Juggernaut (1974)

It has a well-worn premise: a race against time to defuse a bomb aboard a transatlantic ocean liner.  The craftmanship elevates it to being tense and entertaining.  With a bit more of polish, this could have been a great movie.  Still, it’s a very satisfying, suspenseful thriller that, all these years later, holds up rather well.

The cinematography, the editing, and the action sequences are all noteworthy.  So is the way it keeps a sharp focus on the bomb-squad.  It has a star-studded cast that includes Richard Harris, Omar Sharif, Anthony Hopkins, and Ian Holm.  But it is Harris who is the absolute standout.  As the pipe-smoking, scotch-swilling leader of the bomb squad who mixes courage and discipline with sardonic philosophy, he gets the most screen time as well as the best lines.

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