Customer Reviews

White Squall

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Jeff Bridges is very believable as Captain Christopher Sheldon, the skipper of the good ship Albatross. His mission is to teach a group of high school boys the way of the sea and of life. All of the boys have problems and, as written and portrayed, some are real heartbreakers. And director Ridley Scott has collected a handsome group of teen hunks to portray them. There is not a false note in any of their performances. Ryan Phillippe particular continues to surprise and impress me with his versatility. Whether it be the sensitive gay boy in T.V's "One Life to Live" or the overly confident and cocky jock of the film I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER he is always convincing. Phillippe is truly an actor that bears watching. Kudos also to John Savage as the ship's English teacher. It's nice to see this underrated actor try a different sort of role for a change.The cinematography is splendid but to appreciate it fully you must see a wide screen edition of the film. If not on DVD, perhaps there is a wide screen edition on tape somewhere. But the cinematography and sound are both worth buying a DVD player, if you haven't already done so, and purchasing this disc. This reviewer is always wary of films which are advertised as coming-of-age movies, but this one fits the bill. And everyone, including the skipper learns from their experiences. For that reason alone the film is film is worth owning. And who knows, you might just learn something from Captain Sheldon and crew of the Albatross! I know I did!

I think that White Squall is one of the best movies ever. Ryan Phillipe and Scott Wolf were the perfect picks to play the main roles. It tells the story of a group of boys who go on an adventure on an older ship for the summer. They travel the world. The great thing I think about this movie is it is a true example of what friendship really is. These boys come on the ship as total strangers, and end up as friends that would risk there lives for eachother. Belive me if there was ore than a five star rating, White Squall would surley get it! I think anyone who could direct such a wonderful film is a maraculus person with a heart of gold. Thank you, Ridley Scott, for showing the world what a real movie should be!

I was lucky enough to see this film on the big screen when it was released. It is very unfortunate that this movie did not achieve the box-office success that it deserved. Jeff Bridges gives a strong performance(does he ever give less) in a role that is not as large as one might predict. Everyone else surrounding him on the ship gives strong performances as well. This film was based on a true story, and is never boring and is always beautiful to look at. Not to mention a beautiful and amazing score that fits the mood and setting perfectly. This movie has everything that a great film should. Ridley Scott impresses once again.

A

With classics like Alien, Blade Runner and the underrated but superb 1492: Conquest of Paradise, I'm a huge Ridley Scott fan. White Squall is a disappointment by comparison, but is still a compulsive and entertaining rite of passage drama that should not be overlooked and certainly deserved better than its disastrous performance at the box office. The film's main flaw is that it all too closely resembles Dead Poets' Society, (especially the coda, which copies Oh Captain, My Captain) Unusual for a director who usually sets the standards for others to follow rather, than the other way round. However all this is partly made up by the excellent performances from a talent set of youngsters and the ever-solid Jeff Bridges who at first resembles a Captain Ahabesque cliché but finally exudes sympathy. Scott's stunning visuals are present and correct and the sequences at sea truly convey the power of the sea, even in calm weather, as Scott revels in the rolling of the waves, lurching the ship up and down, like no other film. The breathtaking storm of the title stands out not only as a technical tour de force but also as an intense and moving climax.

I don't get it! How can there be so many Ridley Scott movies that go unnoticed? Other mainstream directors like James Cameron and Steven Spielberg have basically recognition for every movie they've made, but with movies like White Squall, there is a forgotten element to what Ridley Scott has done with his career. White Squall is a gem of a movie that has gone unnoticed for too long. Jeff Bridges is excellent as are the rest of the actors. This is a story that will pull you in and is addictive. It's like a book you can't put down. The style of the movie is a little removed from Scott's more modern works, but it's definately him behind the camera. Enjoy this movie, no matter who you are.

A group of teenage boys learn discipline, courage, and what it's like to stick together as a unit as they aboard the Albatross and ride it out into the great wide open in the Caribbean. Whether they're there because their parents want them to grow up and learn responsibility, or whether they're there because they want to be, they will all learn the comraderie, the hardships, and everything else that goes along with traveling to sea. All of the good and the bad must come together when the Albatross runs into a white squall, a MAJOR storm at sea.

How could anybody not love "White Squall"? There are a lot of great movies about going out to sea, and "White Squall" is up there with the best of them. It's not like "Crimson Tide", "U-571", and those; it's a spectacular coming of age film that has nothing to do with war. Scott Wolf, Ryan Phillippe, and the rest of the crew do a good job of acting, and Jeff Bridges does the best of all in portraying the sternness, yet warm-hearted character that is the Skipper.

If you're a fan of coming of age movies like "Stand By Me", and if you like very entertaining movies that explore the hardships of life to a tee, get "White Squall" right NOW! It's one of the best movies you've never heard of. Example line from the movie: "I don't want it to end. I don't want to go back to what I was before I came here: anonymous".

13 Kids, 3 Adults, The adventure of a life time. Those of you who are looking for an adventure of epic proportions that will take you over two oceans and dozens of islands with a group of equally interesting and at times disturbing characters, buckle up because you're in for one hell of a ride. This film was done perfectly, for once the film is better then the book (or so I've heard) and the final outcome can bring any minority, peoples of all ages and all professions to tears. The first time I saw this I was probably six years old and by the end of it my eight year old brother had become claustrophobic and huddled himself in a corner and my mother was crying. If I hadn't had been so busy laughing at them, I would have probably done the same. What happened out on the sea to those boys over forty years ago can only be described as a tragedy. A tragedy after finding themselves and the meaning to many things that they left on shore. This film truly honors those months that they spent together out on the crest and the weeks in which they were interrogated and put to trial after losing their friends in helpless cases. Shocking and worthy of such honorable men.

Mat Perrin, esq.

Director Ridley Scott is a cinematic artist, painting a very striking, strong, and beautiful visual experience. The locations, from seaside slums to life aboard ship to the storm, are all wonderfully displayed. The compelling visuals enhance the real-life based story. It is a multi-layered tale, part coming of age, part bonding friends, part action drama. No one theme overwhelms the others. As an extra on this film, it was a privilage to meet the real Chuck Geig and Tod Johnstone. Hearing them tell of their actuall experience and then seeing it displayed on the screen lead me to believe that they must be very proud of the results.

Maybe "classic" is a little bit much, but this movie is probably the most underrated movie I have ever seen. I don't remember much about it in the theater and don't know many people that have watched it. It is one of the top "coming of age" movies made in the past decade or so.

If you liked Dead Poet's Society (DPS is better because of Robin Williams) or A Separate Peace by John Knowles, you will like this movie. It is a movie that leads you on a journey, using a group of rich kids that signed up for a year at sea. Jeff Bridges is the tough captain that sets out to instill discipline and teach them that they must respect him, the ship, and, most importantly, each other.

I won't give away the ending, but the movie succeeds in delivering its messages of honor and individual responsibility. It does a fantastic job of delivering this message while leading you along a journey with Jeff Bridges and the crew of the ship.

Everybody else has pretty much said what I think about this movie, but I'd like to add that it's an emotional rollercoaster against the backdrop of some of the most beautiful scenic shots I've ever seen. It has to be seen to be believed, in fact, for my Art A-Level, I took some shots from the movie and painted the backdrops. It also details the value of life- not only the tragic wake of the deaths of some of the teenagers- so effectively detailed when the survivors return to St. Petersburg- but about the fragility of animal life, too. The unmerciful killing of a dolphin and the crew's shocked reaction is almost a poignant portent for the tragedy which lies ahead. It is a movie of intense replationships- the Caribbean music and romantic ideals of the 1960s addda certain kind of poignancy to it- watch and see if you don't feel a lump in your throat! I also feel that there should be given a mention to the immensely talented young cast- the hideously under-rated Scott Wolf, Jeremy Sisto, Jason Marsden, and not under-rated but good nonetheless Ryan Phillipe. Kudos to Ridley Scott for carrying the beauty of such a film in his soul and bringing such intense emotions so effectively. Heck, if this can move an 18-year-old, I feel the rest of you have to watch it. To coin a phrase- it's not a movie, it's an experience.