The Impossible - A drama over a thriller

If, like me, you've become accustomed to Hollywood's recent obsession with disaster movies, then you might have expected The Impossible to be more of a fast-paced, tension-driven thriller about people trying to survive against the elements. However, this is actually more of a thoughtful, uplifting piece. Yes, we have some special effects near the beginning where a huge tidal wave decimates a holiday resort in Thailand, leaving numerous dead or missing, but the rest of the film is about a family who have become separated with each other, undertaking the monumental task of trying to find each other again in the midst of the aftermath.

With Ewan McGreggor and Naomi Watts as leads, you can expect decent performances, but the stand-out character who steals many of the scenes is the young boy who plays their son and shows how he was forced to cope with growing up far sooner than he ever should have.

It's a good film, if you're looking for drama and a real story of survival against the odds. Just don't expect a rollercoaster of excitement with many thrills and spills along the way.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that