User Reviews

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen based on a true story about the Andrea Gail, a fishing vessel that in October 1991 left the port of Gloucester, Massachusetts, never to be seen again, lost in a terrible storm.

When a film says "based on true events", we always have to take into account certain creative freedoms for cinematographic effects, but in this case I won't even worry about that. This is a dramatization of a terrible event that could very well be (and will continue to be, unfortunately) the story of any fishing vessel anywhere in the world. It is a tribute to the men of the sea and the hardships they have to face in order to earn a living and survive, while bringing food to those of us on land.

That's what I love about movies: I've been with those men at sea, on their boat, I've fished with them, I've felt the joy and excitement of really productive fishing, and the camaraderie that forms when battling the odds of bad weather. I was also with the team of Coast Guard rescuers who risk their lives to save others, the work of true heroes.

The film is very atmospheric (pun not intended) and a great homage, very beautiful and felt. Thank you to everyone who was part of this production and tribute. Nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. BAFTA Winner for Best Visual Effects.

No argument with the film's description: "Atlantic swells form 100-foot walls. Wind shrieks at a maxed-out Force 12. In October 1991 three raging weather fronts - one of them Hurricane Grace - combine to form the greatest storm in recorded history. George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg lead a talented cast in this harrowing special-effects adventure that intercuts the plight of seafarers struggling to reach safe harbor with the heroics of air/sea rescue crews. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, 'The Perfect Storm' tosses excitement your way in waves."

There is an abundance of stormy special effects, but not enough character development. Mr. Wahlberg gets the best of the lackluster subplots, in romantic scenes with Diane Lane (as Christina Cotter). But, even this is lacking - where'd the black eye come from, anyway, rough sex? The intercutting of characters we know next-to-nothing about (in the other boats and helicopters) is sometimes confusing; and, however exciting, it make no sense because, obviously more time should have been spent showing the six main "Andrea Gail" seafarers.

***** The Perfect Storm (6/26/00) Wolfgang Petersen ~ George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane

While watching this movie, I kept imagining if this was how horrible it was for those people when this true story really happened. By the end, my heart went out to all of them. It was a good portrayal of what may have happened, and I enjoyed it immensely.

A great demonstration on how a great soundtrack can carry a mediocre film to astounding hights. Watched this when I was younger and was captured by the astounding VFX work.

Now years later, with gimicky tension devices and quite flat caracters that are well performed, it gets a 6. Without the soundtrack it probably would have been a 4 at best but my god, what a wonderful score this movie has. There pretty much is no plot to write home about but everything else is great.

A great weekday night flick to (re) watch with a nice cup of tea under a warm blanked, far away from the sea. An incredible true story.

I never thought this would be a bad movie before I actually saw it. Since I saw Das Boot, I was convinced that Wolfgang Petersen is a great director. Das Boot is about a submarine in peril, The Perfect Storm about a fishing boat in trouble. In the end it is about the same theme ... a bunch of men fighting for their lives in the middle of the sea. Knowing this I was convinced that The Perfect Storm would be an excellent movie. But I was wrong ... If the director had cut out the first hour and focused on the struggle with the elements, this would have been a great movie, even an instant classic. Now it is a movie that will soon be forgotten.

If you think you have to watch this movie for the great acting, think again... The cast is OK and they probably did everything they could to make the best out of it, but it just isn't good enough to save the movie. Especially the first hour, before the boat gets in the middle of the storm, is unbelievably boring, far too emotional and oh so predictable. It seemed like everybody already knew what was going to happen, like they already knew the boat isn't going to return.

What I did like about the movie was the special effects. Thanks to these special effects, the movie really comes to life in the last section, when the storm hits. Those waves were absolutely terrifying. It almost feels like you'll be swept away by them yourself. You'll probably be on the edge of your seat during those storm sequences. If you see the movie, try seeing it on a big screen with a good sound system, I'm sure that's the best way to enjoy it.

Having said all this, I think you know why you should or shouldn't watch this movie. I gave it a 6/10 only because I loved those special effects.

Linda Greenlaw (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio): Blly? Get outta there! Come about! Let it- let it carry you out of there! What the hell are you doing? Billy! For Christ sake! You're steaming into a bomb! Turn around for Christ sake! Billy, can ya hear me? You're headed right for the middle of the monster! Billy?...

Linda Greenlaw: ... Oh, my God!

Despite the passionate plea by Linda, this film is almost without actors. It is the special effects, sound, and stunt work that characterize it.

Sure, it has George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, John C. Reilly, Diane Lane and more, but they are really secondary to the storm and the action of the ship and crew during that massive convergence of nature's power and fury.

Even those of us who see these monsters on land look in awe at their power and that makes for an enjoyable film.

Yes I know. I've heard all the complaints already. "That's not how it happened" (as if anybody really knows); "All of those events could not have co-occurred on the same boat in the same trip" (as if anybody really knows); etc. etc. Well, here's my answer - it's a movie, just a movie. Don't see a movie to learn about "what really happened" unless the film states very clearly that it is a documentary. Films are, like good books, supposed to tell you something true about people, about things that happen, and about life. They're not (even when they're placed in the documentary shoebox) necessarily about what really happened and how.

The Perfect Storm is a heavily fictionalized speculation concerning the experience of the Andrea Gayle and its crew during the 'storm of the century' in the early nineties. George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg head a fine, under-appreciated cast, as regular yankee fishermen, their friends, and family, living in the Massachussetts town of Gloucester (pronounced "Glosta" for those of you from away). Billy Tyne (Clooney) is a once legendary long-line (swordfish) captain who is down on his luck and needs a big catch to bring himself back into the fold. He and his crew set out to find that catch on exactly the wrong day, in exactly the wrong place. The second half of the film is their attempt to get home, and also incorporates Coast Guard rescue action scattered all around the Atlantic during the massive storm.

Having lived in Maine for years, and having gotten myself thoroughly immersed in the ballads of Ruth Moore and the amazing New England Maritime culture, I have to admit that I was predisposed to like this film, despite all of the issues my fellow reviewers have harped on. And no, I haven't read the book, nor do I intend to. Still, in an attempt to be somewhat objective, I gave it an 8 and I'll give it an above average recommendation, but I will also say that my inclination was to give it an 9 or a 10.

This film mixes New England fishery and sailor lore, a few scattered facts about the Andrea Gayle Story, and a lot of dramatic license, to tell a story about the heroism of the average American and their families. It is also an homage to the the New England fishing industry and its traditions. Though it is easy to mistake the real life heroes (the Coast Guard operatives who saved so many lives during that storm) for the heroes of the film, the crew of the Andrea Gayle and their loved ones are the real heroes here - in their valiant efforts to save themselves, their boat, and their catch.

The performances and the script are strong and the characters very well realized (though fictionalized). Wahlberg and Clooney are great. Clooney gives the best performance I have seen him give. Some of the smaller parts deserve special mention - Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Ironside, Diane Lane and John C. Reilly are always very good (or better), but I was unexpectedly charmed by John Hawkes, William Fichtner and Janet Wright.

It is impossible to discuss this film without talking about the amazing special effects. To summarize, the first time I saw The Perfect Storm, I actually had difficulty sleeping because I felt the bed rocking to the rhythm of imaginary waves each time my eyes closed. Had I seen it in a theater, I am convinced that I would have considered popping a dramamine. Although at times exaggerated, this is the best film re-creation of sea storms I have ever seen. Every scene is thoroughly believable and marvelously detailed, even down to the weird patchiness of an incoming torrent often called "the calm before the storm".

Obviously, I liked this film. And I will give it a strong recommendation with a couple of caveats. First - if you're not somebody who appreciates New England culture and understands something of the kind of humble heroism "Glosta Men" (and women) are expected to have, you might not get it completely. Second - if you come to this looking for a story that rings true in the sense of objective history, you have come to the wrong place. Otherwise, sit back with some popcorn and somebody you love, and enjoy the ride.

and little else. I like all the actors in this film and they do the best that they can...it's ALMOST enough. There are two main problems--1) Lousy dialogue--it was so inane and comic strip level...adults don't talk like this--heck, human beings don't talk like this! 2) The accents. It has been proved time and time again you can not imitate a New England accent (I'm from MA so I should know). Unfortunately, some of the cast tries. It sounds funny (people in my audience were giggling) and forced and very very fake. Diane Lane was easily the worst--she's a wonderful actress and it's always good to see her, but she should steer clear of doing accents. At least Mark Wahlberg has the accent anyways, so he sounds fine. Clooney wisely doesn't try.

That aside the movie was enjoyable. The acting is good (especially Clooney and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and the special effects were superb. The movie really comes to life in the last section when the storm hits. You'll be on the edge of your seat all during those storm sequences. So, if you do see it, try seeing it on a big screen with a good sound system--that's the only way to really enjoy it!

No, I'm not trying to be controversial, I really thought this was a terrible film. I was embarrassed by the awfulness of the script, the one-dimensional relationships between the characters and the cheesey emotions backed by that schmaltzy score. Fifteen minutes into the film it dawned on me that I would have to sit through 2 hours of this dirge. I only stayed in the hope that it would improve when the storm took hold. It did, only slightly, but even then the way in which the crew members on the boat related to each other made me very seasick! I won't bother to relate the particular moments that had me reaching for the sick-bag, anyway there were too many. I went to this film thinking that a combination of Clooney, Petersen, a dramatic story and serious special effects would surely produce some interesting results, I left lamenting what they done to the story and thinking about what could have been produced in more competent hands. I genuinely believe that all involved in this film should be ashamed of themselves! I will now try to banish it from my memory and go to see something worthwhile this weekend.

I first saw this in the early 2k.

Revisited it recently.

The movie indeed looked as if the events are truly happening in an ocean experiencing a monstrous storm.

The star cast is amazing n all gave good performances.

Wolfgang Petersen set out to create a "real" experience when he took the job of directing this film. He succeeds in almost every sense of the word. Loving attention has been given to the characters, the work of a fisherman, life in Gloucester, and most importantly, to the Storm itself. When you're watching it, you're "there," even if the scene consists only of people sitting on stools at the Crow's Nest, talking. On rare occasions, the dialogue itself seems forced, though, like it's people talking in a movie and not in a bar. A minor detail.

Because "Storm"'s creators wanted us to get to know these men and their families well before setting sail, the film takes a long time to really get moving. Once it does, though, you're grateful you know them as well as you do. The swordfishing scenes--if these guys never swordfished before, which most of them probably have not, I couldn't tell (Markie Mark pulling the insides out of a big swordfish is about as shocking as a movie gets)--shooting in Gloucester, where it all happened, they knew they'd never be allowed to fake it.

Whether it was intentional I have no idea, but what Petersen brings across with the Andrea Gail crew is a sense of true displacement--the overwhelming feeling that you're supposed to be somewhere else. We've all been in these situations, though none as perilous as this one. It's like leaving for work, getting halfway there, and realizing you've forgotten the report you'd worked for days on and is due today. You have no choice: you have to go back and get it and make yourself late for work. You retrieve the report and drive the exact same route back to work and there it is: this powerful sense that this is not the way things were supposed to go. The whole day is now thrown off completely.

These fishermen are having the ultimate bad day. Their captain, Billy Tyne (George Clooney in his best performance ever), has just brought them back from a disappointing two months of fishing. Tyne's boss (Michael Ironside) knows just what buttons to push and convinces Tyne to return to sea. This is an easy decision for Tyne--all he has is the sea. He's divorced and his only love is his job. He'd do it for free. His crew is another story altogether. Sure, they love fishing, but they also need the money desperately. Swordfishing is a gamble. Like many industries, you put in a lot of time and resources into it, making many sacrifices, without knowing what the return will be. Tyne's ‘no guts, no glory'-type speech convinces them to go along for the ride again--only days after they've returned from the last run.

From the beginning of their journey, the crew members pour the pressure on their captain to make it worth their while. This is a last-minute, unplanned trip. They're not supposed to be there. Before the storm even hits, the bad karma surrounds them like fog: besides having even worse luck catching swordfish than their last run, one bizarre small disaster after another happens along the way. This approach is what makes William Wittliff's script so great. He uses these incidents to build the intensity, capping it off with the famed super-storm.

I can honestly say that this is the best work I've ever seen from ILM (Industrial Light and Magic). Never have special effects been more crucial to a story and executed so effectively. The storm scenes--when the lightning flashes, briefly revealing mountains of black waves--are at once beautiful and terrifying.

Petersen brings it all together nicely. He puts his characters (and from what I've heard, his actors as well) through hell. As the voyage takes a turn from being an ill-advised journey to transport 64,000 pounds of swordfish back across the Atlantic to being a desperate struggle for survival, you can see it on the characters' faces: they've never been this close to death--and they're loving every minute of it. How can we not do the same? The best way to pay homage I can think of.

Grade: A-

This film appears to epitomize the string of films of the last years of the 20th Century where the structured story has been replaced by a blaze of stunning visual effects. The literate directors, who once brought us audience pleasing, soul-satisfying stories, seem to have vanished the way of the American Bison. What has emerged is an empty, soulless presentation of eye-popping scenes tied to nothing at all.

Here, we are introduced to meaningless characters not developed enough for us to feel an affinity. When they move on into the insipid, formless story, we find ourselves impatiently waiting for the only possible satisfaction, the remarkable visual presentation of the storm with its exciting rescue scenes.

It might be that Frank Capra's dictum to filmmakers, `Give ‘em something to put in their pocket to take home with 'em ' is now truly passé. We leave the theater feeling like we just saw an awesome fireworks, but one that afterward we scarcely think about, and one essentially not worth two or more hours of our lives, for we have gained nothing. We are uninspired, unmotivated and have learned nothing about life. We are empty inside. We have experienced The Perfect Zero.

Having survived (barely, on land) the "No Name Storm" of 1991 on the coast of New England, I assure you this was a true story (I'm mentioning this for the New Zealand poster who said it was adapted from a novel and others who may not realize it really was a *true* story). Obviously, we can't know what was actually said or done once the Andrea Gail lost radio contact (and isn't that true of any movie based on "historical fact" - we can only surmise the actual dialog and conversations that may have taken place). However, the characters were based on the actual crew members and the Coast Guard did have to ditch one helicopter during the storm - from a story I read in People magazine, I'd say the portrayal of the Coast Guard's actions were accurate. I can't say I liked this movie - perhaps remembering the terror of that night (I lived in a seaside town and the ocean had come over the seawall and was filling up streets 3 and 4 blocks in from the beach) makes it difficult for me to watch this movie as entertainment. In answer to one post here, Clooney said that the Boston accent is one of the most difficult and he didn't even want to attempt it - Markie Mark is from Boston so it wasn't a stretch for him. The special effects are phenomenal of course...I just wish it had a different ending. By the way, the statue of the fisherman at the ship wheel shown at the beginning of the movie is an actual Gloucester landmark (and you can see it on Gorton frozen seafood products which come from Gloucester) - the legend on the base of the monument says, "Those that go down to the sea in ships..."

`Perfect Storm, The' **1/2 A cold tropical depression in the south off Bermuda, a storm over Sable Island off the east coast of Canada and an Arctic cold front moving south to meet on the Georgia Banks. These three meteorological phenomena at the same place and the same time create a perfect storm. The perfect storm did occur on the Georgia Banks in 1991. A great idea, good casting, a great screenplay, good direction, acting, editing, sound and visual effects sometimes come together and we see a perfect movie. The perfect movie did not happen in 2000, but `The Perfect Storm' although not a perfect movie is a worthy effort. Don't go to see good acting or hear exciting dialogue. George Clooney is as bad as ever and the supporting cast isn't good. The special effects are perfect! The scenes on the sailboat, abroad the Coast Guard cutter, on the helicopter are movie equivalent of shear terror. The scenes on the Andrea Gail (the real life swordfish boat that was lost in the perfect storm of 1991) are perfect special effects. There is one scene where the camera pans away from the Andrea Gail as it attempts to ride over a huge breaking wave. I'd say the scene looked `realistic' but how would I know; I've never been on a fishing boat during a hurricane. I'll say the scene looked really convincing. Enough so, that I hope I'm never at sea on a small boat in any kind of storm, perfect or otherwise. Don't wait to see this movie on television. See the special effects on a big screen.

This movie tries hard, very hard, to make its characters so compelling that you really root for them and expect that somehow they will overcome extreme odds and make back home safely. Alas, it doesn't quite pull it off. The only character I feel any real compassion for is the George Clooney character as a modern day Ahab obsessed with making the catch he needs to make his boat expedition profitable. Even so, it is all a set up for one of the more downbeat endings ever put on the screen.

The stormy special effects are the best ever portrayed for a disaster at sea movie.

"The Perfect Storm" is quite certainly a picture that drew me in, kept me interested and frequently caused me to hold my breath or grab the armrest on my chair. It's visually stunning - whatever special effects they use to create extreme weather have improved even in the few years since "Twister."

George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg are both excellent actors and turn in fine performances here. The rest of the cast isn't really given much to do - they sit and look anxious and scream or cry or both occasionally, but not much beyond that.

The film's biggest flaw is important but not fatal. The very chaos of a hurricane that has been so effectively recreated here has a tendency to make the action hard to follow at times, especially during the sequences involving the Coast Guard helicopter and its crew. There's no real way to tell these characters apart, and that makes it somewhat difficult to develop much interest in what happens to them. Furthermore, the Coast Guard sequences mostly just serve to intrude upon the story and characters we really care about, the Andrea Gale and her crew.

It's too bad, because the stuff aboard the swordboat is pretty good. On the whole, a strong but not outstanding film.

It's the second time I feel a movie must be watched in a theater. ILM's special effect supervisor just made an ocean and an perfect storm in their monster computers. While I'm watching the movie, I know it's fake, but I still feel exciting and the last 60 minutes just kept me sitting on the edge of the seat.I feel very lucky that they show the subtitled version on the best theater in beijing. the price is pretty expensive for beijing people, but i think this movie really worth it.

I am 52 years old and have loved movies all my life. There have been only 3 movies I have went to see that were so terrible that I got up and left the theater without making it to the end. I saw it on opening night. When we left I said "stop" "I want to count heads." There were only 7 people left in a sold out show!! The next day I was so shocked at the comments and reviews that I went with a second group of people and tried to watch it again, hoping perhaps I just had an "off" day. It was worse the 2nd time. I have never seen such poor film work ever. Soon into the movie I assumed the film was "matted" wide-screen because I saw many scenes with the characters foreheads cut off at about the hairline. I was stunned when one of the big waves hit the boat and knocked the main boom over. I thought I was watching an old 60's Godzilla movie. And then as the perfect "tri-wave" storm begins pounding the boat the scene moves to the inside of the ship. The crew is anxiously deciding what to do. They are SLOWLY LEANING from side to side. And behind them, outside of the main windows are these 40 or 50 foot waves slamming down just feet from the ship. Nothing on the tables are moving etc. etc. This is not to mention that the scenes were too chaotic to really see what was going on. They also were shot in deep brownish hues that were far from natural. That's not even getting to the fact that there is never an attempt to develop any of the characters. And the acting was "B" movie horrific. When both my groups left, after about an hour or more, I made the comment that "I hope this boat crashes and takes everything with it, especially the film reels at the theater." I then recanted and said "I don't even care what happens to anybody in this movie." If you want to see a good movie on the perfect storm, watch the "White Squall" or "Wind". Don't even waste your money on renting the video. I love George Clooney, but not here. I also want to note that I was hoping that at a 2nd theater, the movie at would at least display a proper aspect ratio. "Maybe the first show had over-scanned the projection so as to cut off the tops and bottoms of scenes". I was wrong. It was just as terribly displayed there. It is either being played back in 35 MM, matted to give us the 2:35 to 1 appearance of 65 or 70MM. Or it is just a terrible Camera man's eye for the scope of the viewer. Boy, I am sorry I am so negative, but this movie was that bad. I have heard many other comments from people who completely agree with me. Simply, one of the worse movies we've seen. And I like almost all movies in some way or another. Except "The Perfect Storm"!

It is inescapable fact that it is very difficult to take real-life events and translate them into an interesting and thrilling movie. Ron Howard perfected the art with "Apollo 13" and now Wolfgang Petersen continues on with "The Perfect Storm".

This story of Gloucester, MA. fishermen who go out for one last try at a big payoff in a slumping season packs quite a wollup once they get caught up in an event that had never before been recorded: the perfect storm. From there, you have to suspend belief just a bit and drink in the events occurring aboard the Andrea Gail. It's not tough, as the cast delivers them perfectly.

George Clooney may have played his signature role as Capt. Billy Tyne, skipper of the ill-fated Andrea Gail on that fateful day in 1991. Clooney comes off as neither overly glamorous, or bigger than life, but as a simple common man just trying to break his fishing slump and bring home a big payday for his boss, his crew, and himself. When George relaxes and puts himself into a role, he is better off, and Capt. Tyne is the pinnacle of that for him.

Mark Wahlberg comes on board as Bobby Shatford, a rookie fisherman who is trying to make a better life for himself and his girlfriend Chris (nicely played by Diane Lane). Bobby is the only character given equal depth to Billy and comes off with the same impression: a good guy who was trying hard to make a better life. Very nicely done here as well.

Supporting cast is good, John C. Reilly as Dale "Murph" Murphy, William Fichtner as David "Sully" Sullivan, a late arrival to the Andrea Gail's crew, Michael Ironside as the profit first Bob Brown. All of these stellar characterizations and serve brilliantly to put you into Gloucester of 1991.

Wolfgang Petersen has created a gripping film, full of chillingly realistic special effects. He skillfully took Sebastian Junger's novel and tweaked it to fit the confines of the motion picture screen. Casting and acting by all involved was perfect and you never once feel like anything is overacted or overly dramatic, just that you are somehow involved with the fear that had to have been involved on that night.

4 1/2 out of 5

Well-made adaption of the best-selling non fiction book succeeds in being extremely suspenseful even when the final outcome is known. Characters are a little sketchy, though, and they don't come nearly as close as they could have to capturing the horror and ferocity of the sea as the book did. Diane Lane is very good in a supporting role of one of the women back home, although she looks a little too glamorous to be hanging around a bunch of smelly fishermen.