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The Perfect Storm Stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, Karen Allen, William Fichner and Robert Gunton, it is directed by Wolfgang Peterson, and is rated 12.
This is a great movie, based on a true story about a fishing boat and its crew, who set out on a clear day, only to find themselves in the middle of ‘The Perfect Storm’
The film starts with two fishing vessels entering port, with hulls full of fish. The two captains, who are in love, set about comparing their catches, and boasting about their fish. The crews, glad to be home, set about unloading the fish, and visiting the local pub. But unfortunately for Captain Billy Tyne (George Clooney), this was his worst trip ever. Barely getting enough money to pay for the bait and supplies for the trip from the catch, he decides to make a turnaround trip, his last voyage of the fishing season. What he doesn’t know is that it will be his last fishing trip EVER.
The crew, all from the fishing town of Gloucester in Massachusetts, decides to trust their captain, and make on turnaround voyage before the sword-fishing season ends. Their Ship, The Andrea Gail, is a hardy one, and the captain and crew trust her to get them through the bad weather they could face.
The first hour or so is spent developing characters. You get to look more closely into the relationships between the seamen and their loved ones at home. It adds depth to the film, but I think it should reach the action quicker!
When the Andrea Gail leaves port, her sister ship goes too, captained by Captain Billy Tyne’s Girlfriend. However, not happy with what he is catching, Mr. Clooney decides to leave the inland waters, and heads for the Flemish Cap. Although advised against it, our captain is sure that that is where the fish are! So the ship heads miles out to sea, to where Billy Tyne believes the swordfish are. And his instincts were right. Upon reaching The Flemish Cap, The swordfish are in abundant supply. The ship begins to rake in loads of prize fish.
But then the plot makes a turn for the worst. The Andrea Gail’s ice machine gets damaged beyond repair, though the ship has nearly a hold-full of well-iced fish. The ship could get back to port, without the fish spoiling, if it wasn’t for one thing - The Perfect Storm.
The plot switches at points to a meteorologist lab, where a weatherman is monitoring two hurricanes. He soon discovers another topical storm. If the three meet up, they will feed off of each other creating A ‘perfect’ storm, an event most weathermen will ever see. And the Andrea Gail is in the middle of it.
The crew of the Andrea Gail receives a fax about the weather situation, and has a dilemma on their hands. They can wait where they are, away from the storm until it is over, but if they do that, a killer load of fish will rot, and the voyage would leave them in debt. A unanimous vote says they will face the storm.
A couple of events happen early on, in which the action scenes are amazing. The crew picks up a shark, which manages to get on deck and cause some trouble. Later, while baiting the lines, one crewmember is dragged into the water. He and another crewman had been arguing and fighting since they left port, but his enemy still saves his life, forcing ‘managed gratitude’ as the scene is called.
But then the action really heats up. Not really knowing what they were up against, the crew find themselves in the ’eye of the storm.
During the storm, the plot switches between three locations: The Andrea Gail, Gloucester, where the seamen’s families await news, and a small sailing vessel, and the naval crews attempting to rescue it and its crew.
The small sailing vessel, also finding itself in the Perfect Storm, makes a mayday call. This is answered by a naval rescue chopper, which after several attempts, save the crew, and drops them at the naval ship, ‘Tamaroa’. Low on fuel, the helicopter receives a mayday from the Andrea Gail. They attempt a mid-air refuel, but in the strong winds, cannot dock the probe. Out of fuel, the crew ditches, and a rescue attempt is made by the Tamaroa. Some of the Rescue Choppers crew is lost, but the majority is saved.
Without any news on their loved ones, the people at home start taking it out on the owner of the Andrea Gail, thinking he ordered the turnaround.
Back on the Andrea Gail, the crew has lost their radio and fax capabilities. They are alone. One dramatic scene shows the anchor, in the strong winds being swung through the bridge windows. Captain Billy Tyne must venture out over the violent see, to cut loose the anchor. While attempting to board up the broken windows, to of the crew are swept overboard. They are saved, but all hope is lost for the Andrea Gail. In a scene called ‘one wave too many’ the huge wave pictured on the DVD case confronts the ship. It tries to rise over the wave, but it crashes on top of them, all of the crew drowning. The rest of the film shows their family and friends mourning, and the crews funeral.
Now, what from watching the film you most certainly would not have guessed is that it is loosely based on a true story. In real life, the Andrea Gail and its crew existed, and ’The Perfect Storm’ did occur. However, we don’t know what exactly happened to the Andrea Gail and its crew after it left port, except that it never returned. The screenplay is actually based on a book about the real life event, but the directors were left a lot of room to ‘invent’ what happened to the boat and its crew
I really enjoyed watching this film, and would put it in my top 5 films of all time. The special effects are superb, the waves, and the different storm scenes on the boat are amazing. The plot is in a lot depth, and the characters have quite good backgrounds. The DVD also has great extras, which I will talk about later.
However, the jumping between themes, like the sailing boat rescue, wastes a lot of time, which would have been better spent on improving character depth.
I cannot complain about the acting, it is superb, you can really imagine that the crew is actually going through a storm. There is a brief touch on some rivalry between two of the crew, which should have been expanded on more
The special effects lose a lot of effect on the small screen, but are still wicked, gluing you to your seat. They make up in a big way for the lack of character background and depth.
The film itself is a great watch, well acted, well directed, and well paced. You really should by this film, it is truly memorable.
ADDITIONAL DVD FEATURES
As in most DVD’s, you can select which scene you want to watch. This particular film is in 39 scenes, spread out over a 125-minute film. This is useful if you want to watch a particular part of the action again!
As on most DVD’s, a cast and crew option is included, providing a list of the cast and the directors etc. However on most DVD’s you can also enter the biographies of the main characters, on The Perfect Storm, it is just a list, which is non-interactive, so that was a bit of a disappointment.
The main interactive menu, called ‘Eye Of The Storm’ allows you to access the interactive section. This includes:
COMMENTARIES
This is a very important part of all DVD extras. This particular film offers two commentaries, one by The Director Wolfgang Peterson, the second by Sebastian Junger, who wrote the book on which the film is based.
The director’s commentary gives lots of information on how the film was made. He explains that not a single real fish was used, even the dead ones were artificial! My favourite part is where he talks about whom he wanted to play Captain Billy Tyne.
The second by Sebastian Junger adds some background information on the characters (greatly missed in the film), and explains how if the crew did not go into the storm, they would be left in financial bankruptcy.
HBO FIRST LOOK SPECIAL
This is basically a making of. It has some interviews with people who experienced the actual storm, snippets of the film and interviews with the cast.
My favourite part was the bit where it shows you the set, and how some of the shots were filmed. Very useful and informative.
WITNESSES TO THE STORM
As I earlier said, it is hard to believe that it was based on a true story. You would probably think that the storm was exaggerated. But this real life footage shows that the conditions really were that hellish. You really should watch this feature.
CREATING AN EMOTION
This is with the composer, James Horner. I thought the choice of music was great, and here he tells us why he chose the musical scores. However, at five minutes, it only gives us a brief glimpse.
CONCEPTUAL ART WITH WOLFGANG PETERSON
This differs slightly from the storyboard features on most DVD’s, in that it is still the conceptual storyboards, but in watercolour, like screenshots transformed into paintings. I don’t particularly like this feature, but that’s just my opinion.
“YOURS FOREVER” PHOTO MONTAGE
This is a sequence of still screenshots from the film. It has the feature music playing in the background, and some captions from the film. It is a great way of capturing stills to print or use as wallpaper!
THEATRICAL TRAILER
Now, this old thing appears in almost all DVD’s, The Perfect Storm being no different. Its what it says, the theatrical trailer!
SOUNDTRACK PROMO
This is just a regular advert for the CD accompanying the film. It has all the music on it, but is just an advert. Not even worth watching once!
STORYBOARD GALLERY
Now this IS just a plain storyboard. Its sometimes nice to see how close the actual film came to the original ideas, but apart from that, not really much to see!
LANGUAGES
One of the real advancements from VHS is the ability to select a language. Not that it matters, but this can be played in English or German
OTHER DVD STUFF
The film is in 2.35:1 wide-screen dual-layer format. It says that transition between layers may cause a slight pause, but it is non-noticeable.
The excellent Dolby 5.1 sound is excellent on a PC or TV and works exceptionally well with surround-sound!
DVD SUMMARY
I have written a summary of the actual film above, so this is just for the DVD section. The extra features are great, and there are so many different things to see! The features add the depth to the film that was lacking in the film. Rather than being completely separate to the actual film, the two need each other to make this a truly great DVD
This is a great movie, based on a true story about a fishing boat and its crew, who set out on a clear day, only to find themselves in the middle of ‘The Perfect Storm’
The film starts with two fishing vessels entering port, with hulls full of fish. The two captains, who are in love, set about comparing their catches, and boasting about their fish. The crews, glad to be home, set about unloading the fish, and visiting the local pub. But unfortunately for Captain Billy Tyne (George Clooney), this was his worst trip ever. Barely getting enough money to pay for the bait and supplies for the trip from the catch, he decides to make a turnaround trip, his last voyage of the fishing season. What he doesn’t know is that it will be his last fishing trip EVER.
The crew, all from the fishing town of Gloucester in Massachusetts, decides to trust their captain, and make on turnaround voyage before the sword-fishing season ends. Their Ship, The Andrea Gail, is a hardy one, and the captain and crew trust her to get them through the bad weather they could face.
The first hour or so is spent developing characters. You get to look more closely into the relationships between the seamen and their loved ones at home. It adds depth to the film, but I think it should reach the action quicker!
When the Andrea Gail leaves port, her sister ship goes too, captained by Captain Billy Tyne’s Girlfriend. However, not happy with what he is catching, Mr. Clooney decides to leave the inland waters, and heads for the Flemish Cap. Although advised against it, our captain is sure that that is where the fish are! So the ship heads miles out to sea, to where Billy Tyne believes the swordfish are. And his instincts were right. Upon reaching The Flemish Cap, The swordfish are in abundant supply. The ship begins to rake in loads of prize fish.
But then the plot makes a turn for the worst. The Andrea Gail’s ice machine gets damaged beyond repair, though the ship has nearly a hold-full of well-iced fish. The ship could get back to port, without the fish spoiling, if it wasn’t for one thing - The Perfect Storm.
The plot switches at points to a meteorologist lab, where a weatherman is monitoring two hurricanes. He soon discovers another topical storm. If the three meet up, they will feed off of each other creating A ‘perfect’ storm, an event most weathermen will ever see. And the Andrea Gail is in the middle of it.
The crew of the Andrea Gail receives a fax about the weather situation, and has a dilemma on their hands. They can wait where they are, away from the storm until it is over, but if they do that, a killer load of fish will rot, and the voyage would leave them in debt. A unanimous vote says they will face the storm.
A couple of events happen early on, in which the action scenes are amazing. The crew picks up a shark, which manages to get on deck and cause some trouble. Later, while baiting the lines, one crewmember is dragged into the water. He and another crewman had been arguing and fighting since they left port, but his enemy still saves his life, forcing ‘managed gratitude’ as the scene is called.
But then the action really heats up. Not really knowing what they were up against, the crew find themselves in the ’eye of the storm.
During the storm, the plot switches between three locations: The Andrea Gail, Gloucester, where the seamen’s families await news, and a small sailing vessel, and the naval crews attempting to rescue it and its crew.
The small sailing vessel, also finding itself in the Perfect Storm, makes a mayday call. This is answered by a naval rescue chopper, which after several attempts, save the crew, and drops them at the naval ship, ‘Tamaroa’. Low on fuel, the helicopter receives a mayday from the Andrea Gail. They attempt a mid-air refuel, but in the strong winds, cannot dock the probe. Out of fuel, the crew ditches, and a rescue attempt is made by the Tamaroa. Some of the Rescue Choppers crew is lost, but the majority is saved.
Without any news on their loved ones, the people at home start taking it out on the owner of the Andrea Gail, thinking he ordered the turnaround.
Back on the Andrea Gail, the crew has lost their radio and fax capabilities. They are alone. One dramatic scene shows the anchor, in the strong winds being swung through the bridge windows. Captain Billy Tyne must venture out over the violent see, to cut loose the anchor. While attempting to board up the broken windows, to of the crew are swept overboard. They are saved, but all hope is lost for the Andrea Gail. In a scene called ‘one wave too many’ the huge wave pictured on the DVD case confronts the ship. It tries to rise over the wave, but it crashes on top of them, all of the crew drowning. The rest of the film shows their family and friends mourning, and the crews funeral.
Now, what from watching the film you most certainly would not have guessed is that it is loosely based on a true story. In real life, the Andrea Gail and its crew existed, and ’The Perfect Storm’ did occur. However, we don’t know what exactly happened to the Andrea Gail and its crew after it left port, except that it never returned. The screenplay is actually based on a book about the real life event, but the directors were left a lot of room to ‘invent’ what happened to the boat and its crew
I really enjoyed watching this film, and would put it in my top 5 films of all time. The special effects are superb, the waves, and the different storm scenes on the boat are amazing. The plot is in a lot depth, and the characters have quite good backgrounds. The DVD also has great extras, which I will talk about later.
However, the jumping between themes, like the sailing boat rescue, wastes a lot of time, which would have been better spent on improving character depth.
I cannot complain about the acting, it is superb, you can really imagine that the crew is actually going through a storm. There is a brief touch on some rivalry between two of the crew, which should have been expanded on more
The special effects lose a lot of effect on the small screen, but are still wicked, gluing you to your seat. They make up in a big way for the lack of character background and depth.
The film itself is a great watch, well acted, well directed, and well paced. You really should by this film, it is truly memorable.
ADDITIONAL DVD FEATURES
As in most DVD’s, you can select which scene you want to watch. This particular film is in 39 scenes, spread out over a 125-minute film. This is useful if you want to watch a particular part of the action again!
As on most DVD’s, a cast and crew option is included, providing a list of the cast and the directors etc. However on most DVD’s you can also enter the biographies of the main characters, on The Perfect Storm, it is just a list, which is non-interactive, so that was a bit of a disappointment.
The main interactive menu, called ‘Eye Of The Storm’ allows you to access the interactive section. This includes:
COMMENTARIES
This is a very important part of all DVD extras. This particular film offers two commentaries, one by The Director Wolfgang Peterson, the second by Sebastian Junger, who wrote the book on which the film is based.
The director’s commentary gives lots of information on how the film was made. He explains that not a single real fish was used, even the dead ones were artificial! My favourite part is where he talks about whom he wanted to play Captain Billy Tyne.
The second by Sebastian Junger adds some background information on the characters (greatly missed in the film), and explains how if the crew did not go into the storm, they would be left in financial bankruptcy.
HBO FIRST LOOK SPECIAL
This is basically a making of. It has some interviews with people who experienced the actual storm, snippets of the film and interviews with the cast.
My favourite part was the bit where it shows you the set, and how some of the shots were filmed. Very useful and informative.
WITNESSES TO THE STORM
As I earlier said, it is hard to believe that it was based on a true story. You would probably think that the storm was exaggerated. But this real life footage shows that the conditions really were that hellish. You really should watch this feature.
CREATING AN EMOTION
This is with the composer, James Horner. I thought the choice of music was great, and here he tells us why he chose the musical scores. However, at five minutes, it only gives us a brief glimpse.
CONCEPTUAL ART WITH WOLFGANG PETERSON
This differs slightly from the storyboard features on most DVD’s, in that it is still the conceptual storyboards, but in watercolour, like screenshots transformed into paintings. I don’t particularly like this feature, but that’s just my opinion.
“YOURS FOREVER” PHOTO MONTAGE
This is a sequence of still screenshots from the film. It has the feature music playing in the background, and some captions from the film. It is a great way of capturing stills to print or use as wallpaper!
THEATRICAL TRAILER
Now, this old thing appears in almost all DVD’s, The Perfect Storm being no different. Its what it says, the theatrical trailer!
SOUNDTRACK PROMO
This is just a regular advert for the CD accompanying the film. It has all the music on it, but is just an advert. Not even worth watching once!
STORYBOARD GALLERY
Now this IS just a plain storyboard. Its sometimes nice to see how close the actual film came to the original ideas, but apart from that, not really much to see!
LANGUAGES
One of the real advancements from VHS is the ability to select a language. Not that it matters, but this can be played in English or German
OTHER DVD STUFF
The film is in 2.35:1 wide-screen dual-layer format. It says that transition between layers may cause a slight pause, but it is non-noticeable.
The excellent Dolby 5.1 sound is excellent on a PC or TV and works exceptionally well with surround-sound!
DVD SUMMARY
I have written a summary of the actual film above, so this is just for the DVD section. The extra features are great, and there are so many different things to see! The features add the depth to the film that was lacking in the film. Rather than being completely separate to the actual film, the two need each other to make this a truly great DVD
Nice review
S**t film.
Without a doubt, one of the worst movies I have ever had to watch (being stuck on a plane to America at the time).
I even considered waiting out on the wing to escape this monstrous floater.
Clooney, Mark Whalberg and John C Reilly must've had a brainfart the day they signed on for this turkey.
Godawful script:
"I fish, that's what I do" ????????
Effects were ok but don't make me wait for over 90mins before anything interesting happens. (much like Titanic).
I have realised, of late, that movies on boats suck harder than a whale shark that hasnt been fed in over a week,
S**t film.
Without a doubt, one of the worst movies I have ever had to watch (being stuck on a plane to America at the time).
I even considered waiting out on the wing to escape this monstrous floater.
Clooney, Mark Whalberg and John C Reilly must've had a brainfart the day they signed on for this turkey.
Godawful script:
"I fish, that's what I do" ????????
Effects were ok but don't make me wait for over 90mins before anything interesting happens. (much like Titanic).
I have realised, of late, that movies on boats suck harder than a whale shark that hasnt been fed in over a week,
The Perfect Storm Stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, Karen Allen, William Fichner and Robert Gunton, it is directed by Wolfgang Peterson, and is rated 12.
This is a great movie, based on a true story about a fishing boat and its crew, who set out on a clear day, only to find themselves in the middle of ‘The Perfect Storm’
The film starts with two fishing vessels entering port, with hulls full of fish. The two captains, who are in love, set about comparing their catches, and boasting about their fish. The crews, glad to be home, set about unloading the fish, and visiting the local pub. But unfortunately for Captain Billy Tyne (George Clooney), this was his worst trip ever. Barely getting enough money to pay for the bait and supplies for the trip from the catch, he decides to make a turnaround trip, his last voyage of the fishing season. What he doesn’t know is that it will be his last fishing trip EVER.
The crew, all from the fishing town of Gloucester in Massachusetts, decides to trust their captain, and make on turnaround voyage before the sword-fishing season ends. Their Ship, The Andrea Gail, is a hardy one, and the captain and crew trust her to get them through the bad weather they could face.
The first hour or so is spent developing characters. You get to look more closely into the relationships between the seamen and their loved ones at home. It adds depth to the film, but I think it should reach the action quicker!
When the Andrea Gail leaves port, her sister ship goes too, captained by Captain Billy Tyne’s Girlfriend. However, not happy with what he is catching, Mr. Clooney decides to leave the inland waters, and heads for the Flemish Cap. Although advised against it, our captain is sure that that is where the fish are! So the ship heads miles out to sea, to where Billy Tyne believes the swordfish are. And his instincts were right. Upon reaching The Flemish Cap, The swordfish are in abundant supply. The ship begins to rake in loads of prize fish.
But then the plot makes a turn for the worst. The Andrea Gail’s ice machine gets damaged beyond repair, though the ship has nearly a hold-full of well-iced fish. The ship could get back to port, without the fish spoiling, if it wasn’t for one thing - The Perfect Storm.
The plot switches at points to a meteorologist lab, where a weatherman is monitoring two hurricanes. He soon discovers another topical storm. If the three meet up, they will feed off of each other creating A ‘perfect’ storm, an event most weathermen will ever see. And the Andrea Gail is in the middle of it.
The crew of the Andrea Gail receives a fax about the weather situation, and has a dilemma on their hands. They can wait where they are, away from the storm until it is over, but if they do that, a killer load of fish will rot, and the voyage would leave them in debt. A unanimous vote says they will face the storm.
A couple of events happen early on, in which the action scenes are amazing. The crew picks up a shark, which manages to get on deck and cause some trouble. Later, while baiting the lines, one crewmember is dragged into the water. He and another crewman had been arguing and fighting since they left port, but his enemy still saves his life, forcing ‘managed gratitude’ as the scene is called.
But then the action really heats up. Not really knowing what they were up against, the crew find themselves in the ’eye of the storm.
During the storm, the plot switches between three locations: The Andrea Gail, Gloucester, where the seamen’s families await news, and a small sailing vessel, and the naval crews attempting to rescue it and its crew.
The small sailing vessel, also finding itself in the Perfect Storm, makes a mayday call. This is answered by a naval rescue chopper, which after several attempts, save the crew, and drops them at the naval ship, ‘Tamaroa’. Low on fuel, the helicopter receives a mayday from the Andrea Gail. They attempt a mid-air refuel, but in the strong winds, cannot dock the probe. Out of fuel, the crew ditches, and a rescue attempt is made by the Tamaroa. Some of the Rescue Choppers crew is lost, but the majority is saved.
Without any news on their loved ones, the people at home start taking it out on the owner of the Andrea Gail, thinking he ordered the turnaround.
Back on the Andrea Gail, the crew has lost their radio and fax capabilities. They are alone. One dramatic scene shows the anchor, in the strong winds being swung through the bridge windows. Captain Billy Tyne must venture out over the violent see, to cut loose the anchor. While attempting to board up the broken windows, to of the crew are swept overboard. They are saved, but all hope is lost for the Andrea Gail. In a scene called ‘one wave too many’ the huge wave pictured on the DVD case confronts the ship. It tries to rise over the wave, but it crashes on top of them, all of the crew drowning. The rest of the film shows their family and friends mourning, and the crews funeral.
Now, what from watching the film you most certainly would not have guessed is that it is loosely based on a true story. In real life, the Andrea Gail and its crew existed, and ’The Perfect Storm’ did occur. However, we don’t know what exactly happened to the Andrea Gail and its crew after it left port, except that it never returned. The screenplay is actually based on a book about the real life event, but the directors were left a lot of room to ‘invent’ what happened to the boat and its crew
I really enjoyed watching this film, and would put it in my top 5 films of all time. The special effects are superb, the waves, and the different storm scenes on the boat are amazing. The plot is in a lot depth, and the characters have quite good backgrounds. The DVD also has great extras, which I will talk about later.
However, the jumping between themes, like the sailing boat rescue, wastes a lot of time, which would have been better spent on improving character depth.
I cannot complain about the acting, it is superb, you can really imagine that the crew is actually going through a storm. There is a brief touch on some rivalry between two of the crew, which should have been expanded on more
The special effects lose a lot of effect on the small screen, but are still wicked, gluing you to your seat. They make up in a big way for the lack of character background and depth.
The film itself is a great watch, well acted, well directed, and well paced. You really should by this film, it is truly memorable.
ADDITIONAL DVD FEATURES
As in most DVD’s, you can select which scene you want to watch. This particular film is in 39 scenes, spread out over a 125-minute film. This is useful if you want to watch a particular part of the action again!
As on most DVD’s, a cast and crew option is included, providing a list of the cast and the directors etc. However on most DVD’s you can also enter the biographies of the main characters, on The Perfect Storm, it is just a list, which is non-interactive, so that was a bit of a disappointment.
The main interactive menu, called ‘Eye Of The Storm’ allows you to access the interactive section. This includes:
COMMENTARIES
This is a very important part of all DVD extras. This particular film offers two commentaries, one by The Director Wolfgang Peterson, the second by Sebastian Junger, who wrote the book on which the film is based.
The director’s commentary gives lots of information on how the film was made. He explains that not a single real fish was used, even the dead ones were artificial! My favourite part is where he talks about whom he wanted to play Captain Billy Tyne.
The second by Sebastian Junger adds some background information on the characters (greatly missed in the film), and explains how if the crew did not go into the storm, they would be left in financial bankruptcy.
HBO FIRST LOOK SPECIAL
This is basically a making of. It has some interviews with people who experienced the actual storm, snippets of the film and interviews with the cast.
My favourite part was the bit where it shows you the set, and how some of the shots were filmed. Very useful and informative.
WITNESSES TO THE STORM
As I earlier said, it is hard to believe that it was based on a true story. You would probably think that the storm was exaggerated. But this real life footage shows that the conditions really were that hellish. You really should watch this feature.
CREATING AN EMOTION
This is with the composer, James Horner. I thought the choice of music was great, and here he tells us why he chose the musical scores. However, at five minutes, it only gives us a brief glimpse.
CONCEPTUAL ART WITH WOLFGANG PETERSON
This differs slightly from the storyboard features on most DVD’s, in that it is still the conceptual storyboards, but in watercolour, like screenshots transformed into paintings. I don’t particularly like this feature, but that’s just my opinion.
“YOURS FOREVER” PHOTO MONTAGE
This is a sequence of still screenshots from the film. It has the feature music playing in the background, and some captions from the film. It is a great way of capturing stills to print or use as wallpaper!
THEATRICAL TRAILER
Now, this old thing appears in almost all DVD’s, The Perfect Storm being no different. Its what it says, the theatrical trailer!
SOUNDTRACK PROMO
This is just a regular advert for the CD accompanying the film. It has all the music on it, but is just an advert. Not even worth watching once!
STORYBOARD GALLERY
Now this IS just a plain storyboard. Its sometimes nice to see how close the actual film came to the original ideas, but apart from that, not really much to see!
LANGUAGES
One of the real advancements from VHS is the ability to select a language. Not that it matters, but this can be played in English or German
OTHER DVD STUFF
The film is in 2.35:1 wide-screen dual-layer format. It says that transition between layers may cause a slight pause, but it is non-noticeable.
The excellent Dolby 5.1 sound is excellent on a PC or TV and works exceptionally well with surround-sound!
DVD SUMMARY
I have written a summary of the actual film above, so this is just for the DVD section. The extra features are great, and there are so many different things to see! The features add the depth to the film that was lacking in the film. Rather than being completely separate to the actual film, the two need each other to make this a truly great DVD
This is a great movie, based on a true story about a fishing boat and its crew, who set out on a clear day, only to find themselves in the middle of ‘The Perfect Storm’
The film starts with two fishing vessels entering port, with hulls full of fish. The two captains, who are in love, set about comparing their catches, and boasting about their fish. The crews, glad to be home, set about unloading the fish, and visiting the local pub. But unfortunately for Captain Billy Tyne (George Clooney), this was his worst trip ever. Barely getting enough money to pay for the bait and supplies for the trip from the catch, he decides to make a turnaround trip, his last voyage of the fishing season. What he doesn’t know is that it will be his last fishing trip EVER.
The crew, all from the fishing town of Gloucester in Massachusetts, decides to trust their captain, and make on turnaround voyage before the sword-fishing season ends. Their Ship, The Andrea Gail, is a hardy one, and the captain and crew trust her to get them through the bad weather they could face.
The first hour or so is spent developing characters. You get to look more closely into the relationships between the seamen and their loved ones at home. It adds depth to the film, but I think it should reach the action quicker!
When the Andrea Gail leaves port, her sister ship goes too, captained by Captain Billy Tyne’s Girlfriend. However, not happy with what he is catching, Mr. Clooney decides to leave the inland waters, and heads for the Flemish Cap. Although advised against it, our captain is sure that that is where the fish are! So the ship heads miles out to sea, to where Billy Tyne believes the swordfish are. And his instincts were right. Upon reaching The Flemish Cap, The swordfish are in abundant supply. The ship begins to rake in loads of prize fish.
But then the plot makes a turn for the worst. The Andrea Gail’s ice machine gets damaged beyond repair, though the ship has nearly a hold-full of well-iced fish. The ship could get back to port, without the fish spoiling, if it wasn’t for one thing - The Perfect Storm.
The plot switches at points to a meteorologist lab, where a weatherman is monitoring two hurricanes. He soon discovers another topical storm. If the three meet up, they will feed off of each other creating A ‘perfect’ storm, an event most weathermen will ever see. And the Andrea Gail is in the middle of it.
The crew of the Andrea Gail receives a fax about the weather situation, and has a dilemma on their hands. They can wait where they are, away from the storm until it is over, but if they do that, a killer load of fish will rot, and the voyage would leave them in debt. A unanimous vote says they will face the storm.
A couple of events happen early on, in which the action scenes are amazing. The crew picks up a shark, which manages to get on deck and cause some trouble. Later, while baiting the lines, one crewmember is dragged into the water. He and another crewman had been arguing and fighting since they left port, but his enemy still saves his life, forcing ‘managed gratitude’ as the scene is called.
But then the action really heats up. Not really knowing what they were up against, the crew find themselves in the ’eye of the storm.
During the storm, the plot switches between three locations: The Andrea Gail, Gloucester, where the seamen’s families await news, and a small sailing vessel, and the naval crews attempting to rescue it and its crew.
The small sailing vessel, also finding itself in the Perfect Storm, makes a mayday call. This is answered by a naval rescue chopper, which after several attempts, save the crew, and drops them at the naval ship, ‘Tamaroa’. Low on fuel, the helicopter receives a mayday from the Andrea Gail. They attempt a mid-air refuel, but in the strong winds, cannot dock the probe. Out of fuel, the crew ditches, and a rescue attempt is made by the Tamaroa. Some of the Rescue Choppers crew is lost, but the majority is saved.
Without any news on their loved ones, the people at home start taking it out on the owner of the Andrea Gail, thinking he ordered the turnaround.
Back on the Andrea Gail, the crew has lost their radio and fax capabilities. They are alone. One dramatic scene shows the anchor, in the strong winds being swung through the bridge windows. Captain Billy Tyne must venture out over the violent see, to cut loose the anchor. While attempting to board up the broken windows, to of the crew are swept overboard. They are saved, but all hope is lost for the Andrea Gail. In a scene called ‘one wave too many’ the huge wave pictured on the DVD case confronts the ship. It tries to rise over the wave, but it crashes on top of them, all of the crew drowning. The rest of the film shows their family and friends mourning, and the crews funeral.
Now, what from watching the film you most certainly would not have guessed is that it is loosely based on a true story. In real life, the Andrea Gail and its crew existed, and ’The Perfect Storm’ did occur. However, we don’t know what exactly happened to the Andrea Gail and its crew after it left port, except that it never returned. The screenplay is actually based on a book about the real life event, but the directors were left a lot of room to ‘invent’ what happened to the boat and its crew
I really enjoyed watching this film, and would put it in my top 5 films of all time. The special effects are superb, the waves, and the different storm scenes on the boat are amazing. The plot is in a lot depth, and the characters have quite good backgrounds. The DVD also has great extras, which I will talk about later.
However, the jumping between themes, like the sailing boat rescue, wastes a lot of time, which would have been better spent on improving character depth.
I cannot complain about the acting, it is superb, you can really imagine that the crew is actually going through a storm. There is a brief touch on some rivalry between two of the crew, which should have been expanded on more
The special effects lose a lot of effect on the small screen, but are still wicked, gluing you to your seat. They make up in a big way for the lack of character background and depth.
The film itself is a great watch, well acted, well directed, and well paced. You really should by this film, it is truly memorable.
ADDITIONAL DVD FEATURES
As in most DVD’s, you can select which scene you want to watch. This particular film is in 39 scenes, spread out over a 125-minute film. This is useful if you want to watch a particular part of the action again!
As on most DVD’s, a cast and crew option is included, providing a list of the cast and the directors etc. However on most DVD’s you can also enter the biographies of the main characters, on The Perfect Storm, it is just a list, which is non-interactive, so that was a bit of a disappointment.
The main interactive menu, called ‘Eye Of The Storm’ allows you to access the interactive section. This includes:
COMMENTARIES
This is a very important part of all DVD extras. This particular film offers two commentaries, one by The Director Wolfgang Peterson, the second by Sebastian Junger, who wrote the book on which the film is based.
The director’s commentary gives lots of information on how the film was made. He explains that not a single real fish was used, even the dead ones were artificial! My favourite part is where he talks about whom he wanted to play Captain Billy Tyne.
The second by Sebastian Junger adds some background information on the characters (greatly missed in the film), and explains how if the crew did not go into the storm, they would be left in financial bankruptcy.
HBO FIRST LOOK SPECIAL
This is basically a making of. It has some interviews with people who experienced the actual storm, snippets of the film and interviews with the cast.
My favourite part was the bit where it shows you the set, and how some of the shots were filmed. Very useful and informative.
WITNESSES TO THE STORM
As I earlier said, it is hard to believe that it was based on a true story. You would probably think that the storm was exaggerated. But this real life footage shows that the conditions really were that hellish. You really should watch this feature.
CREATING AN EMOTION
This is with the composer, James Horner. I thought the choice of music was great, and here he tells us why he chose the musical scores. However, at five minutes, it only gives us a brief glimpse.
CONCEPTUAL ART WITH WOLFGANG PETERSON
This differs slightly from the storyboard features on most DVD’s, in that it is still the conceptual storyboards, but in watercolour, like screenshots transformed into paintings. I don’t particularly like this feature, but that’s just my opinion.
“YOURS FOREVER” PHOTO MONTAGE
This is a sequence of still screenshots from the film. It has the feature music playing in the background, and some captions from the film. It is a great way of capturing stills to print or use as wallpaper!
THEATRICAL TRAILER
Now, this old thing appears in almost all DVD’s, The Perfect Storm being no different. Its what it says, the theatrical trailer!
SOUNDTRACK PROMO
This is just a regular advert for the CD accompanying the film. It has all the music on it, but is just an advert. Not even worth watching once!
STORYBOARD GALLERY
Now this IS just a plain storyboard. Its sometimes nice to see how close the actual film came to the original ideas, but apart from that, not really much to see!
LANGUAGES
One of the real advancements from VHS is the ability to select a language. Not that it matters, but this can be played in English or German
OTHER DVD STUFF
The film is in 2.35:1 wide-screen dual-layer format. It says that transition between layers may cause a slight pause, but it is non-noticeable.
The excellent Dolby 5.1 sound is excellent on a PC or TV and works exceptionally well with surround-sound!
DVD SUMMARY
I have written a summary of the actual film above, so this is just for the DVD section. The extra features are great, and there are so many different things to see! The features add the depth to the film that was lacking in the film. Rather than being completely separate to the actual film, the two need each other to make this a truly great DVD