The Perfect Storm

Rating:
Summary: Hollywood Storm
Review: I'd read the book and then saw the poster for the movie, so I was excited about seeing THE PERFECT STORM.
But I did wonder how the filmmakers were going to translate the story to the screen.

Studio pictures have to have "star parts" to attract names like George Clooney--but the problem with THE PERFECT STORM was that, by choosing to tell the story through the fishermen on the Andrea Gale, the script would have to create their story: no one knows what happened to them.
The book describes them as they head out to sea...and they literally disappear into the storm. No one survived. No one will ever know what happened. (And you learn this in the very first paragraph of the book).
So, basically, you're seeing made-up scenes of in-fighting and struggles culled from other fishing stories. That bothered me when I first saw the film, because the bickering and scuffling between the Andrea Gale crew felt forced and unreal.

Read the book. It's filled with fascinating facts and true stories of danger and heroism.
The movie is...well, a movie.

Rating:
Summary: This movie was great movie in many meanings.
Review: This movie, Perfect Storm was great movie in many meanings. The opportunity that I was interested to this movie at first was for that the main theme was weather phenomenon. I have known that incredible storms, their three storms touched each other, broke a few years ago, but I have not known about the detail things. I have the knowledge about weather to some extent because I am interested to weather phenomenon daily. For that, the movie that showed the rare phenomenon that theree storms including hurricane and cold front line etc contacted each other gave shock to me.
In addition to that, the movie expressed such unbelievable theme very well. I think that it is natural that the makers use the artficial technique like computer graphics and so on. But because the movie theme was nature, using the technique must have needed many care. But in such rimitation, the great expression was made, for instance wave is so. The makers made high wave that we can never see in our life. The wave was very natural. The thirilling case even that a fishing ship dived into wave wall was expressed with incredible excitment very well.

And except of their weather, there was climaxs in the movie. That was human drama. The main vhicle in the movie was a fishing ship. And the crew were wild and impoliteness in my first glance. But as the story went, my emotion for their changed little and little, that is to say, though they were a little crazy men who did the actions like diving to such storms, when I say in other view, they had bravery that they dared to go the storms without turning back, that was pure benefit that they derired to get back fishes to the hometown. Such bravery can be said to my daily life. As I am adult, tend to lose bravery and be timid, I felt that I should go to dangerouse scene even for achiving my goal in the movie.

Finally, they had been drunk by wave. I expected that the last would be happy end even if whether the movie was on non-fiction or not. But I felt in the other side that their bravery was testified by such ending again, before we think about the uneasy, anyway move to the goal.

Thank you for reading poor English.

Rating:
Summary: Well told story
Review: First of all others on this sight don't know what they are talking about to say it is such a bad movie. Someone said they were fishermen from Maine. They are from Massachussets. Also for people who didn't understand the idea of the job youu would have to love fishing to understand it. I thought the movie was portayed very well with awesome effects. The cast was well chosen. I would recommend this movie to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Disaster strikes triple terror
Review: The #1 item I noticed was the demand for the swordfish and the pressure fisherman are under to bring in the quota. People's families are supported by the fishing industry - the only paycheck they get. It's a real eye-opener when it comes to these issues - "species vs. people's lives." This goes for logging, fishing, and any other occupation that harvests nature for the benefit of humankind. It does nag at my conscious as a biologist - what are we to do? Save the species, or the people? Or is this a false dilemma? Are people adaptable enough to find work in a different field? Some logging towns are drying up - they are in an economic slump. Are these blue-collar workers going extinct?

Rating:
Summary: Riveting Man Against Nature Action Film (Guess Who Wins?!)
Review: I watched this film the Thursday before Hurricane Ivan veered North/Northwest into the Gulf of Mexico, setting its course for the Florida Panhandle and Alabama. I was transfixed watching this film, as real events unfolded out on the Gulf ... for the third time in one month ...in Florida. Although this film starts slowly, once the fishermen are assembled and out to sea... the action is non-stop and gut-wrenching. The entire film is powerful and suspense-filled. Overall, a true depiction of how serene waters can suddenly become life-threatening ...

As the men innocently cast their nets, and work to haul in their catch of swordfish, the weatherman in Boston gives the viewer a satellite view of three storms that will likely converge exactly where Capt. Tyne and the fishermen are headed. Meanwhile in Gloucester Massachusetts, the families and friends are huddled at the corner bar ...watching the television that seems to confirm their worst fears about the lives of their loved ones. As they watch and hear of the news about the storm, they pray for the safe return of the fishermen, wondering ...

The cinematography of the rescue attempts are superb as is the filming of the Andrea Gail attempting to overcome the perils of the storm. Although Capt. Tyne appears a tad fool-hardy, the Coastguard who comes to their rescue and the fishermen themselves are depicted as men of courage and valor, which they truly were. The fate of the swordfishermen seems inevitable. The memorial service at the church is very realistic and sorrowful ... the final scene which shows the names of the men who died ... written on a wall plaque ... is so final, and such a small tribute for what they experienced. Highly Recommended. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Rating:
Summary: Skip the movie, read the book
Review: Great book, mediocre movie. The special effects are the film's only redeeming quality, and not good enough to merit even a rental, let alone a purchase. The dialog is laughable. Save your hard-earned $$$.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie
Review: Perfect Storm is one of my favorite movies. It is a movie about men driven by a love of the sea in some cases, and a need to make money in other, who risk their lives on a daily basis in order to catch swordfish. I find it amazing that in this day and age with all sorts of technology available man is still at the mercy of the nature-----especially those who fish. Despite radios and helicopters and satellites tracking weather fronts, the crew of the Andrea Gail could have been replaced by the crew of a fishing boat from 1882 or 202 and their battle against nature, would not have changed. The toll hurricanes have taken in life a property this summer alone is proof of how we are at nature's mercy.

Family members waiting helplessly for a loved ones coming back from a dangerous occupation is another timeless theme explored in this movie. Diane Lane is convincing as the girl friend who does not want her fiancé to go on the fateful trip. The extras on the DVD include Sebastian Junger talking about what it was like writing the book and offers added insight into his meetings with family members of the crew of the Andrea Gail.

Then there are the rescuers who go out in the storms and risk their lives to save others. I can't imagine what it must be like to go by helicopter or boat into a storm in order to save those who can't get out of harms way.

The fact that the story is based on a true event adds much to the movie. I can only wonder when I hear of a hurricane, tropical storm or blizzard or any event where man is at the mercy of nature, what it must be like for those facing the storm, rather than watching the effects of the storm on television while in the safety of their home.

The movie focuses more on George Clooney and Mark Walhberg's characters. It would be nice if some of the other characters were more fully developed. This is the movie's only flaw and it is understandable considering the scope of the movie. Overall this is a great movie.