Good concept, poorly executed.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Everyone involved in making this film should be embarrassed. I'm embarrassed for having watched it.I'm watching it with my parents. We were going to watch The Life Of Brian. Has anyone got a time machine I could borrow please?

I have to say that I stopped watching movies on disasters as they were not representing anything new.. these type of movies concentrate on actors and the disaster happening and forget about the characters emotions. In this movie I would like to say that I really got scared for the characters but I didn't.. what I felt mostly is.. inspiration!!... the characters are not super-humans but they made me feel that they are...we are as human can be super in time of stress.. we can appreciate our existence in time of stress.. that what I could get to see in this movie.. Every time I feel weak.. I would like to turn into such productions like this movie to show me that no situation is hard to pass.. everything has an end.. even hard situations!It is typical tear-jerking movie..but presented in a best way to get you (inspired!).. I recommend watching it completely in one set and not dividing it so you do not lose that emotional connection with the characters.

The trivia section notes "the Ball was Yellow not Red, as shown in the film. Maria Belón said it was the "biggest lie" in the movie." How can that be the biggest lie in the movie when the film based on her Spanish family's story are portrayed as being English? What other lies are there?Many reviewers have criticized the movie for that portrayal and that the film does little to portray the Thai that died (nor the Sri Lankans for that matter). Don't they see that is the truth of the story being told that it is a Hollywood world?Did any of them try to fund a version that told a different story? Did any of them reach out to help the victims other than to criticize this movie? What help is that? How different is that than some film company making a profit for telling this tale? Perhaps the outcry would have been even greater had they portrayed the Thai victims and made money for that.When the son lies to his Mom that her leg is still red (and hence well) it is a metaphor for the whole story that things are not well in how the incident has impacted civilization and belies the lie that Hollywood Culture (you and I who watch this film) cares.I was grief stricken when this disaster struck and reached out to friends who were in the area. Sure enough they were greatly affected having been swept away in the path of the tsunami. I contributed nothing to the relief fund. (My donations go to Wildlife Conservation)This is just a movie; it helps to remind that the disaster happened and that concern for extent of the disaster is a Western perspective. We are not one with the world - therein lies the truth of the lies - we don't care.The special effects and editing were superb - it was so realistic 10 out of 10. The story and acting so so - a 5 out of 10 for an average of 7. For revealing our lies - priceless.

The raw intensity displayed in The Impossible is enough to reign uncontrollable emotion upon the audience, as J.A Bayona has crafted a flick about clinging onto hope, while also going to insane lengths to depict the most brutal and honest vision of the tragic 2004 tsunami, which so happened to tangle an innocent tourist family in the act. And this is their story conveyed through cinema.The Impossible is one of the most emotionally powerful movies I have ever seen, from the standpoint of the acting to the precision-based directing. It wrenches through the hearts of those who dare to experience the mesmerizing picture, but at the same time, it's absolutely worth it for the satisfying arc about holding onto hope, and the importance of family.The performances are harrowing, dunked in realism, and involve the viewer with the characters as well as the central situation that they are plagued with. Ewan McGregor gives what I personally think is his greatest acting performance yet, Naomi Watts is forced with a lot of roundabouts and tough situations but manages to be as great as ever, and the children performances including Tom Holland were charming and added another great element to the overall grand scope of this movie.One sequence in the movie, about half-way through the first act, was so intensely real and crafted with so much mastery, that I'm ashamed of the lack of praise J.A Bayona has been receiving. This man is a wonderful talent, and a clear rivalry of Steven Spielberg, who has been recognized for the way he visualizes stories and art through screen, but unfortunately he still has not received the amount of praise that he deserves. The fact that he was not nominated for best director at the 2013 Oscars, SCARES ME.The Impossible is one of the most incredible film experiences I have been treated to in the past few decades, as it depicts the true horror and affect of the 2004 tsunami, but also sparks hope. Hope that keeps people holding on. It is acted with a tremendous amount of investment and care, directed with an admirable amount of effort, and shot with the kind of realism that only true filmmakers can implement so intensely. The Impossible is the best film of 2012, without a shadow of a doubt.