20 Movies So Good You Ignore Huge Plot Holes
16. The Poseidon Adventure - Ships Don't Do That
The Poseidon Adventure is yet another disaster movie that simply could not happen in real life, which should give us all some comfort!
In this one, a cruise liner capsizes due to being hit by a rogue wave, and a group of survivors must make their way to the bottom of the ship - which is now the top - and escape. First up, rogue waves aren't usually nearly as big as the one depicted in the film, and even if they were, it would not be enough to capsize a massive ship 180 degrees. In fact, a 2005 TV remake of the movie changed the cause of the disaster to a terrorist attack due to the lack of realism in the original concept.
Then again, audiences aren't likely to be bothered by this, for The Poseidon Adventure is one of the greatest disaster movies of all time. It's visually excellent, smartly written, and is brilliantly performed by a staggering, all-star cast including greats such as Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Shelly Winters, Roddy McDowall, Jack Albertson, and even Leslie Nielsen.
It's an involving disaster film that respects its audience and its characters, playing out its scenario with grounded suspense and giving viewers a cast of human, sympathetic characters that they'll really root for. Hell, even the movie's kid character is really likable. Therefore, it's easy to outright forget and forgive just how ridiculous the story actually is.