The Poseidon Adventure proves to be a lighthearted and fun adventure that combines together entertaining and dramatic cinema with the threat and prospect of natural disasters to provide a surprisingly charming tale of a diverse group of strangers. Revolving around the S. S. Poseidon, a massive passenger boat that is currently seeking to take its passengers to Greece from New York City, all goes wrong for the ship on New Year's Eve. Although the ship knew it was traveling through rough conditions, it has no idea what's in store for it when it mysteriously and unexpectedly comes into contact with a tremendous tidal wave that is just as threatening as it is massive. This giant wave is able to quickly overtake the ship, causing it to completely flip over. As a result, all of the passengers on the top floors of the ship are quickly thrown beneath the war, passing away in the process. This includes nearly all of the crew members of the ship, leaving the remaining passengers to panic and fret about what they should do next. A leadership vacuum ensues with the lack of a captain, and it seems like somebody is going to take charge if the remaining survivors are going to continue to survive, especially because the boat might continue to sink at any given moment. Filling this leadership role is Reverend Scott, a determined, committed and passion-fueled man that is convinced he can use his inner strength to help save the remaining passengers and help lead them to safety at the ship's engine room. The coveted engine room is supposedly one of the only places that wouldn't have to deal with flooding from ocean water, so Reverend Scott begins to take the group of followers that he amasses with him in search of an escape and survival. However, there are only a limited number of passengers that agree to follow him, including the youthful brother and sister tandem of Robin and Susan Shelby, the old and lovable couple of Mr. and Mrs. Rosen, the inspired and tough Mike Rogo, the beautiful Linda Rogo and a few others as the reverend attempts to act as a true leader. This diverse and odd group of strangers must overcome plenty of various obstacles, including flooding water, unexpected fires and explosions, plenty of turbulence, and a lack of structure and consistent technology as they try their best to make their way through the maze of the boat's interior. In the process, they all must learn to rely on one another if they are going to have any chance of surviving, but as time goes on, the survivors begin to question if death is imminent. 
 The Poseidon Adventure proves to be a truly elated adventure that combines together plenty of drama, spectacular visuals and heartfelt character development that makes the movie pure entertainment. Staying true to the key characteristics of all classic natural disaster films, which became a hallmark of the cinematic industry during a golden age of film in the 1970s, this movie combines together character relations, the threat of nature's raw power, science and technology, self-sacrifice and the concept of a group of strangers being unified over their attempts to fight for their survival. Due to the natural amount of drama conjured by the movie, mostly because the premise of the film involves characters trying to overcome obstacles, there is plenty of crucial character development that morphs all of the people on-screen into compelling and captivating characters that audiences can't help but be consumed by. While audiences may find themselves rooting for some characters more than others, there's no denying that it's quite enjoyable to watch the group of characters struggle through ridiculous situations that provide plenty of hilarious humor. 
 The Poseidon Adventure is quite notable in that it assembled together what was considered an all-star and stellar cast for the 1970s. Consisting of many actors that would later win plenty of massive honors, like Academy Awards, the movie brought together talented actors and put them in situations where their natural charisma could shine. Gene Hackman is nothing short of terrific as Reverend Scott, and as one of the main characters of the film, he ensures that plenty of raw passion and emotion is fueled into the character, forming one of the most likable characters in the entire film. Ernest Borgnine is excellent as Mike Rogo, and he brings plenty of extremity to the character, allowing the role to become quite complex and multi-dimensional as Rogo transfers and goes back and forth from being untrustworthy and reliable. Shelley Winters is superb as Belle Rosen, and while the role is probably slightly unusual for herself, deterring from the majority of her other parts, she does still manage to create an intriguing character that has some of the best lines and moments in the entire film. While there are plenty of noteworthy roles, like Jack Albertson's Manny Rosen, nearly all of the characters involved are crucial in creating necessary character development and drama. 
 The Poseidon Adventure is a true classic that is considered by many to be a hallmark of the natural disaster genre of the film industry. Combining together many of the most famous qualities of natural disaster films, the movie is able to provide compelling characters that are simply a delight to watch. While the movie may not be nearly as sophisticated or as ground-breaking as some of the other films of the 1970s, it is definitely a fan-favorite that has a sufficient quantity of elated joy. This remains to this day an absolute must-see.