Ghost Voyage

A group of passengers plot their escape off a haunted ship to hell.

***Last chance: Damnation or Redemption?*** I was surprised how good "Ghost Voyage" (2008) is. The plot concerns a group of nine people, mostly strangers, who suddenly awaken on a mysterious ship in the middle of the ocean. An enigmatic Asian steward appears and instructs them to follow the rules. Some do, and some don't, to their own peril. Although quite a bit of the CGI is questionable and the plot is predictable from the get-go (think "Carnival of Souls" or "Purgatory"), the emphasis on character wins the day. At about 90 minutes the film moves right along, maintaining your attention, with a nice increase of suspense toward the end. Shot in Bulgaria, the film features a nice smörgåsbord of worthy Euro females, starting with the girl-next-door brunette protagonist, played by Deanna Russo, followed by the blonde ghostly seductress, played by Jasmina Toshkova. The possibility of redemption for those who have ears to hear is hinted at early on and the culmination of this aspect is actually kinda moving. GRADE: B