necros

Please note, I'll be mentioning key plot points here, so if you never saw the movie, beware. Please don't yell at me for spoiling it for ya, if you don't wanna have it spoiled, don't read any further and click your back button This review is more for discussion, I guess

I was gonna rent this one last night, but Holywood Video was all out, so I thought what the hell and ran to Best Buy and bought it.

Overall I think it's a very good movie. It was considered Action according to Best Buy, but I'd say it's more of a drama.

The story was good, the acting was great, the video quality was great and the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound was great too (but I hafta admit, I like DTS better than DD ). It's also got some decent extras too.

If you liked movies like Jaws, or you like fishing, or anything like that, you should like this one. It's got it's happy moments and sad moments too, and it will definately make your girlfriends/wives/moms cry at the end

There were, however, 2 parts of the movie that I think could have been different...

First, the part with the sailboat in Bremuda and that whole rescue attempt part. Well, IMO, it wasn't supposed to be a movie about the coast guard trying to rescue some dumb rich folks on a sailboat, and the whole plot involved with that had little to do with the rest of the story, other than they were caught in the same storm. I would have much rather seen that whole part pretty much taken out altogether and just focused more on the real part of the story with the Andrea Gale (the fishing boat). Every time the scenes switched to the bremuda rescue, I'd think to my self "who the hell cares?". And as far as tying that in with the rest of the story, do ya really think a boat or helicopter could get 500 or so miles from Bremuda to boston to rescue the fishing boat, in the few hours that went by from when the storm hit em? Would have been easier to send rescuers from close by instead of half a country away. Or, at least that's the idea I got from it all.

And the end.. I'm usually one to say I hate always seeing happy endings all the time, but when the Andrea Gale sunk, I though to myself "OK, so they just wasted the whole movie so everyone can die". Sully and the bearded guy hated each other and had to make up and stuff, that whole scene was useless since they just all died anyway. Just to name one of many scenes. I was actually hoping they'd somehow make it home and sell off their fish and get rich.. seemed kinda disapointing

I dunno, maybe I just didn't get the finer points of the film and I'll have to see it a few more times. Like I said, it was still a good movie but just those 2 little points with the plot had me just wondering "why"

chsidwel

I enjoyed this movie in the theatre. Still waiting for my DVD to arrive. What bugged me the most was the terrible New England accents. I hope they are not as terrible as I remember......

wrath

DTS? I am almost positive that this DVD didn't have a DTS track available or atleast mine didn't. Either way, I listened to mine in DD and the track was very good, especially when it needed to be i.e. the storm sequences. Toward the first part of the movie there were a couple of dialogue only scenes that exhibited some crackle/distortion in the center channel but aside from that the DD track was perfect. This track has some very good low end LFE as well as very active split surround that will envelop you in the middle of the storm as your room is filled with thunder, waves, wind, etc.

Something else I noticed, which I thought to be a little strange was that the upper and lower black bars that are displayed on a standard TV are comprised of one half black and one half dark gray or green for both the top and bottom. Looks kinda strange but it isn't a biggie.

But as a whole the DVD is a solid effort and I am glad to own it.

wrath

DVDho78DTS

quote:<HR>Originally posted by necros:
There were, however, 2 parts of the movie that I think could have been different...

And the end.. I'm usually one to say I hate always seeing happy endings all the time, but when the Andrea Gale sunk, I though to myself "OK, so they just wasted the whole movie so everyone can die". Sully and the bearded guy hated each other and had to make up and stuff, that whole scene was useless since they just all died anyway. Just to name one of many scenes. I was actually hoping they'd somehow make it home and sell off their fish and get rich.. seemed kinda disapointing<HR>

*****SPOILER*****
The movie is based on a true story in which all the crew died in real life. It wouldn't be a proper tribute to the fisherman if they lived at the end of the movie. I was disappointed when they all died too, but it gave me a greater respect for fisherman and their families. I thought the ending was rather good.



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DVDho78DTS

quote:<HR>Originally posted by necros:
There were, however, 2 parts of the movie that I think could have been different...

First, the part with the sailboat in Bremuda and that whole rescue attempt part. Well, IMO, it wasn't supposed to be a movie about the coast guard trying to rescue some dumb rich folks on a sailboat, and the whole plot involved with that had little to do with the rest of the story, other than they were caught in the same storm. I would have much rather seen that whole part pretty much taken out altogether and just focused more on the real part of the story with the Andrea Gale (the fishing boat). Every time the scenes switched to the bremuda rescue, I'd think to my self "who the hell cares?". <HR>

****spoiler****
I forgot to address this point in my previous post. I believe the reason for including the scenes involving the "dumb rich folks" was pretty clear. First off, the six crew members of the Andrea Gail weren't the only ones who died. The Air Force/Coast Cuard individual died too. I think a little respect was due to him too. If the Air Force/Coast Guard men didn't save those "dumb rich folks" and run out of fuel trying to reach the Andrea Gail he wouldn't of died. Also, I think if they didn't include those scenes everyone watching would of been like where is the freaking Coast Guard, so this shows why no one was able to rescue the crew from the Andrea Gail.



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Frank S

necros
I don't know what you are talking about but The Perfect Storm has only a DD audio track not a DTS track, so I don't know how you can come to your conclusion the DTS track sounds better!

Check this link to verify: http://amazon.imdb.com/DVD?0177971


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nevermind

quote:<HR>Originally posted by Frank S:
necros
I don't know what you are talking about but The Perfect Storm has only a DD audio track not a DTS track, so I don't know how you can come to your conclusion the DTS track sounds better!

Check this link to verify: http://amazon.imdb.com/DVD?0177971


<HR>

He said the DD track was great, but he likes DTS better, not the DTS track better.


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"Hit me again Ike, and this time put some STANK on it."

Frank S

I guess upon re-reading his post it may well be that he meant he prefers the DTS surround technology over the DD one but he worded it so that it seems he was saying the DTS track was better then the DD one.

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[This message has been edited by Frank S (edited November 18, 2000).]

brandybran

Well, I hate being the only naysayer here, but this movie was barely worth the rental cost I paid. SLOW....BORING...lame special effects. OK - I admit that some of the computer graphics were good, but it was pretty obivious which scenes had them.

Also, the musical soundtrack was playing throughout 90% of the film! You know a film is a cheesy drama when the story isn't good enough to carry the movie, and music is added to "help" the audience along. I love a score when it's done well (insert any John Williams score here), but it gets in the way when it plays during EVERY dialogue scene.

Overall, a big yawner. Read the book instead.

Hendrik

...and here's the review (of the -seemingly interminable- movie itself) by another, very outspoken naysayer:
http://www.mrcranky.com/movies/perfectstorm.html

...to which, having just had to sit through a showing of the DVD by a proud brand-new HT owner, I can only say: Amen ! ! !...

! !

conkie

My wife Liked the movie But i kinda Felt cheated, It may have been based on a True Story But that was no Excuse to spend the whole movie building up to sink the damn boat.

it seemed like it took forever indurducing the Charaters, then another half hour to get them a little wet, make you think they may make it, and 35 seconds to Drown them.

Oh well...

necros

Yep Conkie said it better than I could

And, I didn't mean my version of the movie has DTS, I just meant I thing DTS sounds better than DD to me, in general

16x9ONLY

Perhaps they should've waited for a big storm and sent George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg et al out in a boat with a camera and then they would'nt of needed those "lame" special effects.