THE TERMINAL is an example of Steven Spielberg at his most average as a filmmaker. This is a massive-budgeted production that features Tom Hanks delivering a typically pitch perfect performance as a likeable immigrant stuck at an airport, of all places, and yet compared to Spielberg's best work this is insignificant and ultimately hollow. There are a lot of light laughs en route to the climax, and some well judged supporting roles, but THE TERMINAL also has some serious flaws. A wooden Catherine Zeta-Jones as the shoehorned-in love interest is one of them, and Stanley Tucci's antagonist couldn't get any more bland if he tried. My advice is to watch this if you're a Hanks fan, but otherwise skip it.

Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) from Krakozhia arrives in JFK. He speaks limited English and has limited understanding. Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci) tells him that his country has just had a coup and the US has revoked his visa. Viktor is a stateless man with no status. Dixon can't allow him to enter the country but he can't detain him either. Dixon allows him to move freely in the international transit lounge. However the temporary situation turns into a long running saga. Dixon is getting promoted. He tries to get Viktor to leave on his own. Viktor befriends various people. He meets flight attendant Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and pretends to be a frequent traveler.

This is an uncomfortable mix of serious and light-hearted. The whole thing just strikes me as being fake. It starts with the fake country. Then there is Tom Hanks faking an accent. His English is conveniently bad when the movie needs it to be but good enough whenever the movie wants. Also there is the fake setup. There may be a heart-warming funny indie film here somewhere but it needs an unknown to play this role. The story has some serious stuff but the light comedy really whitewashes it. Director Steven Spielberg is probably not the right guy for this film and Hanks is too recognizable. I don't want to be a Scrooge and hate on this light comedy. Most of it doesn't work for me. Spielberg is such a master filmmaker that he squeezes some heart-wrenching moments as well as some light comedy out of it.

Not a terrible film by all means, but one where it is easy to see why it would polarise viewers (as evident in the user reviews here) and why there are those considering it a lesser Steven Spielberg film.

'The Terminal' is not Spielberg's worst film, to me 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park', '1941' and 'War of the Worlds' (which had a very good first half and completely fell apart halfway through and never recovered) are worse. Ranking it in his filmography, it is nowhere near close to being one of his best and while not rock-bottom to me it is lesser Spielberg.

Starting with 'The Terminal's' merits, the production values are top-notch and Spielberg regular Janusz Kaminski's cinematography is once again beautiful and a major plus. While not some of his best work, John Williams' score is pleasantly understated and slick without over-emphasising the mood.

Of the performances, which mostly are good, Tom Hanks makes a valiant effort in the title role and does an excellent job on the most part and Stanley Tucci clearly enjoys himself as Dixon. Hanks and Tucci's chemistry is where 'The Terminal' is particularly strong. The supporting cast are good, and Kumar Pallana is quite a scene-stealer (though the wet floor stuff does get over-used and repetitive).

'The Terminal' starts off well. The story is intriguing, there is a razor sharp satirical edge to some of the comedy and there is an affecting whimsy.

However, 'The Terminal' is hurt by the second half being nowhere near as interesting and Spielberg himself (regardless of his technical mastery) playing it too safe with a subject matter that should have been executed in the film more sharply and harshly. There is too much emphasis on the airport-terminal-as-microcosm-of-society angle and it just doesn't work because of how tentatively and safely the subject is approached.

Credibility rapidly decreases and gets increasingly strained and too often replaced by the sentimentality going into saccharine overload. Really could have done without the romantic subplot, that was not necessary, felt like thrown in padding and was completely underdeveloped and featured far too much. The lack of chemistry between Hanks and Catherine Zeta Jones doesn't help, nor does despite her beauty Zeta Jones being so bland in a role that gives her practically nothing to do. The characters are also far too neatly black and white with stereotypes that won't bode, and actually hasn't boded, well with some.

Overall, wildly uneven that had potential to be good but doesn't ever fully convince. 5/10 Bethany Cox