Based on the true story of the ill-fated last voyage of the Andrea Gail which sailed out of Gloucester, Mass in '91 off into the North Atlantic only to fall victim to the "Storm of the Century". The '00 film `Perfect Storm' depicts the tragic event in dramatic style featuring a strong, likeable cast, superior special effects and a memorable soundtrack. If there's any fault to be found in this re-visioning of the last days of the Andrea Gail is would be the overly romanticized manner in which the crew is depicted. At times it was kind of like watching `The Magnificent Seven At Sea'.

Rating: Overall `Perfect Storm' is an enjoyable watch with lots of familiar faces and fine performances; -3 ½ Stars-.

HD makes this movie so much better. It was good before but HD makes its better

I am not gong to review the movie as everyone has seen it and I only bought it for the HD-DVD aspect.

Like a lot of older re-released high def movies, the studio did not take extra steps on the re-release to take advantage of the greater capability of HD-DVD. The result is that neither the visuals nor the sound knock your socks off like the do in a full-on HD-DVD release. If you have the DVD version, no need to upgrade. If you don't and want the movie, you might as well get the HD release, but buy it used for less than $15 (delivered)...or just get a used DVD for $5.

I love this movie and so when i had the chance to get it in HD for dirt cheap i took the time to get it. The HD version is chrisp and clear and the sound is very sharp. Get this movie as it should be a must for anyone who collects HD DVDs :D

Not that it was a bad movie, or lacked drama and good characterization, but there were enough technical inaccuracies to cause this mariner trouble.

First of all, let's ask some questions:

Why were the outriggers out and the paravanes down when the seas were in the 80' to 150' foot range (as depicted; more if you consider the last wave)? Why did the crew wait so long to batten down the wheelhouse windows? They knew the storm was coming. They knew how bad it would be. Why didn't they make proper preparations to meet it?

Why wasn't the crew in the wheelhouse? I've been in some bad blows, and when it gets really bad, everybody usually hangs out in the wheelhouse with their survival suits within arm's reach. When it's that bad, and the boat has to turn around in monster seas, riding out the turn in the fo'c's'le or galley is the last thing anybody wants to do.

Why would anyone think they could remount a SSB antenna in a 50 knot wind when the smallest whip antenna is about 23'? If the antenna doesn't rip your arm off, how are you going to splice the coax? And why not just lay out an emergency long wire antenna on deck?

Speaking of which: I thought the Andrea Gail had a long wire antenna and not a whip antenna. I believe that in the photo of the Hannah Boden, which Linda Greenlaw states is a sistership of the Andrea Gail, you can see a long wire antenna running aft from the masthead to the goal post.

By the way, Greenlaw states in her book that her boat, the Hannah Boden, was 100'. Sebastion Junger, the author of the book, stated on a pre-movie hype news program that the Andrea Gail was 80'. I tend to believe Greenlaw over Junger regarding LOA. And I tend to believe it had a long wire antenna. You'd think it would given its range of operation. Also, if the boat was 100' , the wave at the end would have been about 200'. My understanding is that the largest non-seismic wave ever recorded was 112', measured scientifically in the North Pacific by researchers aboard the USS Ramapo on February 7th, 1933.

Also....

Where can I get one of those blow torches that stays lit in 50 knots of wind and spray?

Don't get me wrong. I liked the movie. I liked the effects. I thought the film makers did some good things. But I don't think the movie paid homage to the crew of the Andrea Gail or commercial fishermen. I think Junger's melodramatic overspeculations of the sinking (not to mention his speculation about what it's like to drown) are an insult to the thousands of fishermen and other seafarers who've lost their limbs and worse in much less spectacular ways. In truth, the vast majority of commercial fishing accidents and sinkings aren't caused by gigantic Hollywood waves. They're the result of separate incidents and seemingly insignificant details stacking-up and falling like a house of cards.

With all due respect to the people of Gloucester and the friends and family of those who died on the Andrea Gail, and to the film makers and the actors, I humbly submit a different cause and effect scenario with regard to the sinking.

In my opinion, had the crew been given the time depicted in both the book and the movie, the ending might have been quite different. Those men were experienced and capable fisherman who had previously handled anything the sea had thrown at them. What probably happened was they started home with a freighted boat. It got rough, very rough, and the vessel started taking on water, probably from some insidious place in the stern, e.g. the rudder box or shaft seal. They didn't know she was taking on water until it was too late, at which time the vessel rolled and sank before they could launch the raft, get into their survival suits, or trigger the EPIRB. How many times has it happened that way? A freighted boat. A slow leak. Bad weather.

-seabgb

If there were nothing else on I'd watch it again. This is just an average movie about a STORM based on true events. There is no real character development, no action, adventure or humor. Its a great STORM, just not a great movie.

This edition (the signature edition) was personally signed by George Clooney. This series is limited to 1500. If you can snatch up one of these for less than $40, you are really getting a deal.

Even though this movie is fictional, taken from a book, no one seems to mention the fact that the Andrea Gail was an actual ship that was lost at sea and never found. A real world story intertwined with the fictional characters of those who were claimed by the sea.

Some amazing special effects, tense action sequences. Good acting marred by occasional screenplay hokeyness, and some bummers at the end. George should've known better when even the gal from the Abyss was telling him to scrap the mission. Mark Wahlburg is a hunk. I'm not sure why Karen Allen took such a small role.

Very good effects ... but there is a hidden happy ending for those that want to miss the tragic part of this movie... when the guys finally turn the boat around from the Monster wave and make it... and they are all laughing and screaming they made it out ... TURN THE MOVIE OFF !!!!

Very fast shipping great product thank you

Based on Sebastian Junger's best-seller, Petersen's motion picture relates the well known true story of six brave fishermen who really fought for survival with all their heart, skill and tenacity... The hurricane hits full force just as their ice machine breaks down, leaving the six men onboard with two choices: Let all of the fish they have caught spoil and hang out for a few days till it calms down, or try to salvage their income and pride by navigating 'right for the middle of a monster.'

It's a film of high drama, tragedy, hubris, and one of Mother Nature's nastiest hurricane on record... There is the bad weather, the constant danger of mechanical failure, the perils of controlling a crew of strong and colorful men, not to mention the threat of the fishing itself in raging waters...

George Clooney is excellent as the disappointed skipper who couldn't know the true price of fish, and whose dignity is wounded because he can't find fish on familiar waters...

The women left on the shore include a friendly rival captain with better luck; a worried woman afraid to lose her man to the cruel sea; a caring mother begging her precious boy to be careful; and a sweet single mom who shows up dockside the next morning to say goodbye...

"The Perfect Storm" may be considered one of the great sea movies... It is a terrifying adventure with thrilling images: The shark attack on the deck of the Gail; Captain Tyne's exploits while trying to repair a broken mast; the remarkable bravery of a chopper crew riding the scary waves to save three lives trapped on a small luxury yacht; and the mid-air refueling attempt for a rescue helicopter thwarted by strong winds... The 'Andrea Gail' was pushed straight into raging waters where the real fish are...

Rec'd in excellent condition. Enjoyed movie a great deal. Would deal with seller again! AAAAA++++++++

Having seen this movie, I shall henceforth refuse to go to sea in anything smaller than a "Nimitz"-class aircraft carrier (or in a submarine, that can sail underneath the weather).

It tells the story of some seafarers on a night of a "perfect storm" (a meterologist's description) in 1991, when a number of weather patterns reinforced each other to produce a maelstrom of staggering proportions. It is a classic clash of men against the elements. The storm is the real star of the show, nature on the rampage with waves of up to 30M high, and men and their works are reduced to insignificant pygmies, trying (and sometimes failing) to survive its impersonal fury. The element of personal combat with the sea is personified by the excellent George Clooney's fishing boat skipper, with his initial exhilaration at battling the storm, his joy at thwarting it by making a highly dangerous turn in mountainous seas and his gathering gloom when he realises that the sea isn't going to let him go quite that easily... This is counterpointed by the military precision and coolness (and even more gutsy performance) of the captain and crew of a US Coastguard cutter and an Air Force helicopter rescue crew going to the aid of a yacht in distress.

The computer-generated big seas are seamlessly incorporated into live action in a big tank (although the cascading water is sometimes too obviously coming from a hose or some such device), to create tremendous images as the action switches from the fishermen to the Coastguard/Air Force rescuers. At times, things get a bit silly (George Clooney improbably swinging on a boom in wild seas while holding a burning oxy-acetylene torch). The ending is, unfortunately, excessively maudlin (which US audiences seem to like, or at least expect), but for me the movie does nicely encapsulate the spirit of those who go down to the sea in ships, as a fishing boat sets forth at the end, Cap'n Clooney's words echoing in that boat's captain's head. The whole thing is admirably complemented by an excellent musical score from James Horner.

Although not a perfect film of the perfect storm, I enjoyed this, and it has encouraged me to order the book (damn you, Amazon!). The cast is strong, with Clooney acting the part of the slightly Ahab-ish "born to fish" captain with suitable intensity. The opening half-hour or so is a bit heart-on-sleeve Hollywoodish, but that all ends when the star of the show starts, er, acting up a storm.

The perfect storm
This book is a very detailed book about fishermen and how they work. This story line in this book is in no real order so it is a little hard to follow. This book tells you how it feels like on the ocean and how good you feel when you catch a lot of fish or how bad you feel when you hardly catch any. This book also tells you the experience of drowning and how helpless you feel floating all alone in the ocean. This book may confuse readers under 10, but I think this book is a really good book to learn how fishermen do their job, this book also tells you how a storm works and how boats may be able to survive it, and how it feels like to jump out of a helicopter and save people from their drowning doom. I advise you to read it

First off I want to say that I really like this movie. I've been a fan since it was released and will still gather round to watch this film every once in a while just because I like it that much. That said, it really falters in a few areas, and if those few areas had been adjusted it could resonate as a great movie and not just a movie I really enjoy. You must know what I mean...right?

First off the characters are less than amply elaborated on. I want to know what really makes them tick. Yes, they explore, above all else, the relationship between Wahlberg and Lane's characters, but even their relationship is less than fully explained. Too me the closest I came to sympathy was for John C. Reilly's character, but that was mostly out of concern for his poor son and less about the fact that I knew anything about him.

So, that's one thing...give me more of who I'm concerned for.

Next I would have liked the focus to have been, especially in the end, more on the Andrea Gail and less on everyone else. You have this couple on a yacht and I'm thinking, "I didn't bank on watching this, I want to see the crew" and the mere fact that the ending drags on a little too much because of the extra attention to the sub-plotted rescue mission (which I am aware also played into the reason the rescue copter didn't make it out to the Andrea Gail, but that could have easily been shortened and or skirted around) kind of creates an uneasy anxious anticipation for the credits to begin to roll.

Other than that I feel this is Grade A entertainment, and as I said, I really like this film, it's beautifully shot and wonderfully acted, and the story (almost all true life events of this magnitude are) is truly entrancing, I just would have liked some meat slapped onto the bones of this film, for Peterson to really flesh out these men and women and create in us more than just a passing cause for despair but make us know and love them enough to have us weeping for them long after the credits have graced the screen.

It's freakin" awesome. It was perfect from the start all the way to the end. I was just amazedddd by how it was able to keep me on the edge of the chair the whole time. Just amazing. and I highly recommend you to watch this movie.

Terrific movie, especially how the characters are developed. It seemed each was going through some transition (either a love interest, a reconciliation, or love of the job) prior to the fateful storm, making it all the more ironic. The soundtrack really complements the film, and the acting is pretty good, with the exception of Wahlberg, who is about an unconvincing as Keanu Reeves. I also really felt for these small town people, many of whom risk their lives to pay their bills

The Perfect Storm is a heavily fictionalized speculation concerning the experience of the Andrea Gail and its crew during the 'storm of the century' in the early nineties.
For the first hour we catch fish, fight on the board, bond with family etc and generally try to build these fishermen into characters and not fodder like a disaster movie. This is painfully slow and didn't work for me - I was interested in the men but it seemed to me that the film wasn't. The second half is actually pretty good but it's all due to the seamless effects and some good direction. The waves look real and even on my TV I got into the tension and fear of the storm. However the film leaves the fishing boat for most of the tensest scenes and joins the rescue efforts in other areas - the Andrea Gail is actually used surprisingly little in the second half considering the focus of the first half.
It is impossible to discuss this film without talking about the amazing special effects. To summarize, the first time I saw the film, 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

Well, my love for disaster movies finally conquered my utter disdain for George Clooney, and I watched The Perfect Storm. The fact that the film is based on a true story in which several men did lose their lives makes it a little difficult to review, as I feel compelled to temper some of the comments I might have otherwise made. I'm sure the tragedy of the actual events made it hard to film, as well - and I think that explains the slow-moving, problematic opening 30-40 minutes. The obvious intent is for us to get to know the men of the Andrea Gail, to see what life is like in a New England fishing community, and to see why and how these men risked the hardships of sword fishing out on the open ocean. It's not an easy life - leaving loved ones behind for days or weeks on end, working like a dog to haul in giant fish without being injured or killed in any number of ways, never knowing if you were even going to catch enough to fish make the trip worthwhile. For some, it's about the money - not greed, just a desperate need for the money to take care of you and yours. Mostly, though, it's about the love - love for the sea, for fishing, etc. A lot of jobs don't really define the man (or woman) - but a sword fisherman is a sword fisherman. That's what Billy Tyne was, but he was also a man on a losing streak, and his effort to redeem himself and his men led the Andrea Gail straight into disaster.

Unfortunately, in terms of the movie itself, the first 30-40 minutes are insufferably long, failing to make me care about any of the characters - even Diane Lane grated on my nerves as the girlfriend who didn't want her man to go back out again. Then the boat finally sails, and the men go fishing. An hour's gone by, and you're wondering when this storm is ever going to show up. As for Tyne and his crew, things just aren't right from the start - they're not catching a significant number of fish, a couple of guys are almost killed, the crewmen are fighting amongst themselves, and no one is the least bit happy. Ignoring all these ominous signs, Tyne decides to head on east way over to the Flemish Cap, caring little for the weather at his back - until it's time to head home, of course. You would think a fisherman, more than any other person in the world, would have a healthy respect for the weather. Tyne knows there's extremely rough weather in between the Andrea Gale and home, but he and his men decide to plow on through rather than risk losing all of the fish they have finally caught. Unbeknownst for the most part to Tyne and his guys, weather conditions are now going to heck in a hand basket, as a huge hurricane, another burgeoning hurricane, and an area of dangerously low pressure smack together to form the 1991 Halloween Nor'easter ("the perfect storm") - and the Andrea Gale is heading right down its throat.

Alongside the life-and-death struggle that now plays out aboard the Andrea Gale, we also get the chance to observe the efforts of Coast Guard rescuers trying to save the lives of some stranded boaters. A yacht on its way to Bermuda proves its just plain dumb "all I need's a compass" captain a complete and utter fool, and a helicopter is dispatched to try and save the three individuals onboard. Unlike the footage of the Andrea Gale's struggle, the Coast Guard rescue effort is downright compelling - and gets even more compelling later on when the rescuers themselves need rescuing. The film is a great tribute to these real-life heroes (one of whom was lost during the events chronicled here); you just can't say enough about these brave guys. It's a pity the entire film wasn't about them.

It's actually rather surprising just how little I, as a viewer, emotionally invested in the story of the Andrea Gale. The crewmen weren't men I really liked, especially the headstrong captain who puts his own selfish needs over the welfare of his crew, and they did pretty much know what they were getting into when they decided to risk heading home through the storm. The special effects were impressive, but for me, the emotion of the whole tragedy just never manifested itself in this story - and that is the main weakness of the film.

This is a GREAT movie,...except for the end!! No,no,no,..I won't spoil it for anyone. It's really amazing though, and I would highly recommend it. it's a little slow at the begining, but once it gets going,..Wow. This is a must see!

All of these people saying that the movie is too long or too boring because of the beginning in the bar and the subplots with the schooner and the coast guard helicopter, I believe it was, have no diea what they are talking. This movie is almost a direct make from the book, they had the bar scenes, the stranded schooner ship, and the helicopter disaster. It was all exactly how it was like in the book. If you read the book, then see this movie, and if you saw this movie and thought there was a lot of drown out stuff, go read the book, because it is an exact adaption of the great book.

** Spoiler Alert! **

By the time most people got to the theater to see this film, or rented it, they already knew the ship and its crew would be dead in less than two hours.

Surprisingly, this does not diminish from the film's power. Even on second or third viewing, the film never delivers a moment that is false, maudlin, or sentimental. The plot is not what keeps people engaged during this film. It is the issue. How do people face death?

In this film, the people are the captain and crew of the boat. They know commercial fishing is a difficult and dangerous job, even when the weather is good. The weather is not good. The men need the money. They go out even though they know they will meet a storm. They are used to risking their lives every day.

The storm turns into a hurricane that traps the men, and kills them. They struggle to save their own lives. They fail. When they are neck deep in water in a compartment of the overturned boat, they face death squarely. They talk, briefly, and unsentimentally, about things they will not be able to do, people they will miss. The stark, plainness of the acting achieves a powerful effect.

At the beginning of the film, the viewer meets the crew. On repeated viewings, the film shows nothing milked -- nothing artificial. The men are solid, working people. There is no sappy foreshadowing.

The director deserves kudos for maintaining iron-fisted control of a vehicle that could have been campy.

The viewer will learn a lot about meteorology. The special effects are indistinguishable from live action.

All the actors, including George Clooney, maintain a stoic engagement with life, and they struggle to live, with no appeal to our pity, until they are dead.

The Perfect Storm is more than a film. It is a parable. One could invest in such a classic work of art.

Don't see this film. It is a terrible waste of good directing and acting talent. I have never been a Clooney fan, but still...

The direction of this film is by the masterful Wolfgang Petersen, one of my favorite directors of all time. He has breathed life into films such as Air Force One and Troy. This film, however, was still dead and not breathing upon release. The music is beautiful. I will not deny that James Horner actually DID hit the nail right on the head, and produced a wonderfull and memorable score, that is my reason for the 2 stars.

The only thing I have to say about this movie is... I gave it one star only because Mark Wahlberg appears in it!!!!!!!!! This has to be one of the most boring boring movies I've ever seen. You wonder if it will ever end. True, it's a sad story but....come on!!!!!!!! For anyone who wants to see a bunch of men on a fishing boat bobbing up and down in the water for what seems to be forever, then this movie is for you. Otherwise, this movie is just plain BLAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Many other reviews fault this for being overlong, but this is a film that is never dull. If you have a short-attention span, it's not for you...maybe you should stick with The History Channel or just hit the pause button and refill your beer glass. Clooney & Co. masterfully adapt the excellent novel into a pulse pounding adventure story heavy on the human drama, consequently elevating beyond the status of an effects-driven "blockbuster." The casting of the supporting and background players...the locations and art direction are especially effective.

Great bonus features with lots of commentary tracks. No, it isn't the kind of motion picture you want to watch over and over and over again. But it is a very special film and definitely worth owning, especially at such a bargain price.

For anyone who has spent time in the ocean, a big, bad, nasty wave which can't be dealt with is a fear. They are rare, but they are out there. This is a primary reason to see this movie, with a story woven around George Clooney and crew as a perk. I would recommend anyone who has interest in the sea, commercial fishing, or coast guard rescues, to read the book by Sebastian Junger. The book is much better than the movie, and essential reading.

I would also recommend reading everything published by Linda Greenlaw, a beautiful, intelligent little fireplug from Isle Au Haut, Maine. She was the Captain of the Hannah Boden, which was the sister ship to the doomed Andrea Gail of Perfect Storm fame. I've been fortunate enough to meet her three times at book-signings and love her writing. Start with her book "The Hungry Ocean" That's right! The story of the Perfect Storm intends to recreate an actual event which took place, a little tid-bit which has escaped the emphasis of most reviews. I've even sailed into Gloucester harbor, visited the Crows Nest bar of movie fame, and gotten some personal stories of the event.

Interestingly, I have friends who are commercial fishermen off of the Maine coast. I was curious about their take on the movie. Several of them had never seen the flick and didn't intend to. A couple saw it and reckoned that Hollywood didn't get the dangers of fishing right enough. A couple loved it. Mostly, they are probably too close to the truth of the Andrea Gail's events to find entertainment value here. My hat's off to commercial fishermen everywhere, a tough field which is getting tougher. But, as far as I'm concerned, regardless of flaws inherent in the movie, the fact that it deals with this subject matter makes it required viewing by anyone curious about the sea.

It's a great story, augmented by the fact that it's true (except for the Hollywood over-amplification of reality). The weather patterns conspired to create a true monster, more frightning than the largest white shark, the goriest slasher film or inane boogie man movie. This won't stop most people from seeing this film in the same vein as the latest Jerry Bruckheimer feature. Could the movie have been done better? Certainly. The cast is great, and the movie imperfect. But where else are you going go to see this stuff? That wave sure is big! My five stars are relative.

"The Perfect Storm" is a great example of Hollywood taking a true event that needs no embellishment or standard schmaltz to make it engaging, adding the embellishment or schmaltz anyway, and ending up with a weaker product for it.

The storm of 1991 grabbed the attention of the nation for a reason. I watched all the reports of the storm from hundreds of miles away, spellbound and horrified.

This film, which purports to put us in the center of the storm, fails to do the same. The problem is that we've been lulled into "it's a typical Hollywood movie" coma by the ridiculous speeches put into the mouths of all the actors, particularly George Clooney, who is forced to act as though being the captain of a small commercial fishing vessel isn't work, but a higher calling akin to being a priest or a brain surgeon or a kindergarten teacher. Every character gets their moment in the sun so that we'll feel their loss when it happens, and as a result, the movie takes FOREVER before we get anywhere.

Ironically, the storm is somewhat skimped on: There's a brief scene which utterly fails to explain what the storm is, how it occurred and why it's noteworthy. Instead, we get every possible disaster at sea aboard the Andrea Gail first. Of course, since no one from the ship participated in the filming of this movie -- for obvious reasons -- the fact that the whole sequence has been made up out of whole cloth makes it even less engaging.

And for all the talk of how much money was involved in creating the special effects, it all looks remarkably like a Hollywood invention, not a real ship at sea -- unless ships at sea are now lit like Hollywood sound stages.

The poor actors trapped in this film do excellent work with the too-standard material, and make the film more watchable than it ought to be. But ultimately, I found myself wanting to watch "Jaws" again, or re-read "The Old Man and the Sea," the two stories the filmmakers desperately aped and swiped from, coming up with a product that measures up to neither.

This is a renter.

Unfortunately, it doesn't stand up all that well on it's own and winds up being just a standard survival movie with some above-average CGI weather effects.

Personally I liked it, but then I was engrossed in Junger's novel. I realized that many of the things I enjoyed about the book just didn't translate that well into what ammounts to an action movie.

For example, I was fasinated at how accurately Junger was able to piece together what probably happened to the Andrea Gail in great detail, with very little physical evidence. He was also able to give a wealth of background information on the New England sword-fishing industry that was able to help you look into the minds of the Andrea Gail's crew. The novel helped you to understand why they would make the seemingly insane decision to plunge themselves into the middle of a hurricane. Unfortunately, fleshing out the motivation of the crew was something that the film failed at.

So three stars for those who hadn't read the book, but maybe three and a half stars if you had. It's a mildly entertaining movie, but I still say grab the paperback instead ...

I guess the producers of "The Perfect Storm" felt that a semi-true story about six men dying in a fishing boat disaster during a storm in the Atlantic in the Fall of 1991 wasn't enough to hold the attention of audiences. Thus, they padded the movie out with 25 unneeded minutes about the Coast Guard and an amateur who sails himself and two women right into the middle of a hurricane. It wasn't needed. As is, this is a rather ponderous and distended 130-minute film, with a tightly told and fairly moving 105-minute film inside it just screaming to get out. Someone should go back with a cutting tool and free the poor thing.

Honestly, a person would have to be braindead to sit through this film. It's an example of Hollywood throwing a ton of money and a project before anyone has an idea of how to give it a soul. The musical score is beyond irritating, it goes on and on and interfers with nearly every scene. There's no chemistry among the characters, their dialogs are phoney and relationships superficial. People in the real world don't talk or behave the way these people do, so watching it is a laughable bore. Even the much hyped special effects aren't convincing. Save your time. The plot is simply: will these tough-guy fishermen survive a ferocious storm they were dumb enough to sail into? Lots of wind and rain, folks. That's about it.

Sebastian Junger's "Perfect Storm" was one of the most gripping adventure stories I'd ever read, and I was really looking for ward to seeing the movie... and I was let down. I suppose if I hadn't read the book I wouldn't have been bothered by all the fictional material, but even so, there were just too many flaws in what could have been a great movie.

The dialogue, for one. It's just full of hackneyed cliches ("It's the money, isn't it? It's always about the money!") and forced exposition ("and you, Linda Greenlaw, the only woman swordfish boat captain in Gloucester...") that makes you wonder if they couldn't perhaps have spent some of that special effects budget on the script. Some of the casting is a bit much as well; somehow we're supposed to believe that a fishing town is full of anorextic actresses with high cheeckbones and perfect skin and hair. If the real Linda Greenlaw had Karen Allen's physique she wouldn't be able to scoop goldfish out of a tank at the local pet store, let alone hauling lobster traps over the transom of her boat.

Even so, it's a thrilling movie, with incredible drama- the rescue at sea of a party of sailors, the loss of the Coast Guard helicopter- and the scenes of swordfishing on the deck of the Andrea Gail are startlingly realistic. And at what I paid for the DVD (under 5 bucks) well worth it.

In this adapted true story, special effects are amazing especially during the time at sea. However by the end of the movie you will feel water logged. Story lines were not fully developed, or even fizzled to the side. I would suggest renting this movie because it is great as a one-time view but not good enough to purchase.

This is a great movie. George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg star in the movie as two fishermen that need to make a living. This is a very suspensful movie that takes place in Gloucster,Massachusetts. The fishermen recently come back off the sea and then learn that they must go back out on the Andria Gail ( the ship ). Little do they know...a hurricane is coming straight at them. They don't want to waist all the fish they have cought. They decide to drive through the storm. Sadly there is a 100 foot wave heading straight for them. You'll have to buy the movie to see the ending. This movie is based on a true story that actually happened in 1991 in Glouscter, Massachusetts. Fans of Mark Wahlberg and George Clooney should definetley buy this movie. ENJOY!

The Perfect Storm tells the true story about what happened when a fishing boat was caught at sea in October, 1991 in the largest storm in recorded history. This riveting story is based on a novel called The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger. Wolfgang Peterson directs, the special effects are superb, the casting is good. I cannot stress the realism of the effects, or the care and dedication that went into honoring the men of the fishing town of Gloucester, where the movie was filmed.

George Clooney stars as swordfishing boat Andrea Gail captain Billy Tine, who is leading a crew of five men in a late-season, last-ditch effort to get a good catch in what was a bad season for him. Mark Walbergh stars as his first mate Bobby Shatford, a young fisherman torn between his new love (Diane Lane) and the open sea. The incomparable John C. Reilly plays a gruff sailor. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio plays a female fishing boat captain.

The DVD has fascinating extras that lend depth to the film. Once you see the extras, you will not see the movie in the same light. The commentary with book author Junger is so riveting that I watched the whole thing in complete fascination. The depth of research Junger did for the book, the paranormal experiences of family of the crew and Junger himself, the recognition the book received, are so vivid and comprehensive, and will touch your heart. There is an HBO special preview, with comments from Clooney, Walbergh, and friends and family of the crew of the Andrea Gail. There is also commentary by Peterson, and other extras explaining the voraciousness of the Perfect Storm.

The next time you eat fish, think of those who died to catch it for you.