History YMMV / Poseidon

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Valentin for being a friendly, helpful and quite good looking waiter and guide in navigating the ship as well as for being nice enough to smuggle Elena on the ship so that she can see her sick brother in New York. [[spoiler:Many viewers were pissed and saddened by his utterly horrific death.]]
* HoYay: Hinted at between Valentin and Richard. [[spoiler:Valentin ''does'' end up [[IncrediblyLamePun getting it hard]] not long after, but not ''at all'' in a HoYay sort of way.]]

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VsHtn_RSHY Poseidon capsizing]] for its visual spectacle. It's no surprise that the clip for it on Youtube has at least 27 million views, which is ''far'' more views compared to any other clip.

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VsHtn_RSHY Poseidon capsizing]] for its visual spectacle. It's no surprise that the clip for it on Youtube has at least 27 million views, which beats any other clip of the movie in a landslide.

* SignatureScene: The elevator scene is likely the film's most memorable sequence.

** The Captain and ''Creator/{{Fergie}}'' randomly embrace before the ballroom finally floods. It was never established that the two knew each other beyond him just hiring her for the singing job, so it just comes off as comical.

* TearJerker:
** A depressed Richard contemplating suicide by jumping off the deck of the ship to his death due to a recent breakup. Thankfully, the giant wave makes him change his mind.
** [[spoiler:Valentin]]'s absolutely horrific and completely undeserved death. [[spoiler:After the table they are using to cross an elevator shaft collapses, he is left clinging to Richard's leg while Dylan and Robert attempt to pull both of them up, to no avail. Realizing the elevator is about to give way, Dylan orders Richard to shake Valentin off or they will both die. Valentin falls screaming and is impaled on a piece of metal at the bottom, then crushed by the falling elevator, which explodes, setting the entire elevator shaft on fire. The fact that he was friendly and helpful and nice enough to smuggle Elena on the ship so that she can see her sick brother in New York only to die horrifically and then be quickly forgotten about by everyone (including Elena) makes it worse.]] Granted, Richard does not forget about him and shows remorse and guilt for his death, but that's for about seconds before keep going.
** Richard [[spoiler:holding the dead Elena in his arms.]] You really get the sense that [[spoiler:he's come to think of her as a daughter in the short time he's known her. Also, on top of guilt for causing Valentin to fall to his death earlier, you can tell he also has a lot of guilt for not saving her.]]
** Robert [[spoiler:allowing his daughter and Christian to think that he will allow Christian to make a HeroicSacrifice and then taking the opportunity to leave to do it himself when they're both distracted.]]
** Seeing Poseidon finally accepting her fate and make her descent into the Atlantic can be pretty heartbreaking for fellow sea dogs. What really makes it sad though is the fact that the ship makes a loud moaning sound as she falls, almost like a woman crying in pain.

** The Captain and ''Creator/Fergi'' randomly embrace before the ballroom finally floods. It was never established that the two knew each other beyond him just hiring her for the singing job, so it just comes off as comical.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The capsizing sequence is unquestionably the highlight of the film, but the Poseidon itself is amazing, as all the exterior shots of the ship itself are 100% CGI, and was listed in the 2010 Guinness Book of World Records as the most detailed CGI model ever to appear in a movie. And the opening shot? The only real element is Creator/JoshLucas running around on the decks.

* WhatAnIdiot: The Cruise Director, who gives away Rogo's purpose as a sea marshal, and insists that everyone stay inside the dining room, even after it's pointed out that the ship will inevitably sink.
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: Near the end of the film, the survivors have to cross over a pit of fire via a narrow bridge. The only ones who don't make it are [[spoiler: Badawi, who masterminded the terrorist plot, and Shoshanna, who was Richard's mistress]].

** Valentin's absolutely horrific and completely undeserved death. After the table they are using to cross an elevator shaft collapses, he is left clinging to Richard's leg while Dylan and Robert attempt to pull both of them up, to no avail. Realizing the elevator is about to give way, Dylan orders Richard to shake Valentin off or they will both die. Valentin falls screaming and is impaled on a piece of metal at the bottom, then crushed by the falling elevator, which explodes, setting the entire elevator shaft on fire. The fact that he was friendly and helpful and nice enough to [[spoiler:smuggle Elena on the ship so that she can see her sick brother in New York]] only to die horrifically and then be quickly forgotten about by everyone (including Elena) makes it worse. Granted, Richard does not forget about him and shows remorse and guilt for his death, but that's for about seconds before keep going.

* WhatAnIdiot: The Cruise Director, who gives away Rogo's purpose as a sea marshal, and insists that everyone stay inside the dining room, even after it's pointed out that the ship will inevitably sink.
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: Near the end of the film, the survivors have to cross over a pit of fire via a narrow bridge. The only ones who don't make it are [[spoiler: Badawi, who masterminded the terrorist plot, and Shoshanna, who was Richard's mistress]].

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Valentin for being a friendly, helpful and quite good looking waiter and guide in navigating the ship as well as for being nice enough to smuggle Elena on the ship so that she can see her sick brother in New York. [[spoiler:Many viewers were pissed and saddened by his utterly horrific death.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Valentin for being a friendly, helpful and quite good looking waiter and guide in navigating the ship as well as for being nice enough to [[spoiler:smuggle Elena on the ship so that she can see her sick brother in New York]]. Many viewers were pissed and saddened by his utterly horrific death.

* {{Tearjerker}}:

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The capsizing sequence is unquestionably the highlight of the film, but the Poseidon itself is amazing, as all the exterior shots of the ship itself are 100% CGI, and was listed in the 2010 Guinness Book of World Records as the most detailed CGI model ever to appear in a movie. And the opening shot? The only real element is Josh Lucas running around on the decks.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Valentin for being a friendly, helpful and quite good looking waiter and guide in navigating the ship as well as for being nice enough to [[spoiler:smuggle Elena on the ship so that she can see her sick brother in New York]]. Many viewers were pissed and saddened by his utterly horrific death. In fact, the elevator scene is the most infamous scene of the film specifically for giving such a nice guy a terrible demise and having the main characters be directly responsible for that because of bad writing.

** Maggie, Dylan and Robert become this in regards to the elevator scene that leads to [[spoiler:Valentin's death.]] Maggie decides to not help Dylan and Robert who are trying to pull Richard and Valentin up to safety as she is too busy comforting her son Connor. This is despite the fact that two people's lives are at risk and that she'd have plenty of time to comfort her son afterwards. Dylan and Robert don't even bother to ask Maggie to help them even though having a third person helping would've probably saved both Richard and Valentin nor do they ask Valentin to climb Richard as doing so would've saved his life and would've provided them an extra hand to save Richard. Instead, they almost ''immediately'' tell a reluctant and apologetic Richard to kick Valentin down to his death. Even worse is that all of them completely forget about Valentin afterwards despite the fact that he was their guide to navigating the ship. Granted, they're focused in trying to survive a life and death situation but this makes them come off as assholes. Richard is the only one who avoids this, if only for the fact that it wasn't his idea to go first, was reluctant and apologetic about kicking off Valentin and shows remorse over doing so (for about some seconds, but it's definitely better than the other jerks).

* TheWoobie: Everyone, but special mention goes to poor [[spoiler:Valentin.]] You might find hard to care about the main characters after they left him fall to a gruesome death.

** Maggie, Dylan, Richard and Robert become this in regards to the elevator scene that leads to [[spoiler:Valentin's death.]] Maggie decides to not help Dylan and Robert who are trying to pull Richard and Valentin up to safety as she is too busy comforting her son Connor. This is despite the fact that two people's lives are at risk and that she'd have plenty of time to comfort her son afterwards. Dylan and Robert don't even bother to ask Maggie to help them even though having a third person helping would've probably saved both Richard and Valentin nor do they ask Valentin to climb Richard as doing so would've saved his life and would've provided them an extra hand to save Richard. Instead, they almost ''immediately'' tell a reluctant and apologetic Richard to kick Valentin down to his death. Even worse is that all of them completely forget about Valentin afterwards despite the fact that he was their guide to navigating the ship. Granted, they're focused in trying to survive a life and death situation but this makes them come off as assholes. Richard is the only one who avoids this, if only for the fact that it wasn't his idea to go first, was reluctant and apologetic about kicking off Valentin and shows remorse over doing so (for about some seconds, but it's definitely better than the other jerks).

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Valentin for being a friendly, helpful and quite good looking waiter and guide in navigating the ship as well as for being nice enough to [[spoiler:smuggle Elena on the ship so that she can see her sick brother in New York]]. Many viewers were pissed and saddened by his utterly horrific death.

** Valentin's absolutely horrific and completely undeserved death. After the table they are using to cross an elevator shaft collapses, he is left clinging to Richard's leg while Dylan and Robert attempt to pull both of them up, to no avail. Realizing the elevator is about to give way, Dylan orders Richard to shake Valentin off or they will both die. Valentin falls screaming and is impaled on a piece of metal at the bottom, then crushed by the falling elevator, which explodes, setting the entire elevator shaft on fire. The fact that he was friendly and helpful and nice enough to [[spoiler:smuggle Elena on the ship so that she can see her sick brother in New York]] only to die horrifically and then be quickly forgotten about by everyone (including Elena) makes it worse.

** Maggie, Dylan, Richard and Robert become this in regards to the elevator scene that leads to [[spoiler:Valentin's death.]] Maggie decides to not help Dylan and Robert who are trying to pull Richard and Valentin up to safety as she is too busy comforting her son Connor. This is despite the fact that two people's lives are at risk and that she'd have plenty of time to comfort her son afterwards. Dylan and Robert don't even bother to ask Maggie to help them even though having a third person helping would've probably saved both Richard and Valentin nor do they ask Valentin to climb Richard as doing so would've saved his life and would've provided them an extra hand to save Richard. Instead, they almost ''immediately'' tell a reluctant and apologetic Richard to kick Valentin down to his death. Even worse is that all of them completely forget about Valentin afterwards (with Richard only showing a few seconds of guilt at best) despite the fact that he was their guide to navigating the ship. Granted, they're focused in trying to survive a life and death situation but this makes them come off as assholes.

* TheWoobie: Everyone, but special mention goes to poor [[spoiler:Valentin.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Maggie, Dylan, Richard and Robert become this in regards to the elevator scene that leads to [[spoiler:Valentin's death.]] Maggie decides to not help Dylan and Robert who are trying to pull Richard and Valentin up to safety as she is too busy comforting her son Connor. This is despite the fact that two people's lives are at risk and that she'd have plenty of time to comfort her son afterwards. Dylan and Robert don't even bother to ask Maggie to help them even though having a third person helping would've probably saved both Richard and Valentin nor do they ask Valentin to climb Richard as doing so would've saved his life and would've provided them an extra hand to save Richard. Instead, they almost ''immediately'' tell a reluctant and apologetic Richard to kick Valentin down to his death. Even worse is that all of them completely forget about Valentin afterwards (with Richard only showing a few seconds of guilt at best) despite the fact that he was their guide to navigating the ship. Granted, they're focused in trying to survive a life and death situation but this makes them come off as assholes.
** On top of that, Dylan idiotically allowed Elena to be the last person to swim through the flooded corridors, even when he explicitly made it a point not to do this earlier in the vents due to her claustrophobia. Unsurprisingly, she dies.

** Valentin's absolutely horrific and completely undeserved death. After the table they are using to cross an elevator shaft collapses, he is left clinging to Richard's leg while Dylan and Robert attempt to pull both of them up, to no avail. Realizing the elevator is about to give way, Dylan orders a reluctant Richard to shake Valentin off or they will both die. Valentin falls screaming and is impaled on a piece of metal at the bottom, then crushed by the falling elevator, which explodes, setting the entire elevator shaft on fire. The fact that he was friendly and helpful and nice enough to [[spoiler:smuggle Elena on the ship so that she can see her sick brother in New York]] only to die horrifically and then be quickly forgotten about by everyone (including Elena) makes it worse.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Maggie, Dylan, Richard and Robert become this in regards to the elevator scene that leads to [[spoiler:Valentin's death.]] Maggie doesn't bother to help Dylan and Robert who are trying to pull Richard and Valentin up to safety as she is too busy comforting her son Connor. This is despite the fact that two people's lives are at risk and that she'd have plenty of time to comfort her son afterwards. Dylan and Robert don't even bother to ask Maggie to help them even though having a third person helping would've probably saved both Richard and Valentin nor do they ask Valentin to climb Richard as doing so would've saved his life and would've provided them an extra hand to save Richard. Instead, they almost ''immediately'' tell Richard to kick Valentin down to his death. Even worse is that all of them completely forget about Valentin afterwards (with Richard only showing a few seconds of guilt at best) despite the fact that he was their guide to navigating the ship. Granted, they're focused in trying to survive a life and death situation but this makes them come off as assholes.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Valentin for being a friendly, helpful and quite good looking guide in navigating the ship as well as for being nice enough to [[spoiler:smuggle Elena on the ship so that she can see her sick brother in New York]]. Many viewers were pissed and saddened by his utterly horrific death.

** Valentin's absolutely horrific and completely undeserved death. After the table they are using to cross an elevator shaft collapses, he is left clinging to Richard's leg while Dylan and Robert attempt to pull both of them up, to no avail. Realizing the elevator is about to give way, Dylan orders a reluctant Richard to shake Valentin off or they will both die. Valentin falls screaming and is impaled on a piece of metal at the bottom, then crushed by the falling elevator, which explodes, setting the entire elevator shaft on fire. The fact that Valentin was friendly and helpful makes it worse.
** Richard [[spoiler:holding the dead Elena in his arms.]] You really get the sense that [[spoiler:he's come to think of her as a daughter in the short time he's known her.]]

** Valentin's absolutely horrific and completely undeserved death. After the table they are using to cross an elevator shaft collapses, he is left clinging to Richard's leg while Dylan and Robert attempt to pull both of them up, to no avail. Realizing the elevator is about to give way, Dylan orders a reluctant Richard to shake Valentin off or they will both die. Valentin falls screaming and is impaled on a piece of metal at the bottom, then crushed by the falling elevator, which explodes, setting the entire elevator shaft on fire.

** Robert [[spoiler:allowing his daughter and Christian to think that he will allow Christian to make a HeroicSacrifice and then taking the opprtunity to leave to do it himself when they're both distracted.]]

** Seeing Poseidon finally accepting her fate and make her descend into the Atlantic can be pretty heartbreaking for fellow sea dogs. what really makes it sad though is the fact that the ship makes a loud moaning sound as she falls, almost like a woman crying in pain
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The capsizing sequence is unquestionably the highlight of the film, but the Poseidon itself is amazing, as all the exterior shots of the ship itself are 100% CGI, and was listed in the 2010 Guinness book of world records as the most detailed CGI model ever to appear in a movie. And the opening shot? The only real element is Josh Lucas running around on the decks.

* UnfortunateImplications: Like many horror-adjacent works, this movie is less than kind to its non-white cast. Of particular note is the elevator shaft scene, where [[spoiler:Valentin offers to let Richard escape first, the shaft starts collapsing which results in Valentin dangling from Richard's legs, and Richard subsequently ''kicks Valentin off'' to survive.]] While this scene is portrayed as appropriately horrific, and Richard is appropriately appalled by what happened ([[ForgottenFallenFriend at least for a minute or two]]), it still leaves some distressing racial undertones. The fact that [[spoiler:Elena and Captain Bradford also die, leaving an all-white cast of survivors]] doesn't help, either.