Moving. Attention-Grasping. Astonishing. These words alone show the magnificence of the revolutionary Titanic mockbuster Titanic II, where the stakes are raised to the extreme and the only thing more intriguing about the events involved is how Hayden Walsh was able to break a glass barrier encasing an ax moments after it was already broken.
Released in 2010, Titanic II is a thrilling action-packed film featuring the multi-talented actor Shane Van Dyke, who not only directed and wrote the movie but in addition starred as the main male lead. The movie also has a plethora of brilliant minds behind the screen, such as “make up” artist Megan Nicoll and second-second assistant director Mathew Calica.
The story follows two nurses Amy Maine (Marie Westbrook) and Kelly Wade (Michelle Glavan) as well as Titanic II owner Hayden Walsh (Shane Van Dyke) as they journey through the waters of the Atlantic alongside many passengers before they encounter a monstrous tsunami that causes the Titanic II to start sinking and chaos to ensue, whilst father of Amy Maine and United States Coast Guard Captain James Maine (Bruce Davidson) and scientist Madeline Kay (Kendra Sue Waldman) explore the sudden collapsing ice tied to the disappearance of a surfer earlier in the film.
This movie was the actionest of action movies, and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. From the twenty minute continuous screams and constant dramatic falling from everyone on board, I found at times my heart rate would increase so quickly that I had to stop the movie to get ahold of myself.
Yet, the real icing on the cake was when Amy and Hayden had to cross the electric-infested pool of water by climbing above it using pipes above, causing me to avert my eyes when Amy started exclaiming she was going to slip for what seemed like forever before Hayden heroically grabbed back into the pipes, climbed over to her, and, as her hand slipped, grabbed it and put it right back on the pipe like the man he was.
The actors’ talent was evident in their reactions, giving the same frightened look no matter the circumstance and nothing else. Those terrified stares alone were worth an Oscar, much more than any intense and emotionally dark performance.
While watching Titanic II, it was clear that from the start Amy and Hayden showed a deep connection, cementing their evident interest in one another when Amy tells Kelly how she still has some romantic interest in Hayden even after and Hayden in his first scene enters with four women surrounding him. So romantic.
From then on the romance blossomed, with Amy and Hayden sharing a deep conversation on the deck of the boat where Amy spent the entirety talking about how she missed him while Hayden would just give a small, meaningless comment back. The chemistry between the two was exponential, as good if not better as their predecessors Jack and Rose.
While the acting performances were definitely memorable, it would be unfair to not note the incredible special effects used throughout the film that really brought the film together. From the obvious green screens around Captain James May and Madeline Kay as they were escaping the collapsing ice and the way the Titanic 2 looked two-dimensional, you could tell the filmmakers put a great amount of effort into making sure the action movie was as realistic as possible.
After spending an hour and thirty minutes of my time watching this movie, I can say that it was definitely worth it. Having the chance to watch Titanic II was a pleasure, and I truly can’t wait to see what great story Shane Van Dyke will come up with next.
