Rating: 
Summary: A Clooney Film Worth Watching!
Review: George Clooney may not be my favorite actor, but he does give a great performance. He lacks the accent of the NorthEast as do most of the characters in the movie, but he does seem to look the part. I saw the movie at the theater and the DVD reproduces every feeling I had watching it on the big screen. The colors are crisp and clear and the sound helps you feel every wave and howl of wind. After watching this movie twice, I decided to buy the book by Linda Greenlaw called "The Hungry Ocean". She is the real life captain of Andrea Gail's sistership The Hannah Boden. The book goes into detail about the life of a swordboat captain and crew. You will get a better perspective of what The Perfect Storm boat crew really went through when not battling the weather. But, overall the movie will take your mind of any troubles you think you have and what could be...at least for an hour or two.
Rating: 
Summary: A True Story... yeah right.
Review: Thr instant I saw the words "based on a true story" I knew I was deep in the cagal (to borrow a word from Harry Harrison). Those frightening words are normally to portent of the most fantastic flights of fantasy the world has ever known. Notice to Producer: These is no way that anyone can know what happened on the fishing boat in any true detail from the moment it left the dock. Having spent a number of years on ships I know that only the tersest chatter occurs on the shipbands. The entire sequence of what supposedly occurred at sea is totally a figment of some script wirter's imagination and no more based on reality than Star Wars. I suspect the phrase "based on a true story" is used by Hollywood to build audience empathy because the movie itself doesn't. I have also been at sea in close proximity to a couple of typhoons and can say unequivocally that no fisherman who fell off his boat during a real live hurricane is going to get back on it if he isn't tethered to it. Even then he's more likely to be battered to death than rescued. So I guess my direct experiences with the sea only destroyed any entertainment value the movie had. Other people have critiqued the weak character developments and juvenile bar scenes better than I. All in all the movie is too boring and ridiculous for real entertainment value. Watch it if your only other choice on the tube is wrestling or golf.
Rating: 
Summary: Idiotic
Review: Frightening--that I spent good money to see this. Really bad! Dialog consisted entirely of stupid macho posturing; no story line at all. Comic "dramatic" situations. Confusing or entirely missing character motivation--why on earth did any of these people do any of the things they did? The ending, however, was quite rewarding; too bad the writers weren't on board.
Rating: 
Summary: Utterly Depressing....
Review: I have never seen such a depressing movie in my life (well at least they didn't "HollyWood-ize" the facts I guess). Living in MA, and having worked in Gloucester, maybe I knew too much about the story and it made watching the movie somewhat unbearable. The movie was well acted (except for Wahlberg, but his role was limited). I especially liked the work done by John Reilly, I think he might be the most underrated actor working today (Boogie Nights "Reed"). They kept a lot of little esoteric details in the movie, that will undoubtedly make folks from New England smile. And yes, the story is for the most part completely factual. But, like most Boston area movies, I am completely insulted by thier sad attempts at creating true Massachusetts accents (the only one who sounded right was Wahlberg, but he is from Boston anyhow!). I dunno, watch it if you have the time to waste and don't mind feeling like total crap afterward.
Rating: 
Summary: The Perfect Movie
Review: The six crewmen (captained by Clooney) of a swordfishing boat stuck at sea during a dangerous storm with hurricane force winds and 100-foot waves struggle to make it back to shore safely, while their families and friends on shore are left to worry, as the Coast Guard tries to save them.
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Storm earns a 4+ rating.
Review: The movie starts out with the swordboat, Andrea Gail, coming in from a fishing trip hauling a below-par, at best, catch. The ship's owner and displeased and the captain played by George Clooney decides to go on another trip to depart the next day. The movie describes each characters background on land before they depart. While they are out, it seems they have the same old bad luck before heading out farther into the sea. Meanwhile, 3 storms coverge, one of which is a hurricane, to form a "perfect storm" as quoted from the movie. While, out on the Flemish Cap, they catch an unprecidented large number of fish, but the first of their bad luck sets in as their ice maching breaks. They have to head in immediately if their catch is to be any good. They head smack dead into the middle of the storm. The Perfect Storm is a great movie with heart felt emotions and great special effects.
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Storm is underrated! I completely enjoyed it.
Review: Although I'm not a native of Gloucester, MA, I have lived in Gloucester for the past 5 years. I went to see this movie and found it to be everything I'd hoped it would be and then some! Actually, I went to see it about every weekend this summer, and I kept going to see it at different theatres until they finally took it away. It's quite frankly one of the best movies I've ever seen in my life! Actually, I bought a DVD player and a new and bigger TV, and was actually counting down the days until November 14. I had heard that the DVD version had so many special things, that I didn't want to miss out. It includes a part on the making of the movie, narrated by Wolfgang Petersen and Gail Katz, and a separate narration by Sebastian Junger, the author of the book, as well as story boards, and a photo montage of "Yours Forever." And "Creating an Emotion" by James Horner. When I got it home on November 14, I think I played it every night for a week. Probably noone really understands just how much of an impact this movie has made on me. I love sea stories, but something in this movie just went beyond everything I'd ever seen, and I continue to keep seeing it. There have been mixed reviews of this movie--some people loved it, and many others criticized it for even being made. The costumes of the fishermen were so realistic, and it looked as if Clooney and the others had actually been there. Also, the special effects were truly amazing. I also read the book before going to see the movie, so I knew how it was going to end. Then I read the book again, and it made the tale of these 6 fishermen even clearer and more awesome. It makes me think that those who really didn't care for the movie might have been overcome by just how realistic and gripping special effects are--perhaps they got seasick or just remembered a time in their own experience that they wanted to forget. And those who loved the movie were overcome by such a gripping sea story with awesome special effects that you felt you were right there on the boat and knew the people. One comment I have for the critics, is just HOW much acting can a crew of sword fisherman do when they're scared and just want to get home? You don't really expect them to start singing "Show me the way to go home?" in the middle of a big storm like they did in Jaws with the shark out there! And who said that said cliches are bad anyway if they add to the storyline? This is a movie I won't soon forget. I bought the DVD edition and found SO many extras that I enjoyed it thoroughly, although the VHS version seems to be muted and in shades of gray. I actually watched the DVD version every night for a week once I got it home! The music score by James Horner was wonderful. I could listen to it and almost see the whole movie by closing my eyes and thinking about it. All in all, I think Wolfgang Petersen did a great job, and although this movie probably won't win Best Picture, or any other awards, it was definitely one worth watching and I highly recommend the DVD version. The DVD has great full color and sound, and the special features are wonderful, making this a film that at least I won't soon forget. The VHS version seems to be grayed down, so please to adjust your TV set to get the best viewing. The cloudy gray VHS version, however, doesn't take away from the awesome effects that make the movie what it is;unquestionably the best movie I've seen this year. Just wanted to add that I bought 5 copies of the movie for Christmas presents this year, and almost everyone said how much they've really enjoyed the movie. Also, I've become a fan of George Clooney--he looks like he's been there, and he's MY HERO!
Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointing
Review: This movie was a poor attempt to dramatize the life of some not so well-to-do fishermen. It is a tragedy in which the entire crew of the Andrea Gail drowns in a storm. Of course, one of the most crucial parts of a tragedy is to make the viewer identify with the tragic heroes of the story; something that this movie fails at miserably. We are given a brief introduction to the characters at the beginning of the movie and then they are sent on their merry ways out to sea to catch some fish. We are shown some of their family lives and the inevitability of the situation, but this introduction is so short (had to make room for the 50 foot waves and the helicopter crashing into the ocean) that we are left with little interest in the survival of the main characters, so when they do die, nobody really cares. It has got to be the biggest anticlimax since January 1st of this year. Even if you are only interested in the special effects, action scenes, etc., you will still be disappointed. The special effects aren't bad, although they do look unnatural at times, but they don't stand out. They are used, as another reviewer has mentioned, only to set the atmosphere of the movie. They do not make the movie. Also, there are few action scenes in this movie. The closest thing you will find is people constantly being pulled back aboard the boat (did I mention this movie gets rather repetitous) and them falling into the water, as with the helicopter I previously mentioned. If you are looking for a good plot or a good action movie, don't waste your time on this. I don't even know who would find this movie interesting. You leave the movie wanting something that the film didn't provide. Not like a good film where you leave feeling fulfilled. This film is a lesson in bad storytelling and I advise anybody who wants to listen not to bother with it.
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Storm
Review: Stay away this movie is a joke and shows Hollywoods lack of creativity and good actors!
Rating:
Summary: Great special effects...
Review: This was a roller-coaster ride of a movie. The first 20 minutes or so was sort of slow, it was mostly character development. But the last hour more than makes up for it; lotsa great scenes of man vs. the sea. I'm not even that big of a George Clooney fan, but he was fantastic in this film as the captain of the doomed fishing boat. After watching this, it made me glad I live in a land-locked state.
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