Product Details

• Actors: Robert Duvall, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Tim Phillips, Arliss Howard, William Forsythe
• Directors: Jerzy Skolimowski
• Writers: David Taylor, Siegfried Lenz, William Mai
• Producers: Bill Benenson, Matthias Deyle, Moritz Borman, Rainer Söhnlein
• Format: Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Paramount
• DVD Release Date: June 14, 2005
• Run Time: 89 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0008KLV9Q
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,633 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Lightship" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

LIGHTSHIP - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great characters!, January 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lightship [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Any movie that is confined to basically one set is a tough sell. Life boat pulled it off. So does lightship. Just the interaction between Duvall, Arlis Howard and William Forsythe is worth the price of the tape. The bit where Dr. Casparry dances with Eddie Waxler while Gene Waxler looks on is so well done it looked real. This movie, much like Aliens, is chocked full of great characters, and they all get a chance to shine.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay for a popcorn evening., September 16, 2008

By 

PJR (Minneapolis, Minnesota United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lightship (DVD)

Mostly I agree with the points in Cricket and Crestwood's quite negative reviews, but still found it entertaining and would rate it a bit higher.The Duvall character was crazy enough to keep you guessing. Actually he sort of reminded me of Ledger as Joker in the Batman film. Which came first?

I found it quite satisfactory for one watching but would be unlikely to watch it again. Okay for an evening as a suspense/adventure film. More interesting than most. But like most, once the characters have played themselves out and there are no more mysteries, the film is done. No truly memorable moments. The depth of the characters is not all that deep to go back and ponder another time. All in all an average decent film.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terribly Disappointing!, April 6, 2007

By 

Mike Crestwood (New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Lightship (DVD)

The premise is a good one---the crew of an isolated lightship is invaded by a trio of ne'er-do-wells with evil intent---but the plot, like a real lightship, doesn't go anywhere. The father-son relationship between the ship's captain (Klaus Marie Brandeur) and his erstwhile son seems forced, the story of the father's previous cowardice seems to be just the opposite---great leadership, and the relationship between the captain and his chief antagonist (Robert Duvall in a horrible role) never generates even a single spark of tension. Beyond the poor acting and directing is the fact that no tension is ever built anywhere, and the crew never use their knowledge of the sea and the lightship to get back at the bad guys. Additionally, they never disarm the bad guys, despite numerous opportunities to do so and a radio warning to be on the lookout for the terrible trio. What were they thinking when the three idiots show up? These aren't the bad guys? DUMB! One of the biggest distractions was the director's lack of attention to detail: all the interior shots were obviously filmed in a studio backlot, not onboard a real lightship. The sets never moves while the actors say their dialogue, and all the while the lightship is supposed to be foundering in a violent storm. Ridiculous! If you are hoping for a tense, claustrophobic, nightmarish potboiler (like I was) then you are in for a great disappointment. Stay away from it.