Review of The Towering Inferno (1974) by Eduardo L — 09 Oct 2010

Quite frankly, I loved this film. Since watching it, it has become one of my all time favorite disaster flicks.

I loved the story. I loved the simplicity of it. Well, relative simplicity. It was still complex enough to keep the audience's attention--commanding it, really--but not so much that it loses the audience.

The characters are truly the most important part of any disaster film. The effects can be captivating, the plot can be engrossing, and the story itself can be really entertaining, but without decent characters that the audience can either identify with or feel some kind of empathy for, the disaster film will not work. Fortunately, The Towering Inferno has plenty of that to go around, including brilliant performances by such legends as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, O.J. Simpson, and even Fred Astaire. These actors are always worth watching, and The Towering Inferno doesn't make the mistake of being overly reliant on its ensemble cast. The filmmakers let the actors do their jobs, but the screenplay written by Stirling Silliphant is intelligent beyond its genre. In fact, I will say that this is the most well-written screenplay for any disaster film (yes, better than Titanic).

The effects are an added bonus, and when the fantastic effects are added in, the tension and suspense are through the roof. The Towering Inferno is an exciting and thrilling piece of filmmaking that puts many disaster films to shame. It's hard to get much better than this. There is not a dull moment in this hell-raising, action packed, night of terror. One of my all-time favorite disaster films.

10/10.