Customer Reviews

The Perfect Storm (Widescreen Edition) [VHS]

5 star:		(102)
4 star:		(97)
3 star:		(80)
2 star:		(68)
1 star:		(75)

 

 

This is a review of the bluray version of the film. I will assume people know the story of this blockbuster hit about the ill-fated "Andrea Gail" during the infamous superstorm in 1991. Should you upgrade your copy of TPS to blu? OH, HELL YES! I bought this recently, having been depressed by the TERRIBLE standard definition transfer of the film. Warner Bros. tranfers on DVD had been routinely lousy (see Superman Returns) in SD. I am happy to report they redeemed themselves with this beautiful high defnition transfer that looks superbly film-like. The colors, textures, and visual effects are reproduced with astounding clarity. This is how I remember it looking in the theatre. It was a new movie experience to see it like this. The soundtrack sounds fabulous. Robust, aggressive, ambient, with terrific directionality. This is the version to own, and it's a steal at the current price (10-12 bucks). If you love the movie, you will love this transfer, and you can toss the crappy regular dvd version.

The book version of *A Perfect Storm*, on which the movie is based, is a fascinating study of meteorology and oceanography, and people who have seen the film definitely should go back and read it if they have not already. As technically informative as the book may be, however, it would have translated into a "Nova"-type documentary film rather than a "movie" had the film producers stuck faithfully to the contents of Junger's text.

Instead, producer Gail Katz and director Wolfgang Peterson (who also directed such classics as *Das Boot*) have taken the hoary Gloucestermen-gamble-and-lose theme and turned it into a spectacular action film complete with some of the finest computer-generated special effects that have appeared on the big screen in many a year. Some of the dialog and thematic material is predictable, and yes, unabashedly "Hollywood," but so what? The end product is extremely well-crafted, technically breathtaking, and thoroughly absorbing. The film is worth seeing just for the computer-created storm effects, but on top of this, the acting, direction, and editing are all first-rate.

After all, don't most of us go to the movie theater with a willingness to surrender to a few cliches, as long as these are presented in a form that is powerful and entertaining? This film is definitely of the "Hollywood blockbuster" genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I think most other viewers will, too.

I wasn't one of the cynics. I wanted to see this film. I was optimistic. Heck, I even live in Rockport, the next town over from Gloucester.

But this movie, except for the special effects, was awful. If you were to strip away all of the digital imagery, the alluring ocean storm, and okay acting, you would be left with a half-baked story that does not establish any basis whatsoever for respecting the protagonist(s).

I, for one, was not moved by Clooney's "powerful" Act 2 climax declaration of "I always find the fish!" It was almost laughable. They were going for Scarlet's "I will never go hungry again," and they got something much, much less to put it kindly. The problem was that they were unable to mask - despite a *valiant* effort - what really happened here. A group of men made bad decision after bad decision, with money and greed as their motive, ignoring their loved one's advice, and they got themselves killed. When you strip away all the rhetoric, that's what you get.

And I was literally embarrassed for Diane Lane. You know when you go to a talent show and the performer is so bad that you actually feel embarrassed for her? That's how it was with Lane. Not only the accent - I mean please - but the acting. They had her going for the Oscar in every scene, and when I was supposed to feel bad for her, I was literally chuckling and shaking my head. I have never seen such overacting in any movie, ever. Ever.

And what about the "Perfect" storm? Why was it perfect? What was so amazing about it? There is almost *nothing* in the movie about the dynamics of the storm system that led to these events. Other than telling you that 3 systems are colliding, there is nothing else mentioned about the uniqueness of this situation.

Had it not been for the special effects I would have given it one star. The ocean was magnificent. I'm not even going to talk about the ridiculously unrealistic events that occurred, because you expect that sort of thing in this kind of movie. But I also expected a few other things: Related storylines, believable characters, LIKEABLE characters, and decent acting. In these areas, the film is wanting.

This movie, Perfect Storm was great movie in many meanings. The opportunity that I was interested to this movie at first was for that the main theme was weather phenomenon. I have known that incredible storms, their three storms touched each other, broke a few years ago, but I have not known about the detail things. I have the knowledge about weather to some extent because I am interested to weather phenomenon daily. For that, the movie that showed the rare phenomenon that theree storms including hurricane and cold front line etc contacted each other gave shock to me.
In addition to that, the movie expressed such unbelievable theme very well. I think that it is natural that the makers use the artficial technique like computer graphics and so on. But because the movie theme was nature, using the technique must have needed many care. But in such rimitation, the great expression was made, for instance wave is so. The makers made high wave that we can never see in our life. The wave was very natural. The thirilling case even that a fishing ship dived into wave wall was expressed with incredible excitment very well.

And except of their weather, there was climaxs in the movie. That was human drama. The main vhicle in the movie was a fishing ship. And the crew were wild and impoliteness in my first glance. But as the story went, my emotion for their changed little and little, that is to say, though they were a little crazy men who did the actions like diving to such storms, when I say in other view, they had bravery that they dared to go the storms without turning back, that was pure benefit that they derired to get back fishes to the hometown. Such bravery can be said to my daily life. As I am adult, tend to lose bravery and be timid, I felt that I should go to dangerouse scene even for achiving my goal in the movie.

Finally, they had been drunk by wave. I expected that the last would be happy end even if whether the movie was on non-fiction or not. But I felt in the other side that their bravery was testified by such ending again, before we think about the uneasy, anyway move to the goal.

Thank you for reading poor English.

THE PERFECT STORM is one of those unabashedly sentimental epics Hollywood has been doing for years...and this is one fine addition to that list. Director Wolfgang Petersen commandeers a wonderful cast, and the special effects are stupendous. What made this movie work so much for me wasn't the leading roles of George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg or John C. Reilly, although they were just fine. It's the people in secondary roles, particularly the women, who made such an impact on me. Diane Lane is perfect as Christina, Mark's woman who wants to start a new life with him; even if her accent isn't quite up to par, her immersion in the role is great. Rusty Schwimmer as Irene, the overweight single mother who finds herself intrigued with Bugsy (John Hawke, in an outstanding performance) doesn't have a lot of screen time, but she commands it when she does. So does Janet Wright as Mark's momma, Edith. Wright's performance was right on key in both her love for her son and the acceptance of Diane into her family. Likewise, Merle Kennedy's role as John Reilly's ex-wife requires little screen time or dialogue, but her presence is powerfully felt. William Frichtner's painful presence as Reilly's nemesis is especially powerful as he saves Reilly's life and becomes more of a friend. Christopher McDonald as the metereologist who practically explodes in excitement with the birth of the perfect storm adds a strange tint of irony and sadness. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's subtle sexuality ignites her scenes with Clooney and her eulogy is four or five hankies at least!
This is a movie movie and I enjoyed it immensely!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The Perfect Storm is not much more than a glorified TV-movie. Sure, it wasn't lacking goodlooking stars (George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane) or money for special effects (the sea is quite terrifying), but really interesting, no.

This movie tells the story of a group of fishermen, who go out into "one of the biggest storms of all times", to catch some fish because they have kids to feed, people to support, they need the money. the tragedy can easily be foreseen of course.

What makes this movie attractive, is the emotional buildup, seeing the crew of the boat bond, set themselves over their prejudice, and risk their lives for each other, even those they thought they "hates". It is the story of courageous men who don't walk away, but face their enemy up to the point of losing, the real story of simple fishermen who risked their lives for others.

Regardless of the big stars, the money that went in, and the great ratings, I don't think this movie is worth buying. If it's on tv on a friday night, turn the tv on, (or if you're a big George Clooney fan, go see it cuz he looks sexy) but other than that, don't waste your money on this, there are much better movies out there!

Believe it or not, I scanned all 110 reviews to see if anybody who even lives in a coastal town put in their two cents about this movie, and found only two folks from Sitka, Alaska. My business is intimately related with the fishing industry and with this story, so when I saw it for the first time, for me it was like attending a memorial service, and I cried for hours afterwards. To know that six men drowned, even to know what happens to the body when one drowns (I am of course referring here to S. Junger's excellent book, The Perfect Storm) is one thing, to watch a depiction of that on film is something else entirely.

I was profoundly disappointed in the emotionally manipulative score and the absolutely awful dialogue, and hey you guys, all of our lighthouses have been automated for years--there is no lighthouse keeper's son on Ten Pound Island waving at the boats going out to sea! Honestly, the story is sad enough without that blatent heartstring pulling crap.

But holy cow....to watch Hollywood put together with special effects that storm--so impersonal and so devastating--that in itself almost balances out the negatives of this film. Really though, the pros and cons if the film have been explored ad naseum here--let me tell you what you don't know.

Wolfgang took extreme pains to "get it right" with the town and with the fishermen. He hired many of them to make sure that every single detail of the fishing scenes was right on. And it was--every fisherman that I've talked to has said that it was absolutely accurate. And the swordfish--one of my friends works for the fisheries, setting regs for swordfish catches, and he said he didn't know until deep in the credits that all of the swordfish used in the movie were fake. In fact, somebody called the department of health here concerned that a swordfish had been sitting out in the sun on the dock all day...one of the props for the movie.

How realistic were the characters? This has been the feedback I've gotten. Bugsy was right on--just like that. Sully was not anywhere near such an jerk. Mark Wahlberg captured something about Bobby Shatford that was almost intangible--the way he smiled, the way he laughed--just the energy around him. Billy Tyne, in spite of what his ex-wife is alleging (and trying to sue WB for) was not a suicidal tyrannical maniac (and I don't think he came off that way in the film either). The woman who played Ethel Shatford also managed to capture something of Ethel's energy.

And here's a blooper for you--check out the movie poster--major proportional screw up! The Andrea Gail was 100 ft long. So if you do the geometry, the wave depicted is over 200 feet high! It was out before they could catch and fix it.

If you even remotely liked this movie, I would strongly urge you to get the book. Sebastian Junger took great pains to not put words in the mouths of these men (something Hollywood unfortunately has no qualms doing), but instead built a strong, journalistically solid structure of buttressing information, interviews, details, research--all on every single detail of what the men on that boat probably experienced on their trip. Sounds dry, it's not--he even makes wave mechanics fascinating (how does a wave get to be 100 feet tall, anyway?) It also goes into much more detail about the Coast Guard rescue (wow, talk about heroes) and the other boats in distress.

The movie? Eh--I won't see it again--the dialogue would probably lead me to throw something heavy through the tv screen. It's a shame-not that anybody's expecting Shakespeare, but cliche after cliche? Blech.

The Perfect Storm is the best picture I have seen all year! Director Wolfgang Peterson shows us the emotion and depth of man's struggle against nature, and it's ultimate consequences as the fishing boat Andrea Gail heads through the worst storm in recorded history. The film does a terrific job of entering us into the world of fisherman. The storyline and characters are very wonderfully delved into. The actors do a fantastic job of showing us these are real people, and the film does great job showing us this emotional true story! The film includes stellar performances from George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Diane Lane(who provides extreme heart to the film and is a serious oscar contender!)who make us really care about the characters they are playing, plus a very strong supporting cast - John C. Rielly, William Fichtner, John Hawks, Mary Elizabeth Mostrantonio, and Allen Payne. The film is loaded with suspense, and will keep on the edge of your seat! As the Andrea Gail makes it's way through the storm, you will have sweaty palms and bite your nails. The film aslo includes a rescue attempt by the coast guard, to not only rescue the passengers of a doomed yacht but to rescue four of their own men, so terrific, that by the end of the action sequence you will be going wow! The massive Oceans are downright terrifying! The special effects are so good, that at no point in the film can you tell the ocean is computer generated! Not to mention this film has one of the best original scores in recent history(beautifully executed by James Horner). The film's climax is amazing! The end is very emotional aswell and will bring tears to your eyes. It is one of the most beautiful endings to a film ever( George Clooney's speech is wonderful and Mark Wahlbergs goodbye to Diane Lane is heartbraking!) In a summer of not so stellar films, "The Perfect Storm" shines on top. This film was absolutely amazing in theaters, the DVD has to be spetacular. Be sure to pick it up, a must have! Absolutely the best film, not only of the summer, but in recent history!

They said it couldn't be done, but director Wolfgand Petersen has managed to make a sensational film out of a thoroughly mediocre script. Petersen's film is more of an exhilerating showcase for ILM's magnificant storm effects then a moving account of the real life events that took place off the coast of Nova Scotia in the fall of 1991. As a result the film's final scene with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, which I won't describe here, is more uncomforatble then moving. Given the fact these characters were based on real people, that last sentence may seem offensive, but the fault lies squarely with William Wittliff's one dimensional characterisations.

The film opens with the fishermen returning home with their catch. Petersen works extra-hard to capture the flavors and accents of the small town of Gloucester,Mass. There are scenes in a local saloon where Springsteen's Hungry Heart plays and the fishermen are reunited with their lovers, mothers and ex-wives. But Petersen's attempts are thwarted by Wittliff's shallow writing. We are introduced to skipper Billy Tyne(George Clooney) who walks around in a flannel shirt, looking like a movie star and spouting lines like "I am doing what I was made to do". Then there is Bobby Shafford(Mark Wahlberg) who is deeply in debt and deeply in love with Christina Cotter(Diane Lane). The rest of the Andria Gail's six man crew are Murph(John C.Reilly) who maintains a friendly relationship with his ex-wife, Sully(William Fichtner) who is made, by the screenwriter, to hate Murph and thus provide the film with some badly written scenes of tension and reconcilation before the storm arrives, Alfred Pierre(Alan Payne) a Jamican fisherman who remains entirely in the background and Bugsy(John Hawkes) who is the film's most endearing character and infact would seem like a screenwriter's idea of comic relief if he weren't a real person. Where some screenwriters manage to create real people out of thin air, Wittliff has taken real people and molded them into convenient stock characters.

James Horner's score, which is a fine piece of music, is terribly used. If the film-makers intention was to present us with real people so we could care about their peril, why does Horner's orchestral score accompany them on a seemingly routine fishing trip. These six guys are heading out to sea to catch some fish, and Horner's music all but tells us, that they are infact destined to meet The Perfect Storm of the title. It gives the game away.

Gradually, Petersen abandons his futile attempts at human drama, and shifts his attention to what is ultimately the real star of the film, that awe-inspiring and genuinely terrifying storm. There is a completely perfunctory cameo from Christopher McDonald as the meteoroligist who exists only to describe what a the "Perfect Storm" is, and frankly I would have preferred a narration over the opening credits doing just that. A parallel story line involving the rescue attempts of a sailboat called the Mistral exists only to tease the audience with the spectacle of the storm the crew of the Andrea Gail will soon encounter. But by that time ridiculous lines such as "Its time to seperate the men from the boys" and "You're heading right into the heart of the monster" have been uttered with straight faces, that the audience is forced into the criminal position of eagerly awaiting the dreaded storm rather then fearing it.

There are so many things that are wrong with The Perfect Storm that I now realise that my review looks like a pan. It isn't. Infact this is one of the most visceral cinematic experiences I've had all year. The granduer, the size, the force of the raging sea could never be adequatly described in a review. Out there, in the dark the black water takes on a viscous quality, and the 100ft waves of that Perfect storm resemble mountains formed and crumbled by a mindless force that couldn't care less about six fishermen trapped in the middle of it all. Yes, I would love to see a Terrance Malick version of The Perfect Storm with more psychological, emotional and scientific depth, but lets face it, that version wouldn't have grossed one tenth of its cost. The credits for this one say "A Wofgang Petersen film, starring George Clooney", I think "An ILM film starring Big Wave" would have been more accurate.

If you plan on seeing The Perfect Storm on the small screen then downgrade my rating to 3 stars.

I guess the producers of "The Perfect Storm" felt that a semi-true story about six men dying in a fishing boat disaster during a storm in the Atlantic in the Fall of 1991 wasn't enough to hold the attention of audiences. Thus, they padded the movie out with 25 unneeded minutes about the Coast Guard and an amateur who sails himself and two women right into the middle of a hurricane. It wasn't needed. As is, this is a rather ponderous and distended 130-minute film, with a tightly told and fairly moving 105-minute film inside it just screaming to get out. Someone should go back with a cutting tool and free the poor thing.