MovieChat Forums > The Terminal (2004) Discussion > Mm, this is set post 911, right? Just to...

Mm, this is set post 911, right? Just too much fantasy and absurd...

posted 8 years ago by al666940-3
6 replies | jump to latest

I'm sorry, but even as a comedy this is too absurd to enjoy.

I mean, the airport security is depicted as serious (the drama part of the story), yet they bend the rules so far beyond any plausibility it becomes tiresome.

Either the airport security is also for laughs or not. If it is, then his whole drama of beings tuck is moot. If it's serious, then all the absurdities render any drama meaningless.

I felt Hanks wasted, plain and simple (great comic actor).

Catch Me if you Can is also a comedy-drama set in airports, however that movie KNOWS when/what to play for laughs and when/what to play straight/seriously in order to make the drama part work.

This one, it doesn't.

[–] sized-2 8 years ago

This is based on a true story where a passenger had to spend 18 years in the Charles De Galle airport.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehran_Karimi_Nasseri

[–] coldnaps 8 years ago

Chose to spend 18 years there

[–] benman46 8 years ago

Inspired by, not based on.

[–] Smoke2015 8 years ago

I liked the movie, but I agree that they were a bit too unrealistic with the security/airport staffing elements.

One scene that had me rolling my eyes was when Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta Jones were having dinner and those three guys (who worked for the airport) all of a sudden were being like their waiters, especially with the one guy doing those plate tricks. I get it was supposed to be kind of a cute scene or whatever, but it was a bit overkill and borderline cringeworthy. They could have just left that out and have the dinner set up and ready to go and just progress with the scene without the other crap. Like who is gonna stay late to do all that stuff for some random immigrant they don't know? Almost no one. Not saying it's impossible, but extremely unlikely...

[–] RynoII 7 years ago

Maybe I am wrong here, but I think some people forget that this is suppose to be a comedy, so I thought that the absurdity and shenanigans all worked in a cute comedic context.

[–] RynoII 7 years ago

Maybe I am wrong here, but I think some people forget that this is suppose to be a comedy, so I thought that the absurdity and shenanigans all worked in a cute comedic context.