Second Viewing: The Terminal (2004)

The Terminal is a hard movie not to enjoy. It’s also probably a hard movie to love. It’s Steven Spielberg’s least ambitious film in at least a few decades, and it’s got way too much of his signature schmaltz.

But it gets the casting right with Tom Hanks.

He’s not giving any kind of traditionally great performance, and his accent is definitely silly (though, to be fair, his character being from a fictional country may mean he’s doing the best accent ever).

But he’s just so charming in this role. This is the kind of thing that Hanks can do in his sleep, and he’s definitely not sleepwalking in this role. He does a fine job.

The movie’s far from believable, but that’s sort of okay when we’re dealing with as likable a performer as Hanks. This movie’s a bit like a fairytale.

Rating: 6/10