I never read the book. The movie tempo worked pretty well for me although I had a good idea what to expect long before the end. Hanks was not up to his usual calibre performance although better than the critics are giving him credit for. One test of a movie for me is my perception of it's length. I was drawn in enough not to feel 2.5 hours was too long. I hope the summer has more and better in store for us but this was a solid film worth seeing. Howard has never let me down completely before.
May 2006 Archives
The casting director managed to enlist just about every youg startlet that has caught my eye lately. This was pretty effective in distracting me from the shortcomings of this pre-summer thrill ride. I was disappointed to see the beauty from Alias (Mia Maestro) portrayed as such a wimp. The gal from Day After Tomorrow (Emmy Rossum) was radiant as ever but had a poorly developed character, as did all of the cast. The opening sequence was probably the highlight of the show (ala Titanic). If Poseidon were an hour longer it may have had enough time for character development to be memorable. It was of course doomed without the likes of Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine.
p.s. Oops, almost forgot to mention that Poseidon is distributed on IMAX screens. It won't help the character development but that may become even less important. The opening sequence is probably INCREDIBLE.
I hesitate to accept the Mac zealot label that I seem to have been saddled with. At most I am simply anti-Microsoft. We are entering into an age where this choice will no longer be relevant anyway. Within a year ot two it will be simple matter to use almost any software without having to make a choice. It's pretty safe to assume Apple will offer the best experience. It is my intention to replace my work laptop with a Macbook Pro that will run MacOS, Windoze and Linux all in parallel with very little effort. The experience will only become more seemless as time passes. Soon the idea of Mac, Windows or Linux will simply not exist. Software will simply work, much like what Java promised and never delivered. It's a brave new world of virtualization and I for one can't wait.
In some ways entry into my 44th year feels no different than all the rest. I'm 20 pounds heavier this birthday and no less neurotic. But there is cause for celebration too. Upon reflection I have a career that was handed to me some decade ago by a friend who probably fails to grasp the magnitude of his act. Most boys have dreamed of being involved with NASA and the space program, even in a peripheral way. I have the pleasure of a job I would likely do mostly for free. I get to know and work with some of the best and most selfless people on earth. 5 years ago I was dealing with the death of my parents, with one gone and the other not far behind. I was bankrupt and depressed with the job the only thing keeping me sane. Now I am well into the black ink and much more secure. I still love the job and the respect it seems to command. I have seen and done some incredible things. Among them, flying a helicopter over the Golden Gate, watching war birds racing around the Nevada desert at 500 mph and watching Formula One cars racing through the streets of Long Beach. I have beheld natural wonders that defy description. Having seen and done all those things you would think I would be satisfied to be totally without any family, especially since there doesn't seem to be much I can do about it. I guess the grass is always greener...
p.s. Special thanks to my good friend Andrew who remembered me today on my birthday
