Rating: 
Summary: Fun on an intellectual level
Review: This is not an adventure story this is a subtle drama of a man left to himself and survival. Nothing much happens in the movie we just get to watch how he survives and grows through some of the most unusual circumstances. You'll probably find yourself trying to help him make decisions. It's fun; just don't expect the wrong thing.
Rating:
Summary: Will Evoke Different Emotions
Review: I have seen this movie on HBO, and I had multiple feelings to it. Watching this movie, I had several different reactions. One was the horror I felt during the crash scene--very horrifying. Another was amazement-- amazement at what a person will do to survive under the most desperate circumstances. Yet another reaction I had was sadness--I really felt sorry for Chuck as he was sobbing after losing Wilson, his only "friend" on the island. I also felt sorry for him when he comes back home, eager to see his girlfriend after four long years, only to find that she is now married to someone else and has a child. I also felt that what happened to Chuck was a matter of fate--I think this incident needed to happen so that he could be forced to see what was really important in life-- the need to slow down and cherish relationships more. "Cast Away" is a movie that will evoke your emotions as it did with me.
Rating: 
Summary: Robert Zemeckis' Cast Away
Review: Yes, yes, yes, Tom Hanks lost forty pounds to play a man marooned on an island for four years. It is too bad the director did not put that much effort into making a better movie.This is one of those films that you like when the end credits roll, then wake up in the middle of the night and wonder why you suddenly dislike it. There are over 400 other reviews on this site for this film, so I will spare you another detailed summary of the plot. When it comes right down to it, the plot is very minimal at best. On to the complaining: Why does Zemeckis insist on using special effects for the most mundane scenes? I thought the Oscar winning effects for "Forrest Gump" were lousy. The scene I am talking about is an obvious CGI fish swimming in the water before getting speared by Hanks, who is dramatically thin after four years. Why the effect? A fake fish on string would have been more realistic. What I disliked most about this film was the missed opportunities. Where was the scene where Hanks gets on the boat and explains his appearance? His reaction to loud noises after being on a tropical island alone? His reaction to getting back on a plane after going down in a plane at the beginning of the film? His inability to drive a car after four years of not being able to? I also would have liked to see Hanks gradually get used to island life. Instead, he stumbles around like Gilligan, then we jump forward four years later where he looks like a caveman, and is an old pro at island life. Couldn't we see how he adjusts? We know he is going to be rescued, so we are left with muddled scenes regarding his reunification with love of his life Helen Hunt, who is better in this than "What Women Want." Where is the emotional reuniting of the pair, instead of the strained meeting when he goes to their house? She still has all of his stuff from the unsuccessful search, and his car, and yet he must go to her. I really did not like the ambiguous ending. Normally, ambiguous endings are the result of the film makers deciding to do something different than the Hollywood norm. Here, it just seems that no one knew how to end this. Having Hanks look back up the road where Lori White had driven is nice, but what was in the package he left at her door? Sure, he is at a crossroads emotionally as well as physically, but the film makers try to be mysterious by leaving him there. Do not take me through two and a half hours with this guy, then leave the both of us hanging on a dirt road in Texas. Closure, darn it! I cannot recommend "Cast Away," despite the marketing and reputations of the cast and crew. This is rated (PG13) for physical violence, gore, some profanity, and some adult situations.
Rating: 
Summary: Great actors in a horrible film
Review: Two-time Academy Award Winner Tom Hanks and Academy Award Winner Helen Hunt are both great actors. But they chose to do this film about a man stranded on an uncharted island for four years as he talks to a volleyball. Way too long for what is basically a film with one character. Hanks' character gets all the attention with his struggle to survive. What about Hunt's character coping with the loss of a loved one? Keep my [money]. Give me my two and half hours back.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Performance Shines Through
Review: Cast Away has some flaws, including having a somewhat weaker third act and over-marketing (if you saw the previews, you might already know the entire plot), however the film is lead by Tom Hanks through most of the film, and I think that if you took the entire second act of the film by itself, you have 5 star movie. Tom Hanks plays a fed-ex man who is always obsessed with time, and over the Christmas break he has to leave his girlfriend to go to Asia. But, on his way there on the plane, it crashes in the ocean and he winds up on a deserted island with hardly any food and inevitably no future. All he can survive on is his primal instincts, lessons learned either from boy scouts or 2001 (the movie), or on a few fed-ex supplies. To see Hanks like this on the island, doing things is amazing enough. There is one scene in particular where he is creating fire that might be one of the best scenes by itself ever. The way he shows his eyes, the way the camera shows the fire being made, the face, even the look on the face of his inanimate volleyball Wilson, is extraordinary. Speaking of which, even though the volleyball which is named Wilson (intentionally, but possibly not) never speaks, it and Hanks give one of the best on-screen duo's in years. The fact that he can communicate with this lifeless yet quirkily funny sport's object and make it entertaining in some ways similar to Jay and Silent Bob, is just one of the film's triumphs. Overall, not only does Tom Hanks give the best performance of the year, he gives his second best performance of his career. Bravo to him and every scene on the island for making such a compelling presence, even if the film isn't completely it.
Rating:
Summary: Hanks triumphs over adversity and predictable plot
Review: With no little thanks to a cinematic trailer that revealed far too much of the movie it was selling, the plot of Cast Away could be seen from the distance between the mainland and the remote island that Tom Hanks finds himself marooned on. With a lesser actor in the lead role, this film could have been a straight-to-video release, but Hanks gives a compelling performance. The viewer is drawn into his world and feels the enormous despair his character inevitably endures during his four year stay, alone, on a small desert island with only a volleyball for company. The island scenes, which form the majority of the film's running time, are undoubtedly the highlight of the project. When Hanks is rescued (a sequence which seems rather rushed), his return to suburbia and the fiancee he left behind are filmed to the same standard as your average tv movie. Not bad, just not very interesting. The film ends inconclusively and on an anti-climatic note with Hanks left standing, quite literally, at a crossroads in his life. There is no sense of closure and it almost feels like a different film compared to what has gone on before. Worth renting for Hanks' performance, cementing his place as one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.
Rating: 
Summary: My husband...
Review: ...Anyway, Cast Away was great...a new concept in cinematography proving that their is something new under the sun. It was amazing how one man alone could go through such peril by himself. I think the funniest thing was I cried about Wilson... And I wanted to know what was in the box!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Very, Very Good, But Not Great
Review: The Story: Chuck (Tom Hanks) is a FedEx system engineer who travels the world troubleshooting for his company. He is obsessed with time and schedules, but is generally a nice guy, if a bit shallow, who's just a little too busy to give his relationships everything they deserve. He is nice enough to be aware of this and be somewhat troubled by it. His girlfriend/fiancee, Helen Hunt, loves him anyway, and the impression is that she hopes that he will settle down a bit. Then, life changes dramatically for Chuck, as his FedEx plane crashes in the Pacific and he's stranded alone (sorta) on a tropical island (which is neither paradise nor hell, just lonely). Time loses all meaning, as Chuck struggles to survive and to avoid despair. His only friend is a volleyball named Wilson with a face drawn on it. After years of solitude, Chuck gets away and back to civilization, and has to cope with the fact that life (including Helen Hunt's life) has gone on without him. He is a changed man who must rediscover his niche, or create a new one. Technical: Tom Hanks does his usual splendid job of being a very real guy who is easy to understand and empathize with. I do think most people would have figured a few things out sooner than Chuck did. Helen Hunt's part is small but very well done. The scenery, cinematography, and music all help us see how the stereotypical "tropical island paradise" can be anything but paradise, without being awful either. Commentary: This is a very good film that isn't quite as great as it was advertised to be but, then, not many films do live up to their billing and hype fully. Nevertheless, it is enjoyable and worthwhile. It is a good one to own, rather than rent, as it is re-watchable. The ending is somewhat of a compromise, but is fairly realistic. It is also amazing how important a volleyball can become!
Rating:
Summary: Gripping Survival Tale Mostly Succeeds
Review: Tom Hanks gives a tour de force performance in "Castaway" a generally excellent survival story. Combining humour, pathos and drama, Tom Hanks deeply humanistic portrayal of a helplessly marooned Fed-ex employee and Robert Zemeckis' cogent direction keep you involved through most of the film. As a frequent flier I found the crash sequence quite harrowing-my greatest nightmare graphically brought to life. Hanks struggle for survival seems generally quite believable, except why didn't he open all the packages that washed ashore? The only criticism I have is with the long and drawn out downbeat coda between Hanks and Helen Hunt. Surely some tighter editing could have been used here, instead I found myself thinking "get on with it already!". Still aside from this point I found "Castaway" to be both gripping and poignant and worth the investment of time.
Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Great movie. Great DVD.
Review: This movie is a classic! My parents like it, too. The DVD is fantastic with the featurettes, the first outlook, trailers, commentary, and others that are on the DVD. Tom Hanks was Oscar Nominated for Best Actor. Rent "Cast Away" on video or DVD or see it when it's on TV, if you have not seen it. And if you liked it, buy it. You won't be disappointed.
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