RAISE THE TITANIC (1980)
Article 3425 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 11-20-2010
Posting Date: 12-30-2010
Directed by Jerry Jameson
Featuring Jason Robards, Richard Jordan, David Selby
Country: UK / USA
What it is: Adventure thriller

A new defensive device requires a very rare radioactive element that was only known to exist in a mine that has been stripped dry. The element is traced to a box that was in the hold of the Titanic on its maiden voyage. An expedition is sent out to raise the sunken ship.

If this movie works at all, I place the credit on the premise itself; the idea of finding and raising the Titanic is novel enough to hold the interest. The special effects aren’t bad; I especially like the moment when the ship actually does come to the ocean surface. Sadly, almost everything else falls flat; the international espionage is uninvolving, the characters are dull, the human conflict is trite, and the overall direction fails to add any suspense or excitement to the story. The best performance comes from an all-too-short appearance by Alec Guinness as a survivor of the original sinking.