Rating:  -
Seriously, this is one of my favorite movies! Granted it's got a hackneyed script and having a nuclear submarine head off the Russians (we were still in the "Cold War" remember?) was a bit far fetched, but what makes it a favorite is:
Richard Jordan - Always a treat to watch act, no matter if he is playing Harley on the Equalizer or General Armistead in Gettysburg.
Sir Alec Guiness and Jason Robards for the same reasons.
The best part - the first 15 minutes when you have the excellent John Williams score interspersed with photos of the actual Titanic before it's maiden voyage. Not even James Horner, with Cameron's Titanic comes close. It brings back the feeling of the era and the pathos of man thinking that humans could design a "ship that God, himself, couldn't sink".
This is definitely worth a watch even if you find you don't like it. It's a couple of hours well spent.
Rating:  -
I had already read Clive Cussler's fine novel "Raise The Titanic!" upon which this film was based before I saw it in 1980.
After having red the other reviews posted here, these are my personal thoughts:
Richard Jordan - I like this actor. He did a fine Job as National Security Advisor Jeffery Pelt in the film "Hunt For Red October", based on Tom Clancy's novel of the same name.
I disagree with others who have said here that he was mis-cast at Dirk Pitt. I felt that, given a better script and better direction, Jordan would certainly have pulled it off much better.
No, the casting was not a flaw in this film for me. But the writing, directing, and execution of this film left out the best parts of the book. The relationship between Dirk Pitt and Dana Seagram was so quickly glossed over in the movie compared to what it had been in the book, that in the film it served no purpose at all. The strain between Pitt and Gene Seagram was likewise watered down in the film to the point of being useless to the story.
The book had far more tension, drama, suspense, and emotion in it's pages than the film did. The tragedy is not that the film lacked what the book delivered, but that the film lacked SO MUCH of what the book delivered.
I agree that John Barry's music score was one of the pluses of the film, but it did not SAVE the film. A good movie needs more than a good music soundtrack.
The fact that the real Titanic, discovered five years after this film's release, was revealed to be broken in two or three sections and virtually impossible to salvage, ruins the film for some, and I understand that.
Still, had this film not glossed over the book to the extent that it did, it would have been and remained a very entertaining and thought-provoking film even after the discovery of the Titanic by Bob Ballard.
And I, for one, do hope that any eventual American DVD of this film, if ever released, will include extras that will also include a tribute to the late Richard Jordan, who I thought was a fine actor.
Rent this film for a rainy afternoon when you've nothing better to do. But if you really want to enjoy the story, read Clive Cussler's novel instead. And if you like the music score, then get a cd of the soundtrack and listen to that instead of watching the film.
The film has it's fun moments, but I recommend Cussler's oroiginal novel. That's excellent writing that was put to sahme by this film so badly that Clive Cussler avoided film studios for a long time after this film was released.
Rating:  -
This entertaining adaptation of the Clive Cussler novel is readily available on DVD in Europe. Armed with a region-free player and you have access to a whole wealth of movies that are not released yet in Region 1 for example HIGH ROAD TO CHINA (Region 2), SILVER BEARS (Region 4), WHEN EIGHT BELLS TOLL (Region 2) and THE FOURTH PROTOCOL (Region 2) to name just a few.
This movie may take some liberties with the Clive Cussler novel and the plot may be implausible but I still love this movie. If you approach this production as just a fun adventure movie you will likely enjoy it, it has its scenes of high tension (Cold War-era Russians flexing their military muscle) and some pretty nifty special effects (who can forget the image of the liner rising from the waters). The movie is perfectly complimented by a simply beautiful score by James Bond composer John Barry whose stirring ballads evoke a sense of nostalgia and passion.
This movie was released in 1980 and the real Titanic was not discovered for another four or five years so there was at that point a fascination as to why nobody seemed able to find the ocean liner. The search for the liner in the depths of the ocean includes some fabulous underwater photography and the MgGuffin (plot device to move the story along) of a rare ore leads to some great detective work from the opening in the Arctic Circle to the very end.
It is also worthwhile to note the gravitas that are lended to the proceedings by the inclusion of Sir Alec Guinness (of David Lean and STAR WARS fame) in a small but amiable role as a survivor of the ocean liner and Jason Robards as Sandecker. The always appealing and very attractive Anne Archer is also in the cast and (since I saw this movie before I read any of the books) to this day I still picture Richard Jordan as Dirk Pitt.
I enjoyed the whole drama of the production, give this movie a chance and I'm sure you will too.
Rating: -
Recently released on DVD in Australia, this movie is not as bad as you mya have heard. Remember, it was filmed in 1980 when the mystery of the Titanic's exact whereabouts were still unknown. Also, no-one knew what condition it was in, people naturally assumed it would be preserved because of the sea. What I like about this film is it gave audiences the chance to "imagine" what it would have been like to search the ocean floors looking for the great ship, and then attempting to raise it. In 1985, National Geographic located the Titanic and revealed that the ship had broken in two, and many of the parts were affected by the environment.
This DVD has been tricky to locate over the years. Finally I have got my hands on a copy which is glorious widescreen (although the cover incorrectly statedfull-frame). This is the only way to see the great special effects before CGI came about. Overall, a film worth owning if you have an interest in all that is Titanic. Let your mind wander a little.
Rating: -
Entertaining film based on a good book by Clive Cussler. Richard Jordan, always a pleasure to watch, shines as the hero Dirk Pitt. Anne Archer is excellent as well. The scenes of the Titanic breaking the surface of the Atlantic Ocean accompanied by a moving score makes one of the highlights of the film. Perhaps not an award winning film but definitely an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.
Can't wait for the DVD version to be released, hopefully with some bells & whistles and perhaps a tribute to the late Richard Jordan.
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