It tells the story of a handful of passengers aboard a luxury liner making its final voyage before being sent to the scrap yard. A giant wave caused by an underwater earthquake capsizes the ship just minutes after midnight on New Year's Eve. The only chance for survival is for the passengers to make their way “up" to the ship's hull where the steel is one inch thick.

Several things make this a great movie.

One is the sets and the way the cast of characters make their way through the upside down ship. Their journey through this sinking maze is fraught with danger. It is brilliantly conceived and executed. Just who will survive and who will perish?

The most important ingredients are the script and the all-star cast. The talented actors in the cast bring these fully fleshed-out characters to life. You desperately want to see them all live but you just know that they all can't make it out alive.

Gene Hackman is a rather unorthodox minister who assumes the role of group leader. Ernest Borgnine is a cop on his honeymoon with his ex-hooker wife (Stella Stevens), he provides the muscle. Red Buttons is a mild mannered bachelor who takes it upon himself to save an hysterical young woman (Carol Lynley). Pamela Sue Martin and Eric Shea are a young sister and brother going to meet their parents in Greece. Shelley Winters and Jack Albertson are an older Jewish couple on their way to Israel to see their grandson. Roddy McDowall is one of the ship's waiters.

Several scenes in The Poseidon Adventure have become classics. One is when they use a giant Christmas Tree to climb out of the ship's grand ballroom. The other is Shelley Winters' swim to save Gene Hackman when he gets trapped underwater. After rescuing him she says, "You see, Mr. Scott? In the water I'm a very skinny lady." A great moment in a great movie.

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