a big "NO". My copy of the book has a little forward that the book was written before the Titanic was found. All that aside, I would love to see a new "Raise the Titanic" made closer to the book and with the cast from "Sahara" (Before I ever knew Matthew McConaughey existed, his form (for lack of a better word) was my mental image of Dirk Pitt.)
kapelusznik18
***SPOILERS*** The film "Raise the Titanic" has very little to do in finding and raising the tragic and afore mentioned ocean liner but to retrieve the some 500 pounds of Byzaniun that went down to the bottom along with it. That was the reason for the US government to go trough all the trouble of raising the ship in the first place. Were told that back in the winter of 1911/12 the Byzanium was discovered on the then Russian island of Svardlov in the Artic Sea by a team of US prospectors who snuck it out and hid it on the "Titanic" that was due to take its maiden voyage to New York from South Hampton England. As we now all know the "Titanic" didn't quite make it.It's now the late 1970's and it's found out that the Byzanium can not only make nuclear war obsolete as what's called the "Sicilian Defense" project by preventing Soviet nuclear missiles from hitting the US but is also at least 1,000 time more powerful then the atomic bomb that obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki! It's now up to the US Government to get the Byzanium before the Soviet Union finds out about It and where it's buried at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean together with the "Titanic". And thus use it to take over the entire free as well as un-free, that's not controlled by the Soviet Union, world.A bit ridicules at face value but a big hit with its special effects "Raise the Titanic" has the head of this major salvage operation Admiral James "Sandy" Sandecker, Jason Robards,try to rise the "Titanic" not really for historic reasons but to get his hands on the Byzanium before the Soviet Union does. Of course raising the "Titanic" is no easy task and in the end it causes the deaths of a number of US Navy men but like the former US Secretary of State Madilyn "Not all that bright" Allbright said in regard to one of her "Great Accomplishment" in office it was "Well Worth It".***SPOILERS***After all the trouble of raising the "Titanic" it's found out that the Byzanium wasn't trapped in it in the first place. But fear not it's later discovered in an un-mailed post card back from 1911 by the man, US Army sergeant Jake Hobart, who discovered it where in fact he hid it and it wasn't on the "Titanic". With "Sandy" Sandecker as well as his right hand man salvage expert Dirk Pitt, Richard Jordan, leaving it all up with the man Dr. Gene Seagram, David Selby, who came up with the idea of raising the "Titanic" in what to do with the Byzanium he wisely decided, after all the trouble he and the US Government went through in finding it, to just leave it buried.P.S In the movie the "Titanic" was to be found 12,347 feet beneath the North Atlantic Ocean that turned out to actually be, when it was found and detected back in 1985, just off by 68-or at 12,415-feets where it actually was! There was also in the movie one of the last living survivor of the famous and tragic ship John Bigalow played by Sir Alec Guinness who was in fact born in 1914 two years after the "Titanic" was sunk after striking an iceberg on April 12, 1912!
breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com
There are films that are bad, and there ones that look bad, but hold value to them not everyone sees. Raise the Titanic, was loosely based off a novel by Clive Cussler. It is a race between the Americans and Russians trying to obtain a rare mineral that could decide who becomes the top world power. To do this, they must salvage the mineral from the Titanic. The only way to do this is by raising the Titanic; ergo the main titles. This may turn off people because the whole plot line is given away, but that shouldn't be something to squander over. It should be more of what is looked forward to. This film has a lot of good stuff in it.Starring as the main character of Cussler's stories, is Dirk Pitt, played by Richard Jordan. I can't say Jordan is the best choice but he's definitely not bad either. Jordan at least gives the character of Pitt some attitude that comes with the territory. For the most part, the entire film stays faithful to the paperback material. All the characters are in there, along with the most important scenes. One might say that this movie was thought to perform well because Alec Guinness, best known as Obi-Wan Kenobi, from Star Wars, plays a character as well in the story.On a side note, a particular element that could have been left out of story was the relationship between Gene and Dana Seagram. The same goes for the book but the way the situation was handled here was half-baked. From beginning to the midway point, there were various scenes that show strains on these two characters' marital status and then out of nowhere,...it stops. They get into an argument and Gene temporarily leaves Dana but the issue is never resolved. So why have it? It doesn't make sense to start something and not finish it. Adam Kennedy and Eric Hughes wrote the screenplay; so my question is, who skimmed over this part? Also some people may think the story drags but it all builds up to good ending.Besides this, there are multiple things to find enjoyable in this movie. First, the special effects. Of course it's "1980" special effects but none the less they are a sight to look at. From the submarines, to the Titanic itself, the props look really authentic. It's when the Titanic is brought to the surface that the view is beautiful. Although audiences may be annoyed to find out that the Titanic is in one piece. But what do you expect? The novel and this film where produced years before the Titanic was even discovered. It's fiction anyway, so why be so critical on accuracy when practically this whole film is inaccurate in real life?One of the most wondrous moments that takes place in this film is when Dirk Pitt enters the Titanic when it is above the water. It is truly a sight to behold and all this should do is make each of us just a little hungrier to see the Titanic for ourselves. It's plain epic. Another great aspect to Raise the Titanic is the soundtrack composed and conducted by music veteran John Barry. Barry puts in a lot of good tunes and has a gift for making the Titanic look awesome just for being on screen. His music is that moving and it's almost to the point of being angelic. For those who are skeptical, it's still at least worth a try to view.Except for a few issues dealing with the script, the film adaptation of Raise the Titanic is respectively a suitable tribute to the White Star Line cruise ship. The effects are dated but they are worthy to be seen as is Barry's score heard.
Wizard-8
I remember years ago as a child when I heard about this movie when it was about to be released, and I was thrilled - I was obsessed with the Titanic as a child. When it didn't get released in my city, I was pretty annoyed. It did get me to seek out a copy of the novel the movie was based on and read it - I thought the novel was pretty good, and it got me to read additional novels by Clive Cussler (which I think are pretty good adventure yarns.) Years later, I did finally get to see the movie, but I forgot pretty much all of it as additional years progressed. Seeing the movie was now on DVD, I decided to give it another go.It didn't take me long into the movie to discover the most likely reason I had forgotten the movie. This is an incredibly slow and boring movie. There's no sense of awe or excitement. Much of the movie consists of people talking endlessly or underwater footage of mini submarines cruising along at a very slow speed. The filmmakers ignored the various adventures in the book, and simply didn't seem to see the potential of adding new (and thrilling) stuff during the screen adaptation.Is there any good stuff here? Well, the actual ship raising is fairly thrilling (though the majority of the other special effects in the movie are surprisingly crummy.) There is a good score by John Barry (though they keep repeating the same bars of his music over and over.) Alec Guinness adds some life to the movie with his brief appearance. (The rest of the cast, while not really bad, seem to be performing with little enthusiasm.) But this little good stuff is not nearly enough to save the movie.) P.S. - Lions Gate should be embarrassed by the DVD they put out for this movie. Not only is the movie presented in full-screen (except for the opening/closing credits), they used an old master made for one of the movie's VHS releases!
