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by Willie Waffle


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The Terminal

I have got to learn how to build a fountain (That joke will be so much funnier when you see the movie). Until you see it, take my word for it. The Terminal is one of those films that is so warm and fuzzy you want to cuddle up on the couch with it, along with some Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby.

Tom Hanks stars as Viktor Novarski - a traveler from Eastern Europe's Krakozhia who has fallen into a crack in the system. While he was in the air on his way to America, the Krakozhian government was toppled in a military coup, the U.S Government does not recognize the new leadership during this civil war, Viktor's passport and visa are rendered worthless, he is not allowed to enter America, and no one is going back to Krakozhia. With nowhere else to go, Viktor decides to make the best of it by living at an abandoned gate in the airport's old terminal, and along the way, has a series of adventures.

How long can Viktor live in the airport? Why did he come to the United States? Will he ever be able to go home?

The Terminal is a heartwarming, funny movie that has some flaws, but none that are bad enough to destroy your enjoyment of the film. You'll love it for Tom Hanks. He is magical as Viktor must get by on his own ingenuity, some luck, and the kindness of strangers who grow to admire and love the man and his struggle. He is Cast Away in an airport instead of a desert island this time, but he's still funny and able to win us over with his charm. You'll fall in love with him as he struggles to learn English (with an accent that sounds real), ache for him as he tries to make some money to buy food, and find inspiration in each little victory. Hanks is one of those actors who makes you root for him, and this character and this story take advantage of that. He is surrounded by a strong supporting cast, but they also point out some of the film's flaws.

Writers Sacha Gervasi and Jeff Nathanson fill the airport with plenty of characters and sub-plots, but not all of them are fully developed. Diego Luna plays Enrique - a kind airline catering employee who falls in love with one of the customs agents, but that love story, which is vital to the early part of The Terminal, is dropped too soon, only to be picked up by Spielberg later when he must of realized that it was unresolved. Luna is able to draw that same sympathy from the audience, but quickly is pushed to the side when Spielberg decides to focus on Viktor's growing infatuation with an airline stewardess, Amelia (Catherine Zeta-Jones).

While Zeta-Jones is masterful in the role, I felt we didn't need a second love story. She lights up the screen and captures Amelia's sad, somewhat self-destructive personality, but her purpose in the movie could have been accomplished without Viktor falling for her. We have already seen how he interacts with the people around the airport, how they want to help him and his own growth, so Viktor could have continued to be the helpful gadfly and the climactic turn still would have been believable.

Finally, we have to consider the case of Stanley Tucci playing Frank Dixon - the number two customs agent at the airport who might be promoted to the number one position if he shows he can handle it. Is he supposed to be a meany who has no heart for Viktor's plight? Is he a dedicated civil servant trying to play by the rules while showing some heart and understanding? We see both Dixons in The Terminal, which is confusing for the audience (or at least confusing for this knucklehead critic). Dixon's later anger at Viktor doesn't seem to have any solid basis, so it is unexpected and irrational when it occurs, and conflicts too much with earlier scenes and one of the movie's later scenes.

Spielberg shows his great skill by managing a huge set (a terminal built just for the movie which looks like the real thing to anyone who has ever been to an airport), superstar actors and drawing real emotions out of the audience with honest scenes, not manufactured baloney (watch for Hanks' reaction to the Krakozhian situation, and how Spielberg captures this without overdoing it). I just wish he paid a little more attention to the flow of the movie and some of the problems I pointed out earlier. The Terminal is one of the better movies of the summer and a great reason to head to the Cineplex this weekend. I'd see it again.

3 Waffles (Out Of 4)

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