The Terminal---- hop aboard

Title:
The Terminal (B+)
PH Release Date:
Sept. 8, 2004
Actors:
Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci, Diego Luna, Chi Mcbride, Zoe Saldana
Director:
Steven Spielberg
Story & Screenplay:
Andrew Niccol & Sacha Gervasi / Sacha Gervasi & Jeff Nathanson
Editor / Music:
Michael Kahn / John Williams
Design / Photography:
Alex McDowell / Janusz Kaminski
Producer:
Laurie MacDonald, Walter F. Parkes, Steven Spielberg
Studio:
Dreamworks

“Life is waiting---- but not for you”

Tom Hanks stars as Viktor Navorski, a funny, compassionate man who most of the time acts smart but looks like a moron, which is not far from the character that he played that just captured our tenuous hearts (life is like a box of chocolates strike a chord?). Upon arriving at the finely emulated JFK Airport, his country, the republic of Karkoszia, premeditatedly underwent a military coup. This encumbered him from getting out of the Big Apple and bequeathed the foundation of the entire story. He moseyed around the terminal, befriended the three stooges, fell for a flight attendant and incensed a balding supervisor--- all in a delayed flights work.

Just when you thought that Spielberg would jump from an old genre to a new one, well, it doesn’t happen. He remains to be my favorite director (Hi, I’m Dawson Leery) because he’s the only director who I admired every single work except that one Tom Cruise movie, I didn’t like that one. But despite that, he’s undeniably one of the most if not the most talented director around, the ultimate storyteller since Lola Basiang, And he remains to be for me after watching this movie.

The story was okay; despite the fact that it was too good to be true I still came across a couple of people who thought it was biographical. But if they watched the movie I know they won’t think the same way. I know that sometimes you gotta imagine stuff and alter reality to achieve the story you want, but this movie kinda over altered.

Tom Hanks did a terrific job as always, playing the seemingly stupid guy. Catherine was okay too. I adore Stanley Tucci as an actor and in this movie he proved just how good he is. Chi Mcbride (Boston Public) was still good and Diego Luna remains to pick just the right movies. He’s very intelligent when it comes to taking roles and I think it was a good choice to this cast. I also loved Zoe Saldana’s acting, it was so sweet and natural.

The production design in this movie was superb, undeniably great. It wasn’t a real airport but it looked exactly like the JFK airport (not that I’ve been there). The cinematography was cool too, you know how Spielberg likes it, simple but captivating. The music was okay and the editing was good.

Generally, this movie was a lesser version of Catch me if you can. It was less funny, less real, less dramatic, less acting feat and etc. This is a bubblegum Spielberg movie so just don’t expect too see something really mind-blowing or overwhelmingly moving. It’s simple and nice, but I warn you, it might get a little dry for you in some point, but don’t cancel your flight.