4 Star

High Tension on the High Seas.

From the 1970s, the era of disaster movies, some movies stood out and some just sunk, but this nautical thriller stands the test of time. Now Eureka Classics brings us their crispy Blu-ray limited edition, with plenty of special features (see below). Based on events of 1972 aboard the QE2, this movie follows 1200 souls and their fragile lives aboard an Ocean liner. Directed by Richard Lester (A Hard Day’s Night, The Three Musketeers) who brings us one-hundred and nine minutes of terrifying tension. Juggernaut is a true classic and well deserves a place on your Blu-ray shelf.

The ocean liner SS Britannic is heading across the North-Atlantic when Nicholas Porter (Ian Holm, Time Bandits, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring), the company man for the liner, gets a phone call from someone claiming that he has put seven barrel bombs aboard the ship, and for the sum of five-hundred thousand (6.5 million in today’s money) pounds he will give instructions on how to safely disarm them. Porter is a decent man, and he wants to protect his passengers and the ship, but British government officials warns them that if they pay up the government will withdraw its subsidy because of the Government’s policy of non-appeasement of terrorism.

No, the Government will send in the Royal Navy bomb disposal unit led by tough as old nails Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Fallon (Richard Harris, Orca, The Killer Whale, Unforgiven), he and his six men will parachute to the liner. Swim to the liner in turbulent waters. This is a near impossible task, but one that must be undertaken.

 

Back in London, Scotland Yard is trying to find the usual suspects, with the skills to make these bombs. It is down to Supt. McCleod (Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs, Transformers: The Last Knight), whose wife and two children are being tossed about in the ship, and cannot evacuate due to the abnormal weather.

Captain Alex Brunel (Omar Sharif, The Night Of The Generals, Top Secret!) is at the mercy of the sea and the man called Juggernaut, as are the passengers, while Fallon and his team try to disarm the bombs and Porter wants to pay the ransom as McCleod tries to find the culprit.

This is not plain sailing.

These are the who’s who of talent you want in a movie. Gripping stuff.

Juggernaut is available as a Limited Edition Blu-ray

 

 

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES:

 

Limited edition of 2000 copies only

Limited edition O-card slipcase

1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray

Optional English subtitles

Brand-new audio commentary with British cinema expert Melanie Williams and James Leggott

All Hands on Deck – Brand-new interview with film historian Neil Sinyard, author of The Films of Richard Lester

Down with the Ship – Brand-new interview with film historian Sheldon Hall on Juggernaut and the disaster film

Trailer

PLUS: A Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Juggernaut by British film scholar Laura Mayne