When the 2 names at the top of a film are Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, you can be forgiven for going into it with perhaps unrealistic expectations. Such is the case with The Terminal.
One internet writer gives this plot summary for the film: An immigrant (Hanks) fleeing the war that ravages his tiny Eastern European homeland finds himself stuck in the terminal of one of New York City’s airports when the time of his landing coincides precisely with the point at which the war causes his nation of origin to no longer exist, meaning that his passport and paperwork are no longer valid. As a man without a home, he (is forced) to take up residence in the terminal itself, befriending the staff of the airport, and falling in love with an airline flight attendant.
What’s good?
Well, Hanks never ceases to impress me with his talent. He is both believable and charming as the stranded tourist. Without Hanks, this film is just a total waste. Having said that, let me move on to…
What sucked?
This is the first Spielberg film I’ve ever seen that just lacked direction. As I said before, Hanks’s character is likable and entertaining‚Ķ but the story surrounding him and the way it progresses (or lack thereof) is scattered, unfocused and in general just a mess. The romance between Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones is forced at best and just pathetic at worst. Every supporting character in the movie is purely 2 dimensional, and the ending is tremendously unsatisfying for the viewer.
The Terminal can be charming and give you some good laughs along the way, but it fails to make you feel anything and has no real sense of identity or purpose along the way. It’s really just a poor man’s Forest Gump mixed with some Castaway.
I give it a 6 out of 10 (only because of Hank’s performance).
