Poseidon makes solid use of the format. Set details are gorgeous, and the extra effort spent setting them up pays off in higher resolution. Black levels are pristine, along with rich color. The only noticeable problems come from a light grain, noticeable mostly in the opening 15 minutes, though it does tend to creep up on occasion later. It’s a minor flaw at its worst, though it’s definitely there if you’re looking. 
Presented with a high end Dolby True HD mix, the film simply couldn’t sound any better. The wave sequence alone is the worth the entry price for audiophiles. The boat rocks and sinks throughout, providing flawless audio cues to its status. Audio volume is significantly high, and makes a huge impact during action scenes, though it can make quieter dialogue difficult to decipher during downtime. 
Warner releases this HD disc with their new In-Movie, hosted by star Josh Lucas. These rather annoying although informative features run concurrent with the movie via picture-in-picture window, and are unavailable elsewhere on the disc. Outside of the film, the History Channel provides an informative look at Rogue Waves, the phenomenon, and what scientists are doing to learn about them to prevent future problems. Generous clips from Poseidon fill some of the running time.
Poseidon: Upside Down is an 11 minute look at the films giant sets and trouble constructing them upside down. Ship on a Soundstage further looks at the issues the crew had assembling the film from all aspects. It’s a lot of praising and talking heads over some nice behind the scenes footage.
The best feature on the disc is Shipmates Diary following a young film student on her trek through her first Hollywood feature. Her comparisons to her school projects in terms of scope and money are priceless. If you’re wondering why these Hollywood epics cost so much in the end, this shows a lot of the reasons from food down to the lowliest jobs on the set. It’s a shame this is only 12 minutes. 
Director Wolfgang Peterson wraps up a trilogy of water/ship movies with Poseidon. 1981’s Das Boot, a super long (nearly five hours) submarine epic is by far his best work, following that up almost 20 years later with the George Clooney vehicle Perfect Storm in 2000. He should have quit while he was ahead.
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