The Perfect Storm
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: George Clooney, John Hawkes, Karen Allen, Michael Ironside, William FichtnerCinematographer: John Seale
Composer: James Horner
DVD: 2 Layers, Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; French (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.35:1
Running Time: 130 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-06-01
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Movie Reviews of The Perfect Storm
Movie Review: ok, but duller than expected
Summary: 3 Stars
Stick to the book or try the film on a large screen when you want something noisy and active. The main scenes during the storm with Ahab's (Clooney's) boat had quite well-done effects and a zillion gallons of water, as you would expect, but they felt to me more like an extended car chase, where lots is happening while also not much is happening.
The fine cast did not get much chance to develop, except for some spark from Clooney and Wahlberg and a few spots here and there. Otherwise some talent is wasted on stock roles such as Diane Lane's. At least an almost gaunt-looking Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was a ship captain herself, and not some homebody.
The prelude to going to sea did not allow for much character development, which is ok, given that the movie is "The Perfect Storm" and not the drama of human interaction. However, that meant nothing of particular interest, either. The setup for Bugsy and Irene was unusual and almost embarrassing.
I liked getting an idea what a sword boat looked like, how it operated, what they did with the fish, etc. Some more of that would have gone over well with me. The conflict between Murph and Sully seemed artificial and added little.
It's probably not a good sign when the other rescue scene got me wondering about my tax dollars at work. Do we really send sophisticated, expensive forces into hurricanes to rescue dummies, risking others, Private Ryan style? You better "earn this", people.
Summary of The Perfect Storm
Setting out for the one last catch that will make up for a lackluster fishing season, Captain Billy Tyne (George Clooney) pushes his boat the Andrea Gail out to the waters of the Flemish Cap off Nova Scotia for what will be a huge swordfish haul. While his crew is gathering fish, three storm fronts (including a hurricane) collide to create a "perfect storm" of colossal force, and Billy's path back to Gloucester, Massachusetts, takes them right smack into the middle of it. Wolfgang Petersen's adaptation of Sebastian Junger's seafaring bestseller is a faithful if by-the-numbers true-story account of a monster storm that rocked New England in 1991, specifically Tyne's commercial fishing boat and its crew. Junger's tale fashioned a compelling if staid narrative out of seemingly disparate events, but this film adaptation tends to flatten out the story into a conventional if absorbing story of man vs. nature, as the crew fights for survival against the awesome waves the storm kicks up. The central part of the film, which cuts between the Andrea Gail's fight to stay afloat and the attempts of the Coast Guard to rescue a yacht in peril, is suspenseful action of the first degree, aided by some awesome computer-generated waves.Still, it's a long way to that action, with an extended first act that consists mainly of stoic men, crying women, and a fair amount of "don't go out into the sea" dialogue--in other words, a compelling story has been shoehorned into standard summer movie fare. It's too bad, as Peterson assembled an excellent cast--including Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, John C. Reilly, and William Fichtner among them--but seems to opt for only a surface exploration of these characters, though Clooney seems to have a touch of Captain Ahab in him. You may still be won over by the movie, but for a more in-depth portrait, go to Junger's book for the missing details. --Mark Englehart
It's Halloween, 1991. Near Gloucester, Massachusetts, the six members of the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing boat, head out to sea for their last trip of the season. Unbeknownst to them, a shockingly brutal storm is slowly gaining steam. Before the National Weather Bureau has a chance to inform the crew of the impending danger, it's too late. The resulting battle with three merging weather fronts--an unheralded natural disaster--is grueling and tragic. Based on the true-life best selling novel by Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane and is directed by Wolfgang Petersen.
DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary with Wolfgang Peterson Commentary with S. Fangmeier and H. Elswit Commentary with Sebastian Junger
Documentary
Featurette:James Horner Featurette
Filmographies:HBO First Look Special (29:30)
Gag Reel
Other:"Whitness to the Storm" (4:30)
Photo gallery:"Yours Forever" Photo Montage
Production Sketches:Storyboard Art with W. Peterson Commentary
Storyboards
TV Special
Theatrical Trailer
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