Rating: 
Summary: Way too much hype
Review: Set in the early 90's in Gloucster MA, The Perfect Storm, which was indeed a true story, turned out to be just another over budget special effects movie. Jungers novel was extraodanry, thus making me even more excited to see the film. So I, along with throngs of other movie patrons, flocked to the box-office opening weekend expecting to get blown away....needless to say, I was anything but. The acting was not as good as I had hoped, (both Clooney and Whalberg put forth excellent efforts in 3 Kings) I thought, however, that John C. Reilly's performance was astounding.The effects were too computer generated, I mean, James Cameron made Titanic come alive, and they can't even make an ocean. James Horners score was also way too dramatic. But above all, I was most disapointed that the script was not very true to Jungers novel. His novel dealt with the storm in general, the different stories that came out of it. The movie only dealt with the crew of the Andrea Gale...in the book, that part was over in chapter 3 or 4! Also, I did not feel that the ending was as powerful as it could have been. All and all, way too much hollywood hype for just another natural disaster movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Some of the best special effects to date!
Review: The Perfect storm was the best movie I saw in 2000. I'm not one who is only taken in by special effects (I thought Armegeddon was terrible and The Matrix overrated), but the special effects in this movie were the best I've ever seen. This movie makes Titanic look like a Lifetime Channel movie of the week. Though anyone who is familiar with the story of the Andrea Gail knows the outcome of the movie, the movie still generates hope that the crew will make it. One online reviewer complained that we don't know what actually happened with the fisherman on the ship and all the scenes we see are made up. No kidding! This is NOT a documentary. We get a real feel for the humanity, strengths, and weaknesses of the characters, and this makes their ultimate end that much more saddening than watching a Discovery Channel documentary. I hope the DVD had a lot of behind the scenes "how they did this" footage.
Rating: 
Summary: has to be seen in theaters for appreciation
Review: the perfect storm was a decent movie but the thing is, that this is one of those types of things that HAS to be seen in the movie theater to actually be appreciated. i mean, half the movie is the amazing effects of the storm that has been created and, unless you have the ultimate home theater setup then more than too much will be lost in the transition from film to video. a simple tv and vcr/dvd setup will just not do the movie proper justice. you at least need a big screen tv with dts with the volume way up there. it's pretty sad for a movie to have to rely on its special FX to be fully appreciated but i'm afraid it happened here. it was an ok outing and something george clooney definately needed but only in theaters.
Rating:
Summary: no bad
Review: This is 0ne of the times that you might go to the theatre for the speecial effects..........It's not worth it, though movie itself was gripping, suspenful, in all pretty good, the special effects can be very diappointing. There is only one really impress scene at the end of the movie. So if you want to see this movie, watch it for the movie, not the effects. 4 out of five stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely fabulous
Review: Hi everybody! My name is Don and I want to share with you all my feelings about the movie "the Perfect Storm". My goodness what a thriller. From the opening scene you start to like the characters. The main character, George Clooney, is especially likable. And what a hunk to boot. Once they get out into the sea the adventures really begin. My goodness, I could not believe storms got so big. At the end of the movie I was crying. I'm going to be in line when it comes out in rental and I'm going to watch it for a full weekend. Go see it!
Rating:
Summary: Read the book! Watch the movie if you must....
Review: I am a victim of Hollywood hype! Usually a sensible movie goer I always check review before I plunk down my cash on ever more expensive movies. The Perfect Storm was uniformly panned by critics, and for a good reason which I will get to later. So why did I watch it? Let me explain. I had decided to get the book instead (I have some sailing experience and love true life nature struggles) which was a bargain on Amazon for $6 or so. Where the book is far superior is in its detailing of storm technical details such as the maximum possible wave height in a storm (over 200 feet!)or what a fishing boat captain must do to keep his boat afloat in a storm. But my favorite part of the book is the various stories of ALL the vessles caught in this storm of the century, not just the Andrea Gail. As you read the book you suffer the anxieties of "will they make it?". Your mind adds detail to the fates of the doomed fisherman. That is truly effective. The suggestion of the tragic outcome is far more realistic than the movie outcome. Because no one knows what really happened to the Andrea Gail the author offers possibilities only told in a narrative that is truly frightening. Wait? Hollywood invented the story in the movie? Ah ha! Yes, unfortunately I feel that the story as shown in the movie is weak compared to the unknown reality of the book. In fact I would have loved to see more time in the movie devoted to the sailboat rescue( which is more elaborate in the book), or the other ships in trouble. Not the phony emotional scene of Mark Wahlberg in the ocean with a vision of his girlfriend. So why after reading the book did I subject myself to an inferior story? Marketing hype. After seeing the preview with the giant killer wave 100 times I got suckered in. And although I found the water special effects to be impressive, effects alone do not make for a good story. In fact this movie is an example of how a bad script can ruin a great story. As a recent DVD owner who picks movies that combine good stories that entertain me AND have great cinematography, The Perfect Storm will not be joining my collection.I give the movie 2 stars out of 5 overall with 3.5 stars for the FX and 0 for the script. And order that book now which I give 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: "Carry on, even though you've go a dead fetus on your head"
Review: Remember that song from South Park? The one that took the piss out of all those other "carry on/keep on fighting" songs that come along every time a public incident catches the hearts of many? Well, The Perfect Storm is sort of like one of those songs, story-wise anyhoo. If I remember correctly there's one just like it at the end, but that's another story. Now, I'll admit to one thing. The special effects in this movie are very, VERY well done. I'm normally the one complaining about how CGI is used so often these days that quantity has become more important than quality. Cliche? I still watch Jurassic Park and see a T-Rex ripping though a steel fence. What? Computer graphics? Those weren't computer graphics! That was a dinosaur! The Phantom Menace had computer graphics, and so did the Haunting. In Jurassic Park, two years were spent perfecting two minutes of CGI. In movies like TPM, there are so many special effects shots that it's impossible to make every detail spot on perfect. The Perfect Storm is one of the only modern examples of computer graphics put to very good use. More than an hour of the movie seems to contain massive waves heaving left and right, yet they look like waves. You don't see something made on a nerd's laptop... You see the biggest damn waves you are ever likely to see (or believe) crashing down on a rusty old fishing boat, where Marky Mark and his Funky Bunch happen to be trapped with Batman. The acting in this movie isn't as bad as the dialogue, which peaks at a very so-so level and deteriorates into those "Oh dear" kind of head-slappingly cheesy moment where you just have to laugh. This film is a chick flick set in the biggest bloody hurricane you will ever see in a film for the next fifteen years.
Rating: 
Summary: The Perfect Waste Of Time!
Review: This movie did not work...the story of "please don't go out to sea" drowned out all of the action and suspense in the movie. It was too bad that the movie had to go in that "pretending to be emotional" direction. All it did was turn the movie into a mess. Had they left out all of the forced drama between girlfriends and boyfriends, the pacing of the movie would have actually worked and the movie would not have been half bad. Wolfgang Peterson has done such better works than this. It is clear that the forced emotion was done to meet the expectations of summer blockbuster movie fans, I would love to see a "deleted nonsense" version of this on dvd, but it will never happen, so I give it 1 star for special effects, which were at least impressive.
Rating:
Summary: "The Perfect Storm" - The Perfect Film
Review: The Perfect Storm is the best picture I have seen all year! Director Wolfgang Peterson shows us the emotion and depth of man's struggle against nature, and it's ultimate consequences as the fishing boat Andrea Gail heads through the worst storm in recorded history. The film does a terrific job of entering us into the world of fisherman. The storyline and characters are very wonderfully delved into. The actors do a fantastic job of showing us these are real people, and the film does great job showing us this emotional true story! The film includes stellar performances from George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Diane Lane(who provides extreme heart to the film and is a serious oscar contender!)who make us really care about the characters they are playing, plus a very strong supporting cast - John C. Rielly, William Fichtner, John Hawks, Mary Elizabeth Mostrantonio, and Allen Payne. The film is loaded with suspense, and will keep on the edge of your seat! As the Andrea Gail makes it's way through the storm, you will have sweaty palms and bite your nails. The film aslo includes a rescue attempt by the coast guard, to not only rescue the passengers of a doomed yacht but to rescue four of their own men, so terrific, that by the end of the action sequence you will be going wow! The massive Oceans are downright terrifying! The special effects are so good, that at no point in the film can you tell the ocean is computer generated! Not to mention this film has one of the best original scores in recent history(beautifully executed by James Horner). The film's climax is amazing! The end is very emotional aswell and will bring tears to your eyes. It is one of the most beautiful endings to a film ever( George Clooney's speech is wonderful and Mark Wahlbergs goodbye to Diane Lane is heartbraking!) In a summer of not so stellar films, "The Perfect Storm" shines on top. This film was absolutely amazing in theaters, the DVD has to be spetacular. Be sure to pick it up, a must have! Absolutely the best film, not only of the summer, but in recent history!
Rating:
Summary: 'Reader's Digest' Can't Wait!
Review: Whenever I am in a waiting room and I look through the pile of magazines sitting there, I always make a beeline for Reader's Digest and turn to that month's "Drama in Real Life." You may know what I'm talking about. The heroic tales of Real People in TERRIFYING CIRCUMSTANCES! The ad executive who fights to stay alive after being caught in an avalanche. The 911 operator who talked to the eight-year old boy who's little brother had just fallen into the lawn mower. The young woman trapped in a car, surrounded by flood waters... that are continuing to rise. I love these stories, not because they are gripping "drama," but because they are exciting. Often hokey, but undeniably exciting. Which brings me to Wolfgang Petersen's "Drama in Real Life: The Movie" (known to everyone else as "The Perfect Storm"). This too, is a story BASED on real life. I say "based" because (WARNING! PLOT SPOILER AHEAD! STOP READING THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW HOW THE STORY ENDS! ) nobody really knows what happened onboard the fishing boat that encountered the titular tempest. There were no survivors, which means that once the swordfishing boat Andrea Gail leaves port, any scene that takes place aboard her, is pure speculation. Okay, those of you who left may now resume reading. The plot of this story is like The Weather Channel's ultimate fantasy: in October of 1991, three massive storm systems collided off the coast of Newfoundland and created a freak weather system that had never been previously recorded. The results were waves fifty to a hundred feet high and winds in excess of 140 m.p.h. And into this hell chugged the Andrea Gail. We learn a little bit about the crew in the opening half hour of the movie. There's the gruff Captain (Clooney) who hasn't brought in a good haul of fish in quite some time. There's the new guy (Walhberg) who just wants to make enough money to be able to settle down with his worrisome girlfriend (Lane). There's the divorced father who misses his kid (Reiley- Walhberg's buddy from "Boogie Nights" [Dirk Diggler and Chest Rockwell return!]) and the guy who just signed on the day before (Fitchner). There is also an African-American who is only given about ten lines in the movie. And some weird guy. Like I said, they've been in a slump, so they cruise out father than they've ever gone before, unaware of the meteorological horror that is brewing behind them. When they finally make a great catch and it's time to head home, they realize what is standing between them and their paycheck. So the choice is thus-wait out the storm and watch their $250,000 worth of swordfish spoil, or say "damn the torpedoes" and head through the storm to get home. They make the wrong decision. These scenes are pure melodrama, but you can feel the tension building. Petersen frequently shows the storms building in intensity- usually by showing a large tanker or other shipping vessel getting the snot kicked out of them by the storm and then cutting back to a shot of the tiny Andrea Gail. You just KNOW that these guys don't stand a chance. When it hits, the audience is breathless. The ship is capsized and then righted. Sharks are washed up onto the deck. Parts of the boat are snapped off by wind or debris and men are blown overboard and dragged by their saftey lines. A Coast Guard rescue mission also becomes perilous when the men who have to jump from their helicopter find that the rolling sea can make-in one second- a ten foot drop into a sixty foot canyon fall. The special effects are 90% convincing. These days, I have noticed that digital effects are a little TOO perfect. The rolling waves are amazing to look at, but they just look too real, too crisp, too detailed. This is a quible, though. Petersen's dirction of these sequences are top-notch and are far superior to this film's cousin, "Twister." Get past a really sappy first half-hour, and you will be in for a heck of a ride.
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