I'll state right off the top that there is a lot to like about this movie. It's a lavish production - it comes across as a bit like what James Cameron might have put out in the 70's, although this is one of Irwin Allen's disaster movies. The "spare no expense" attitude to this film comes across in the unbelievably meticulous and believable sets, the excellent special effects revolving, of course, around the fire, and the assembling of a pretty high profile cast. The story of a huge fire breaking out in a massive high rise (I'm not exactly sure if it was mentioned how high this high rise was but it has to be at least 137 floors, since the people were on 135 and the water tanks were 2 floors above them) is well crafted - and this may be the only movie I've come across that's based on two (yes - 2) novels. It's suspenseful and the suspense is real. People begin dying pretty soon in and a few people die that you don't expect to die, so it's not especially predictable. It also offers a decent look at the methods firefighters might have used to battle such a blaze, and in fact the movie opened with a dedication to firefighters.
And yet, for all that - something was not quite right. Also similar to some of James Cameron's later work, Irwin Allen seems to go a bit overboard with this. It's too much; it's too lavish. There's too much unnecessary filler. The story revolving around the attempts to defeat and escape the fire would have been quite sufficient, but in keeping with other 70's era disaster films Allen felt the need to insert melodrama into the script - certain "soapy" elements that really didn't do too much for the story. Those melodramatic additions add up, and lead to a movie that's needlessly almost 3 hours in length, when the basic story could have been told in much less.
Irwin Allen could be well described as the "Master of Disaster" (with apologies to Apollo Creed!) A case could be made that "The Towering Inferno" is his best piece of work. It's not my favourite among the Allen movies I've seen, but this could be the best overall production he was ever responsible for, which is reflected in the fact that this was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. I think that's overdoing it a bit. I'd describe it as a good movie with more than a few shortcomings.
And yet, for all that - something was not quite right. Also similar to some of James Cameron's later work, Irwin Allen seems to go a bit overboard with this. It's too much; it's too lavish. There's too much unnecessary filler. The story revolving around the attempts to defeat and escape the fire would have been quite sufficient, but in keeping with other 70's era disaster films Allen felt the need to insert melodrama into the script - certain "soapy" elements that really didn't do too much for the story. Those melodramatic additions add up, and lead to a movie that's needlessly almost 3 hours in length, when the basic story could have been told in much less.
Irwin Allen could be well described as the "Master of Disaster" (with apologies to Apollo Creed!) A case could be made that "The Towering Inferno" is his best piece of work. It's not my favourite among the Allen movies I've seen, but this could be the best overall production he was ever responsible for, which is reflected in the fact that this was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. I think that's overdoing it a bit. I'd describe it as a good movie with more than a few shortcomings.