Rating: 
Summary: Cast Away is a masterpiece......
Review: This movie is simply the story of a man who has to battle the elements on a distant remote island, and try to survive because of a devastating plane crash into the ocean. Tom Hanks plays a Federal Express employee who's life takes a turn when the Fedex plane he was on crashes into the ocean. We get to see the evolution of this person from, consumer to survivor. I think all human beings have survival skills if such an event like this were to ever occur. This film has many messages about life itself. Some of them are how we take what we got for granted, how some of us can be very self indulgent at times, and how we should just appreciate family and friends more for alls uniqueness. The cinematography and directing here, unsurpassed. Got to give Tom Hanks alot of credit for his role in this picture, this two time best actor winner at the Oscars is in top form here. Cast Away ranks among some of my all time favorites. If you like movies like this, try 1492 - Conquest Of Paradise, which also has some nice lush, tropical cinematography. Cast Away, is a film about survival, the human spirit, the Earth's wonders, desperation, and strength. All these elements provide us a nourshing and insightful look into the harshness of true survival.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best.
Review: I went to see this on the weight of it being made by Robert Zemeckis and his usual producers. It was the typical Zemeckis film, main focus on camera work and acting but little attention to character development or anything else. The casting of Tom hanks, who is basically the only character who is set up at all during the first act, was great. He is the all american guy who, no matter who you are, believe in and want to succeed. Another review of this movie stated that most people missed the point of the movie, well he did too. It's not building up to the seperation of his fiancee, it's the seperation of him from society and everything he's focused on in his life. Everything he's put his attention to has lost its place for him. His job doesn't mean anything to him anymore, his family doesn't warrant his attention, and his wife has nearly forgotten about him. Granted, the allegorical curtain scene blew me away as did the extraordinary plane crash. The plane crash scene alone makes the movie worth watching. But what kind of movie would need to resort to Tom Hanks accidentally hurting himself? A movie which lacks real depth, that kind of movie. Yet, all the special features on the dvd which take you through nearly every aspect of the making of Cast Away is enough reason to buy it. Although it was a good movie, it shouldn't take attention away from O Brother, Where Art Though? which was one of the best five movies of last year, too many good movies came out last year. All in all, this was a good movie but was overrated. It's still worth the 17.99 to get the two dvds at Best Buy.
Rating:
Summary: the best actor/picture not gladiator darn...
Review: how does the academy do that? ok gladiator was good fun and watchable maybe twice but what i just saw on my dvd was a masterpiece! tom hanks only gets better with every film, from big to the green mile and now this! for me this wiped out all the other competition.it was action packed then a great adventure, and finally an emotionally draining good drama! act 2 was possibly the best segue in many many years! kudos to a fine director, as usual mr. zemekis thank you sir and of course tom hanks for beautifully putting me as well as my family through a compelling and convincing array of all emotions we all loved wilson too! the audio especially the dts-ex was incredible as was the clarity of the film itself-the island, waters, sunsets fairly burst with color and the 2nd disc is so packed with extras you may be there all day! get it enjoy it it will be recognized as the classic it is.
Rating: 
Summary: Pleasant Surprises at Every Turn
Review: I really appreciate being treated like an intelligent being by movie makers. Every step of the way in this film there were points at which the film could have followed the predictable "Hollywood formula movie" path and at each point it didn't. The soccer ball, Wilson, isn't used as a cheap device to elicit monologue from Tom Hanks, there are no contrived comedy sequences (just a few understated scenes of relief such as when he succeeds in starting a fire), and he doesn't go back and get the girl and live happily ever after. Movie highlights for me were: the plane crash scene is among the most exciting ever filmed, Tom Hanks'dramatic weight loss after he's been on the island for a few years adds realism, and the pace of the movie (even though it is long I didn't want it to end). If I have to say anything bad about it, and of course I do because I'm a professional armchair critic, it's this: this movie crosses the line in endorsing Federal Express. This is not a mild case of Reeses Pieces and "ET." It is a sell-out. It doesn't ruin the movie for me, I just find it disquieting.
Rating:
Summary: Why didint this get nominated for best picture?
Review: When I first learned that Tom Hanks was making a movie called Castaway I thought "Oh no not another Robinson Crusoe ripoff" I was wrong. This is one of the best films I have ever seen in my life. Tom Hanks is a fantastic Actor who pushes his acting talent to the very limit and beyond. Its too bad he didint win best actor at the academy awards. The film itself is excelent. At first you are treated to Tom fussing about in Russia, eating a gigantic dinner and getting a birthday gift. All the wile you are waiting for the fantastic Island sequences. Well trust me its worth it. The plane crash sequence is the most realistic and frightining crash I have ever seen. The rest of the film is excellent. I could go on blabbering about the island, toms acting but a few things stand out above the rest. The music (All 10 minutes of it) is very good but made me wish for more. Wilson the vollyball is one of the finest actors hollywood has ever seen. He has solid acting, a great expression and a great guy all around. He should have won best supporting actor at the academy awards. However I should point out this movies 2 flaws. The first is that some sequences are too scary or too grusome for anyone under 14, heck Im 14 and I had trouble ingesting this stuff. Tom getting scrapped against the coral, Tom getting a really big splinter in his hand in graphic detail, and (Shudder) the skating shoe in the mouth moment is one of the most painfull scenes I have ever had to watch. The ending is a big letdown and dissapointing. But both of those dont flaw this other wise masterpiece movie.The Good: Tom Hanks acting is superb. Wilson the Vollyball is a great supporting actor. Lots of funny moments, very exciting and well done movie. The Bad: Some sequences are grusome and hard to watch, what happens to Wilson is really really sad. Only 10 minutes of music? Boo. And the Ugly: The Ending is a real letdown
Rating:
Summary: A Moving Experience
Review: Cast Away is one of those rare movie experiences. Do not be surprised if you question the ending and purpose of the movie after you first watch it. I had the same feelings. The real experience of the movie is when you continue to thing about it later that day and many days there after. It is a metaphor for the work-a-holic, ultimately questioning whether it all is worth it in the end. Tom Hanks is absolutely brilliant as the main character(he was robbed of the oscar). Although the movie is long, Hanks is able to hold up the movie. This one is a keeper for lovers of cinema. You also have to appreciate the fact that Robert Zemickis decided to direct a movie with a storyline that is far from mainstream. Forget what you've heard from friends and family about this movie, at least check it out and judge it for yourself...you may be pleasantly surprised.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: Cast Away is definitely one of the most memorable films of the year. It does remarkably well with such an old concept, the stranded-on-an-island premise. But thanks to the direction and Tom Hanks, we frequently forget it is rooted in cliché. Hanks plays a Federal Express employee who is always keeping track of time to deliver the next package. One day his plane crashes in the sea and he becomes stranded on a deserted island. The middle bulk of the film, I'd guess about one and a half hours long, taking place on the island, is fantastic. This is quite an unconventional film, at least in this part of the movie-- it quietly, methodically, silently shows us how Hanks tries to survive the island. There is no music and no dialogue at all for 20-minute stretches at a time, and the only dialogue that does appear is when Hanks makes friends with a volleyball. It lets us simply watch the battle between Hanks and nature. (What's also appreciated is how the film doesn't use any of the standard desert-island clichés that have shown up in film recently: no hostile natives and no drug smugglers.) When talking about the acting here, there's only one person you can mention, because no one else is on screen long enough to make an impression. Hanks' acting is great. And no, I don't mean his physical transformation. That is indeed impressive, but that's not acting- that's fitting the physical requirements for the role. No, I'm talking about his acting: the way he convinces us he's going mad on the island without turning it into a comedic parody of itself, the way he makes us feel sympathy for a beach ball, and the way he becomes so attached to the island that he cries at the thought of leaving it. He has a tough job in this film, to not only act well but support the entire film with his acting alone, and he succeeds wonderfully. As for the bookends of the film, the beginning is fairly standard, setting up the themes we know will be touched upon, but the ending is very effective, sad and realistic. It is during this final part of the film that, as a couple of reviewers have already pointed out, we finally understand the true meaning of the title. All in all, Cast Away is a great film, and a great DVD, too. Two discs of features should give one plenty of extra viewing time. Most notable are the always-appreciated director's commentary, supplied by Robert Zemeckis, and a featurette on Wilson, the volleyball. (PS: Be careful if you happen to see any commercials for this movie, because during its theatrical run some ads gave away the ending.)
Rating:
Summary: Castaway? Or Cast...Away?
Review: Perhaps half the people giving this film a bad review actually believe the title of the movie is the first one. Okay, put on your glasses and look again: That's right. There is a space between Cast and Away. Still don't get it? Then I have to say you are unable to view a piece of art objectively. This film is full of symbolism (maybe far too subtle for you guys who think this film is disappointing and awkwardly paced) and deliberation of creating spacial and chronical gap. Those who claimed the jump of four years is too sudden to make us sympathise with the character? To be honest if more scenes were included you would start whining that it is too long and boring. When a person is utterly alone on an island, having to learn how to survive from the ground up, time and space do not make sense. The four-year gap created just that. Tom Hanks performance? He is clearly robbed off an Oscar. Not that Russell Crowe is bad, but because Hanks is far more superior. The comments about he was overacting toward Wilson? Imagine if there is anyone else doing the exact same thing to a ball and still make you laugh, at the same time, break your heart. During the time on the island, there are no background music nor spetacular action sequence to keep our attention span running but Hanks' sole performance. Do you still think he is overrated? In the beginning he has already established his personality as this 'must-do-it-right' workaholic, and that last box he did not open is a mission that he needs to accomplish (notice that he only found it after he was settled on the island?) This unopened box is his hope. His hope back to where he was from. Think the ending is disappointing? Of course it is. It is the predicament of life (anyone recall the last scene of the movie?). Nothing in real life is always satisfying, and Cast Away tells us exactly that. At first it mercilessly strips us apart from the civilized materialism, then gives us hope and makes us strong. It shows us the majesty of mother nature and the struggle against the odds. It eventually takes us to where we are so used to call home and shatters us with the inevitiable truth of reality, of how cruel time could be. Finally, it reminds us how tiny we seem when standing in the middle of cross road, yet the hope is still vastly endless. We don't need to know what is in the box, just as we never need to find out what was stored in your neighbor's ice box. He achieved his mission of delivering the box back to its owner, (despite it disobeyed the over-night promise by FedEx) and that is what really matters. If you still don't get it, never mind. You've wasted your time watching a movie you pretend to understand and now you've wasted time reading what I have said. My sincere apology. See you and your like-minded friends at the premier of "I forgot what you did last summer".
Rating:
Summary: It's Up There
Review: Cast Away is a very, very good film. It's also a very slow and very patient film. Tom Hanks is once again, brilliant, and so is the direction. It's a film that you can watch over and over, but the best part is the first viewing. The character development, the dialouge (or lack of it) and the cinematography all leave the viewer in a thoughtful, interesting state of mind. It's a good film and the best part of it is the script. The last twenty minutes of the film are simply amazing and a lot of people seamed to miss the point. It's a film that takes time (to watch) and time (to think and comprehend what you just saw). I do recommend this film to everyone and it's a good shot that you will like it, but its guarenteed that you will learn something from it.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: "...FOUR YEARS LATER" the titles loom on our screen, as we see a physically fit, honed down and basic Tom Hanks expertly spearing a fish long after his airplane has disastrously crashed down somewhere near Tahiti. He might as well be Amelia Earhart for all the assistance and company he has gotten over the years. The point of this movie is made subtlely. With Zemekis, one of our most imaginative American directors at the helm, and Tom Hanks, one of our greatest actors and surely the ONLY reason Hollywood has ANY excuse WHATSOEVER to hold up its head in the "reality genre" of acting--the man is so human and never misses a beat-- we have here...well, what we have here is the tale of a man of determination and strong will, his love for life, as symbolized by a photo of the woman he left behind in Memphis, and his relationship with his best friend Wilson (classic Zemekis Touch, Wilson is). I don't know about you, but I have found out that things, even if they don't turn out perfectly in life, are good if there are "possibilities". For the future. I think this is the mild, sweet point this movie is making, and I liked it. I liked the light touch, the sudden humor at times, even the devotion between a man and his ball. I found touching Tom Hank's perfect depiction of a person who made a choice to live and struggled every day, and grew the better for it as a person.
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