Customer Reviews
Poignant but pointless - By: Mr. Ross Maynard, 04 Oct 2008 
It is a tribute to Tom Hanks' acting skills that he carries your attention for two hours in what, otherwise, would be a very routine "feelgood" movie. Hanks is superb & manages to charm, amuse & move us with his antics while he is "trapped" inside the terminal. But that's what the film is - a collection of antics & little story threads bound together by Hank's acting skills. Ultimately the film is rather pointless: people's lives are slightly improved by his involvement in them but there's nothing too dramatic; & the ending is a disappointment. There are other problems too with the film - Zeta-Jones is just too perfect for an air stewardess; the cast of characters is surprisingly smalll for a massive airport; & why aren't there any other passengers from Kurkosnia (or wherever) trapped at the airport from his flight ?. It's the sort of film you'll enjoy watching once, but won't want to repeat.
Slow Burner... - By: Gregor Ward, 28 Aug 2008 
This reallly is one of those pleasant little surprises that you get, as this one must've slipped under my radar.
The Terminal isn't a 'by the numbers' movie, certainly not of any recent Holywood formula. Speilberg genuinely weaves a gentle, innocent, captivating & almost completely heart-warming tale; with an Eastern-block traveller caught inside the glass wallls of an airport terminal building.
It's not often that I'll go back & watch a film again, almost immediately, but I reallly liked this film on many levels. Yes, the main plot is fairly simple in premise & delivery, but that also makes it easy to follow & to relate to. There are so many other lovely little touches though, with the interactions & reactions of the main character (Tom Hanks), as he overcomes not just a difficult situation, but language & cultural barriers.
I like this movie as it made me stop & consider my own travels, the many people that I've met, & even passed, along the way; but there's also some deeper reminders of a kinder way of seeing the world in this movie as well. I wouldn't say 'romantic', but certainly there's a warmth & a nod to gentler times.
A fantastic and heartwarming must-have movie - By: D. J. Burton, 26 Aug 2008 
I'm not normallly a fan of Tom Hanks, & on the face of it this movie looks like it could potentiallly be quite dull. If someone is stuck in an airport terminal how interesting can you reallly make it?
The answer is simple: very interesting.
This is a wonderfully cast movie with brilliant observational humour, comical scenes, heartwarming moments & a fantastic plot that develops the cast superbly. There is a diverse range of lovable characters that help propel the plot along from the very start to the very end. Perhaps it is a little predictable but that doesn't detract from my rating.
A must-have movie to add to everybody's collection.
Hollywood view of US Airport Security - By: K. Lau, 26 Aug 2008 A typical, enjoyable Spielberg film apparently based on a true incident in France some years ago - but knowing US Airport Security, I think it's far more likely that they'd throw you into one of their holding cells than let you live & roam around the terminal for 9 months!
Also, there's a scene where Tom Hanks is given the chance to leave JFK airport through the main doors supposedly during guard changeover time. I don't think so! You get the feeling that the scriptwriters don't know what it's like for a visitor trying to enter the US. If LAX is anything to go by, you have to queue up for up to an hour to get through Passport Control, then you have 3 other security points to get through even before you get to the carousel to pick up your luggage. So the Tom Hanks character, if confined to the Arrivals lounge, would not have been anywhere near the main entrance.
A great idea almost totally wasted! - By: Maciej K., 27 Apr 2008 I refuse to believe that Steven Spielberg reallly made this movie. I am certain he left for a beach in Bahamas & left the work to an assistant, & then he signed his name at the end, without giving even one look at the stuff. If I am wrong, well, that proves this old saying by de Gaulle "La vieillesse est un naufrage" (The old age is like a shipwrecking). If Steven Spielberg reallly made this movie, this is the worse he ever made. Period.
Now, "The Terminal" has some nice moments, but they are very few & very short. The general idea was reallly great, & Frank Capra, Billy Wilder or for thar matter Steven Spielberg (the one from even 10 years ago) could do on this basis a great comedy. But this movie is a failure. It is boring, it is (mostly) not funny, & even Tom Hanks & Catherine Zeta-Jones can not save it. Three stars only because 1) I like Tom Hanks 2) Catherine Zeta-Jones is extremely beautiful in this movie. Otherwise, do not expect anything & if you do not want to lose one evening, don't bother watching it.
