Review of Raise the Titanic

Introduction

The US military has developed a system that would protect the mainland from nuclear attack - the problem is that the only substance powerful enough to supply the requisite energy is unique to the Soviet Union. During a covert mission to find it, the US discover that this rare mineral was completely mined in 1911 and placed in a cargo hold aboard the Titanic. A secret recovery team, including the intelligence agent Dirk Pitt, are sent to the last known location of the Titanic, to raise her and secure the `Byzanium`.

Like `Waterworld` and `Cleopatra`, `Raise the Titanic` was a box-office flop of such proportions that it nearly bankrupted its chief backer, in this case Lew Grade. According to the IMDb, it cost $36 millions to make, yet only made $7 millions at the box office. Directed by Jerry Jameson, who is perhaps best known for `Airport `77`, an interesting premise and with a cast including Jason Robards, Anne Archer and Alec Guinness, this adventure movie seemingly had a lot going for it, but the public stayed away and it was a financial disaster.

Video

Was any effort put into this at all? A 2.35:1 transfer letterboxed into a 4:3 screen which has seemingly undergone no restoration since 1980. The contrast is fairly good, but the underwater scenes are poorly filmed and the special effects and model work are occasionally far from special.

Audio

The 2.0 mono soundtrack is decent enough, although I feel that, as with the transfer, no effort has been put into it and that a 5.1 would have been optimum. John Barry`s score is overwhelming and ultimately irritating. Had it been subtle and used only at the most opportune moments, it would have been OK.

Features

Aside from the theatrical trailer, there are four image galleries, so if pictures are your thing, you`re in hog heaven!

Conclusion

Adapted from a novel by Clive Cussler, which I haven`t read and now have no desire to, the premise of `Raise the Titanic` is ridiculous. Trying to make a cold war thriller out of a salvage operation (that would have made an interesting story in itself) and a distracting sub-plot involving Anne Archer`s journalist, means there are two too many narrative threads at work in `Raise the Titanic`.
What`s wrong with a film about raising the Titanic? Why the Russians? Why the love triangle?

I was unable to take any aspect of this film remotely seriously and not just because Richard Jordan (Dirk Pitt) is a dead ringer for writer/director/actor Kevin Smith (see front cover)! Much was made, and is in the extra features, about the size of the model used for the Titanic, but at no point did I feel as if I was watching anything but a model. This may have looked great in 1980, but the scene in which the ship is towed into New York harbour using a model, CGI and forced perspective, in no way conveys realism and looks poor.

There were numerous reasons this flopped: a ridiculous story, terrible dialogue, wooden acting, unconvincing special effects and a hero with a daft name. The film flopped to such an extent that Lew Grade virtually ended his love affair with movies and spent the rest of his career investing in TV shows.

Network/Granada have given a bad film the bargain basement treatment - avoid.