Movie Review by EDF
Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Julianna Margulies, Ron Eldard, Desmond Harrington, Isaiah Washington
Director: Steve Beck
There are some things Hollywood gets right and some things that just miss the mark. Unfortunately, the latter does not stop them from churning out movies like GHOST SHIP. From the director of 13 GHOSTS, Steve Beck and the producers of HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, this is more of the same, vengeful ghosts at a different location.
The movie starts with a lavish orchestral piece of music, which sounds more suited to a musical. Set in the spring of 1962, we find the majestic ocean liner Antonia Graza sailing towards America. A sexy Italian singer, backed by an orchestra, is entertaining the passengers in the grand ballroom. As they dance the night away, they are unaware of the horrors that are about to unfold.
We fast forward to present day where we find Captain Sean Murphy (Gabriel Byrne) and his salvage repair crew of sunken and abandoned vessels in the middle of a salvage operation. Maureen Epps (Julianna Margulies), Murphy’s co-business partner, completes the task by taking risks that no one else is willing to take. Back on shore, they are approached by Jack Ferriman (Desmond Harrington) a pilot who has spotted the Antonia Graza drifting in the Bering Sea. After cutting a deal with Murphy and his crew, he tags along with them on their boat, the Arctic Warrior.
The crew come across the ocean liner and they start to experience strange events. Epps spots a young girl but that is not quite possible since the boat has been adrift for 40 years. The discovery of a digital watch proves that the ship had been boarded quite recently but where did that crew go. Epps has an unsettling feeling that it is best to leave the ship as something doesn’t feel right but before they do, the Arctic Warrior is destroyed and the survivors are left on a ship that is slowly sinking and heading towards rocks. It’s a shame that was not all they would have to contend with.
This just turns into another one of those guess who is going to die next type movies and even waiting for the next victim to get it is a bit of a bore. Gabriel Byrne’s character is under used and ends up descending into a farcical shell. There is a nice twist to the movie but it really defies any logic and the film’s parting shot is so laughable you end up realising that maybe this should really have been a horror comedy. What a wasted opportunity. In summary GHOST SHIP should be renamed by replacing the last letter of the title with a T.
