Rating: 
Summary: One of the most horrible films i've ever seen...
Review: Watching this was some of the 2 worst hours of my life, if i could stay up for that long.The part in the front is so childish and ordinary. I love my family, i love my fiancee, christmas is great, 30 minutes. made me wanna say "GET ON THAT PLANE AND GO DOWN!" Then that happens, he gets on the island, he makes friends with a volleyball, he cuts himself a lot. 4 years pass Out of the blue just like four years? Hello!! Major plothole!! Oh, wow, 4 years, where did they go? At least tell us what happened in four years. People don't just sleep and four years pass. And as you see in the ads he makes it back home. Boring, waste of time and money. 0 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Where's Gilligan when you need him?
Review: This movie is about 20 minutes too long. It drags, is uneven, and really goes nowhere. The one unique thing about it that I'll say is that when Hanks is first marooned on the island, there is never any musical score, thus giving you the feeling of his isolation. Very good and very haunting. Otherwise, there is no real explanation why he would stay on the island so long without trying to escape. An ok film, but not one that you'd want to watch again anytime soon.
Rating: 
Summary: COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT
Review: This review may contain spoilers! Robert Zemeckis should know better than to make this the way he did. The scenes on the island are very cool and attractively shot but why on earth was this film made in 1.85:1? Zemeckis did Forrest Gump, Contact and What Lies Beneath in 2.35:1 so why not this film? The beautiful island location would have been so much cooler if it were. But still it beats "The Beach" any day. The starting is a little slow but the sudden decompression of the FedEx plane is quite nerve-wracking. This is the point is which the movie really gets going and the crash is incredible. It's hard not to wince when Hanks is injured repeatedly as he struggles for survival and the sound effects of it really make you squirm. The creation of Wilson as Hanks hurts his hand is quite cool too. But it's heartbreaking when Wilson floats away. It really was the saddest moment of the film. Other cool moments include a scene in which a surfacing whale opens it's eye and looks at Hanks and when he eats a live fish. Yuck! But the ending to the film is awful. Suddenly cutting to "4 years later" when Hanks was on the island is bad enough. But when the movie goes from a ship rescuing him to "4 weeks later" is goes from bad to worse. The events of him being rescued and coming back to civilisation and being rehabilitated and repaired are just skipped. He goes from being a cave man to civilised in an obscenely short space of time. For a man who was alone on an island for 4 years (unless Wilson counts) he sure does adjust back to normal very quickly. And Zemeckis simply doesn't know how to end the film. We are forced to sit thru scene after scene of Hanks long after the island is gone. The wrap-up of his affair with Helen Hunt is lame and we don't even get to see the reaction of the woman, who's package he was determined to deliver for 4 years, when she opens her FedEx box up. Instead we have Hanks in a "where do I go now" debate. It is such a disappointing ending that lets the whole film down. It could have been so much better. I give this 6/10 because it should have been made in widescreen and should have had a MUCH better ending.
Rating:
Summary: Decent entertainment
Review: I won't even summarize the plot, I'm sure 90% of America has seen the movie. When I went to see this, I was expecting a pretty typical film that would pass the time. I didn't get a whole lot more than that, but it wasn't bogged down with cliches. I think the movie would have benefited more from going deeper into the feelings of loneliness that, I assume, comes with being stranded on a desert island. As far as "night-out-with-friends-entertainment" goes, it isn't bad. One would think that a movie with just a man by himself would get boring, but thanks to somewhat-decent directing, the pace never becomes dull. This movie probably won't change your life or inspire generations of knock-offs, but it won't bore any wise person with tired formulas.
Rating: 
Summary: When Time Stands Still
Review: We live in a world in which the latest technology is taken for granted on a daily basis, and the "Fast Food Generation" is in charge; everything has to be done yesterday, and there's literally not enough hours in a day to do what "must" be done. In "Cast Away," directed by Robert Zemeckis, a man who has bought into all of the above suddenly finds himself plucked from it-- seemingly at random-- and given something new to ponder: Life. Life, in it's most basic and primitive form; where all he has for survival are his two hands, his wits, and whatever nature, in all her glory, can provide. Tom Hanks is Chuck Noland, a supervisor for Fed-Ex who lives and dies by the clock; a world traveler whose time at home and with loved ones is calculated to the minute. On Christmas, he exchanges gifts with his intended, Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt), in the car before boarding yet another flight that will spirit him away to oversee the job in yet another city, another country. But this time, somewhere over the ocean, elemental forces take charge, his plane is forced to ditch in the sea, and Noland's life-- in a few seconds-- is changed forever. He survives, only to be washed ashore on a small, uninhabited island in the middle of nowhere, where he must confront Time-- and himself-- as never before. Though comparisons to "Robinson Crusoe" may spring to mind immediately, tuck them away in some back pocket of your memory, because what Zemeckis and Hanks give you here is anything but that. You learn enough about Noland and Kelly during the time leading up to the ill-fated flight, that by the time Noland lands on the island you know who this man is, what makes him tick, and also about the life and the love he leaves behind and what it will mean to them both. And knowing what you do, his time on the island becomes more than just a handbook for survival; it's an intimate portrait of a man coming to terms with himself and learning the hard way-- with the core of his existence, the clock, negated-- what it is that really matters in life. Among the invaluable lessons he learns is that, indeed, no man is an island; for he sorely lacks the one thing nature cannot provide: Companionship. Hanks gives a tremendously subtle, yet powerful performance as Noland; if there is any doubt, consider the fact that he carries the film for more than an hour by himself without allowing the tension or the drama to lag. Zemeckis, of course, must be given credit for keeping it all on task, including what his star is doing, and together they make it riveting drama that keeps the viewer enthralled, not only by what is happening in the present, but by maintaining a sense of anticipation; that something is just around the corner, about to happen. The real strength of the film is in the way it's presented, and the way Hanks so successfully connects with the audience to create the empathy that allows the viewer to know what it would feel like to be in his place; understanding that sudden regard for all the things that are taken for granted every day: The simple creature comforts; a book of matches; water; having someone to share a laugh with. And most importantly, knowing that alternating sense of hope and despair Noland must live with without respite. A message so succinctly driven home and so well done that it leaves you with a real sense of awe. The metaphor of a man at the crossroads of his life has been done many times before, but never like this; with a nod to Zemeckis and Hanks, there is a purity to their treatment of the aforementioned theme with this film that is unparalleled. The supporting cast includes Nick Searcy (Stan), Lari White (Bettina) and Geoffrey Blake (Maynard Graham), all of whom add so much to the success of this film. But the performance that really ties it all together is given by the gifted Helen Hunt, who with a limited amount of screen time makes Kelly a heart-felt, memorable character. It's an exceptional performance that is worthy of an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. "Cast Away" is an engrossing film that-- make no mistake-- is about so much more than how a guy survives on a deserted island; it's about enlightenment, and taking stock of the things that matter before it's too late. A wake-up call, one could say, for a generation mired in technology, and governed by Time.
Rating:
Summary: HYPNOTIC
Review: Robert Zemeckis is an extraordinarily compelling filmmaker, and he knows when to keep things seemingly simple. Tom Hanks again proves his acting chops in this very imaginative psychological adventure tale; from the moment he is in the plane until he is rescued, this is one magnetically charged movie, and in ways you might not expect. The plane crash itself jolts your senses; it is that kind of big-screen sequence in which you lose all sense of time and place and are in the movie; Cast Away remains that way throughout the entire sequence on the island. The ocean waves themselves become characters, and their incessant pounding on the surf takes on a horrific quality, even in its natural beauty. But as sure-footed as this movie is when Tom is "cast away", it is disheartening to report that the final half hour or so, featuring an uninteresting Helen Hunt, robs us of the very buildup we've been mesmerized by for over 90 minutes. And the bookend plot device simply does not give us what we want after having endured so much. Still, you will not likely see a more creatively charged big-budget movie this season, nor a performance as riveting at Hanks'. The device of Wilson the volleyball as Hanks' only "friend" is brilliantly executed, with an emotional payoff as surprising as it is deftly handled.
Rating:
Summary: Good But Unsatisfying
Review: Boy, this movie was a disapointment. I guess I am so accustomed to Tom Hanks and his association with great films, that when one comes along that is just good, it sort of ruins it for me. Make no mistake about it, this is an OK film. Hanks performance is very good and will probably bring him another Academy Award Nomination, (He will not win) but there is something that just doesn't work here. I can't put my finger on it. The movie begins with a promising premise. Gun-Ho FedEx executive so caught up in his work that he dosen't have time for his family or his girlfriend, survives a horrendous plane crash, only to be marooed on a deserted island.He now has to abandon the only thing he has ever depended on, time, and is thrown headlong into the ordeal of trying to survive. The scenes on the island for some reason never really gave me the feeling of complete isolation that you would expect from being marooned and alone. And even though I liked the astonishing physical and emotional transformation of Hanks over the course of the story, it is overshadowed by the unexpected events that lead up to a predictable Hollywood ending. I recommend that you go see it, but I'll bet you will leave the theatre feeling the same way so many people I have talked to after seeing this movie...unsatisfyed.
Rating: 
Summary: What an adventure!!
Review: Tom Hanks is definitely at his best in the best film of the year! The story of Chuck Noland wows audiences everywhere. He is a FedEx worker on an island alone for 4 years, his only companion; a volley ball named "Wilson". This is an amazing film with superior acting and directing and equally incredible special effects. This is a must see for everyone in search of a great film. A story of struggle and hope. It had me literally in the movie theatre with my mounth hanging open. How refreshing to find a film that makes me want to go back to the theatre and see it again!
Rating:
Summary: more hollywood flotsom & jetsom
Review: Hi, friends. why waste words. read Ted Hughes' brilliant review here in this Amazon customer review section, and take it from me, he is much kinder to this movie than I would have been if i expounded , but that would be redundant, he has said it all! Add this - Helen Hunt is the kiss of death for ME pesonally, and if I had known she appeared in Cast Away, I would not have even gone to see it.As Mama said , if you cant say something nice,... but I will break the rule here. WHENEVER Ms. Hunt is on screen , the movie is UNWATCHABLE! Again, see Tedhughes review for more "insight" , I only write to warn you, the last TWENTY minutes of this movie recall the warnings on iodine bottles when i was a boy- INDUCE VOMITING! Possibly the worst waste of celluloid in the history of filmmaking. Sad, this is my first negative review on Amazon, but this kind of filmmaking must be "stamped out", like a Smokey Bear forest fire! I advise, Go see a good foreign film, ignore Hollywood.. (you may just pick up a new language)! To say 1 positive thing, the location shots ARE breathtaking & Hanks seems a very nice man. To think this movie was "test screened", I am appalled that this type of movie ending is what America "wants"(?) At least you can turn your VCR off when Mr Hanks is rescued,the movie then would warrant the 1 star I give in the review. This is my best advice.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful idea
Review: This is a good movie to be sure. To fully enjoy it you have to suspend any disbelief you might have of what would have really happened to Tom Hanks on that island. Example - severe vitamin deficiencies, major diseases....it really doesn't matter. It's just about the enjoyment of this movie. Hanks does a superb job and the physical transformation he goes through is simply stunning. I thought only DeNiro could make his body change that much! This movie is one to see on the big screen with an audience. You really catch the full effect of the hardships that way.
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