If the title alone doesnt put you off, then a quick glance at the dubious cover art should send you running. And if the customary hammy tagline (They said it couldnt happen twice…) doesnt leave you feeling cold and you still find yourself shelling out for Titanic 2, you deserve everything you get.
Written and directed by Shane Van Dyke (thatll be grandson of porpoise-botherer Dick); this sub-par disaster movie wont surprise in its awfulness. The story is a simple one, and ticks all the usual boxes. Its the 100th anniversary of the original Titanic voyage, and for some reason a brainy so-and-so has decided to celebrate the horrific disaster with the maiden voyage of a state of the art cruise liner, christened Titanic 2.
A host of special guests are assembled, with a cast of all too familiar characters. Van Dyke takes the lead as slimy playboy Hayden Walsh, while Marie Westbrook turns in a passable performance as leading lady Amy. Meanwhile, the actually credible Bruce Davison rounds of the core cast as Amys father, but shamefully is refused the chance to show off his acting chops. Elsewhere, a cast of forgettable sorts do a decent enough job of stumbling about and screaming on cue, while a host of big-breasted blonde cabin crew bounce around from corridor to corridor.
The story is threadbare, with the usual streak of natural disaster fare peppered throughout to pad out long stretches of dialogue. None of the characters show anything in the way of depth and were ultimately left with a narrative that amounts to little more than; ship sets sail, ship sinks.
Considering its SyFy channel calibre, Titanic 2 delivers some half decent special effects, although these are as sparse as the lacklustre sets much of the action takes place in. With little money to play with, Van Dyke opts for countless close ups of screaming faces, shaky camera tactics and wobbly legged actors dashing about through from scene to scene.
One area where the film surprises though is with its score. Anyone hoping for the warbling tones of Celine Dione will be left wanting, but the original score delivers an effective, energetic and occasionally stirring auditory experience.
However ultimately, were left with a subpar action film that would struggle to keep its head above water amongst its made for television counterparts. Perhaps if it had embraced its awfulness and played it for laughs, rather than play it straight; Titanic 2 might have gone down as a camp, cult classic.
Overall Verdict: Uninspired and instantly forgettable, Titanic 2 is embarrassingly bad, even by made for telly standards. A short Making of rounds off a paltry disc.
Special Features:
Making of
Reviewer: David Steele