Rating: 
Summary: An Amazing peek into the adventure we are all searching for.
Review: When I first saw this film, I thought that the ending ruined it totally because I didn't really think about what it was supposed to mean. But, I just recently watched the film again and I can say that the ending to this film, and all the dimensia that Richard goes through while he is secluded from the community, just adds to the intensity of the film. This film made me yearn for and fear a similar type of experience. A must see for any traveler...you know who you are.
Rating: 
Summary: Golden Razzie Nominee
Review: The only reason this film will NOT win the Razzie for Worst Film, Worst Actor, and Worst Director is because John Travolta released "Battlefield Earth" in the same year. This film is without doubt the worst film I have personally seen this year. The book was much better than this (which doesn't say much since I found the book to be derivative and episodic). Director Danny Boyle is capable of much better than this. The one star goes to the Director of Photography for some beautiful scenery.
Rating: 
Summary: This tropical paradise needs a bit more sizzle
Review: This video, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a young American in Thailand who discovers a tropical paradise is a feast for the eyeballs. There's great cinematography, including some excellent underwater scenes, as well as a cast of young attractive people.The fable of paradise has been done before, often with more sizzle and tension. This one is somewhat silly and then turns outright ridiculous. And Leonardo DiCaprio proves that without the special effects of the Titanic, he isn't much of an actor. A better actor would have had some range of emotions even in this tepid role, but DiCaprio is one-dimensional and creates no empathy for the character at all. Of course he does take off his shirt and display a tan and well toned body, but it can't make up for his lack of acting ability. There's plenty of violence, including shark attacks and gunfire, and some romantic adventures in an idealized commune on a far-away island, but the story line never quite rings true. However, on some levels, I did enjoy this movie. It held my attention and the theme of a tropical paradise is compelling. If you forget the hype and let yourself relax it is a modestly entertaining video. It can't make my "recommended" list, but hey -- my standards are pretty high.
Rating: 
Summary: Wasted Potential
Review: Danny Boyle is a talented director as showcased in'Trainspotting' and 'Shallow Grave', and his willingness to experiment made him the ideal director for 'The Beach'.It is annoying, then, to see the odd great sequence complimented by an equally bad one.It is obvious that the studio couldn't make up it's mind wether to go for the Hollywood blockbuster-or the unconventional approach which the book deserves-and the film goes on like this, with corny segments extremly annoying(namingly the arrival at the beach, the ending and the characterization of Sal and Richard)as are the changes from the book(Hollywood had to make Richard an American, the ommision of Jed and the trimming of Daffy's character). Whats more, Robert Carlyle has the presence that the acting generally lacks, and his brief cameo's light up the screen. DiCaprio doesn't have the ability to carry the role of Richard-and Boyles film suffers from the absence of a good lead(i.e Ewan Mcgregor). Some of the dialogue is clever but the characterization is poor-unlike the book, Richard lacks principles and, to put it bluntly, in the film he's a jerk and one doesn't care what happens to him. Appart from Daffy, the only character that works is Ettetiene. I have only critisised this film because of it's great potential. It doesn't do justice to the book, but if you forget these factors, is an entertaining film that could have been great if not opting for the soft options.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty pointless...but the trees looked good!
Review: For the most part, this movie was pretty pointless. The scenery looked very gorgeous, but as for a script...well, there was none! In short, we see three people go to an island that is supposedly hidden from society, and there they find about 50 other people. (Which doesn't make much sense in the first place, because we never really find out how any of the other people got there, since there aren't supposed to be any "maps" in the outside world.) Anyways, a bunch of non-coherent events happen, including Leonardo DiCaprio going mad. All in all, "The Beach" is a mess which was not very entertaining. By the way, I read in another review that this movie should not be compared to "Lord of the Rings". While I think "The Beach" cannot even compare, the settings and overall subject matter are quite similar.
Rating:
Summary: Overall shaky, with brilliant moments.
Review: Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't show off much range in this movie, still basically doing his Euro-inspired tortured-boy thing he's been peddling since Total Eclipse, but The Beach does succeed on many fronts, namely tone and visuals. I've never been fond of director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Shallow Grave) but he comes up with some magnificent sequences in this film. When Richard starts going bananas, his video-game fantasy comes alive in a totally nutters sequence that just makes you laugh, it's so over the top. And the moments of danger -- when two of the men are mauled and bleeding on the beach, or Richard discovering the suicide victim, or when the natives start hunting their "guests" down -- are rivoting and intense. Virginie Ledoyen's underwater embrace with DiCaprio is also breathtaking, and Tilda Swinton gives a good performance as Sal, the leader, despite being handed what is basically an unsympathetic character. I don't love this movie, but I'd be lying to say it didn't move me, at least at points. And Boyle's visualizations, unlike that of so many postmodern directors, usually succeeds in marrying visual audacity with storytelling and emotive power. So I'd put this one in my books under the love/hate category.
Rating:
Summary: Smooth beginning, solid midsection, lousy ending.
Review: "The Beach" is one of those movies that starts out good, developes nicely, and then lets its audience down at the end, which does not make for a very nice time at the movies. Leonardo DiCaprio returns in yet another waterlogged role as Richard, an American vacationing in Bangkok, feeling that life is running like clockwork and has no variety. At his hotel, he meets up with a man named Daffy, who gives him a map to a secret island and then kills himself the next day in his hotel room. The story begins to dive deep when Richard asks his next door roommates, one being the object of his affection played by Virginie Ledoyen, if they would like to accompany him to the island, which is said to be very lush and one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Before going out, DiCaprio dicloses the location of the island to two new friends, and the next day, they set out for the paradise. The story grows with intelligence when they arrive at the island, and they discover that a community of less than 100 people inhabit the island. Things move along smoothly in the film, but to go any further from here would give away the ending. Let's just say that it could've gone down three thousand different avenues, and of the choices it had, the writers made a lousy decision. DiCaprio is terrific in his role, even in the ending, and Ledoyen shines in her first onscreen role ever. The film's location and sets are magnificent, and it is my opinion that the filmmakers hoped that this would be enough to salvage the film from being a flop. Don't get me wrong; the film has a lot of momentum, but the ending is just not good enough to keep that momentum flowing. This is one of those movies where you either like it or not; I did, but to a certain point.
Rating:
Summary: Good and weird
Review: I rented this, it was good and very weird, well i've seen Titanic it's long. Well enjoy this movie!
Rating:
Summary: The Beach - Pretty Weak
Review: This movie starts out pretty strongly but falls under its own weight about 2/3s of the way through the movie when one realizes that the Beach doesn't have any purpose, plot or script for that matter. I found two things particularly annoying about the movie. First, you end up hating all the people in the beach "commune" as they reveal themselves to be totally caught up in themselves and having their fun - they even abandon an injured guy in the woods because his cries of agony bring their party down. Second, Leo goes kind of nuts at the end for no real reason (at least that the film provides). Pretty soon you start hoping that he finally jumps off a cliff so that the film can mercifully end. The scenery in the film is magnificent and the actors seem to be well cast. The problem is there doesn't seem to be any point or redeeming qualities to take away from the film.
Rating:
Summary: Leo is fine, the movie suffers....
Review: I have been a fan of Leo Dicaprio since he was Luke on Growing Pains, thru his oscar nomination as Johnny Depps brother in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape,to his tortured Romeo in Romeo & Julitte, to his 15 minute cameo in the wonderful Celebrity & up to & including this picture. However, the movie itself stinks. It's some type of goofy Heart of Darkness/Apocolypse Now wannabe, never nearing the greatness of those stories. Instead, it innanely focuses on a Utopian beachfront that, for how secluded its supposed to be, seems easily found by friends and foes alike. Leo's exile to the hilltop to await the arrival of the unsuspecting trespassers turns his character, for some reason,(island fever?) into some deranged Martin Sheen like killer. Its only when he witnesses killing close up that he begins to have second thoughts about what he's actually defending & why he's really there; and for that matter, what he's really doing with his life. Like I said, Dicaprio is fine, even with this banal material. Lets just try to forget he did this picture and hope that he waits for another story worthy of his acting abilities( like Gilbert Grape, the Basketball Diaries, Titanic, etc...).
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