Production Year: 2000 - Drama - Director: Robert Zemeckis - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Helen Hunt, Christopher Noth, Nick Searcy, Geoffrey Blake, David Allen Brooks, Nan Martin, Tom Hanks more
Tom Hanks is Chuck Noland, a man in a hurry. His job for Federal Express has him traveling the world on a moment's notice, exhorting the company's employees to speed things... more
Cast Away [DVD] [2001]
Cast Awayreunites star Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis in their first collaboration ... more
since the heavy-handed sentimentality ofForrest Gump. Thankfully, this time their film's life-affirming message is delivered with more subtlety, attributable bot...
since the heavy-handed sentimentality ofForrest Gump. Thankfully, this time their film's life-affirming message is delivered with more subtlety, attributable bot...
Cast Away [DVD] [2001]
Cast Awayreunites star Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis in their first collaboration ... more
since the heavy-handed sentimentality ofForrest Gump. Thankfully, this time their film's life-affirming message is delivered with more subtlety, attributable bot...
since the heavy-handed sentimentality ofForrest Gump. Thankfully, this time their film's life-affirming message is delivered with more subtlety, attributable bot...
Cast Away (2 Discs) DVD
Tom Hanks is Chuck Noland a man in a hurry. His job for Federal Express has him traveling ... more
the world on a moments notice exhorting the company's employees to speed things up--"never turn your back on the clock." When he's suddenly called away for busi...
the world on a moments notice exhorting the company's employees to speed things up--"never turn your back on the clock." When he's suddenly called away for busi...
Cast Away
Tom Hanks gives one of the towering screen performances of all time, in this inspiring ... more
tale about survival of the human spirit. Tom Hanks stars as Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems engineer whose ruled-by-the-clock existence abruptly ends when a harrowing plane crash leaves him isolated on a remote island. As Chuck struggles to meet the basic needs of survival, he discovers that his true personal journey, has only just begun...
Cast Away
Discover the unforgettable journey of hope, courage and survival.Tom Hanks as Chuck ... more
Noland, a FedEx systems engineer whose ruled-by-the-clock existence abruptly ends when a harrowing plane crash leaves him isolated on a remote island. As Chuck struggles to survive, he finds that his own personal journey has only just begun...
Cast Away Movie Poster
Original UK Mini Quad; Rolled Poster; Poster Condition: New; Size: 16 x 12 inches approx. ... more
All our items are despatched from the United Kingdom. Starring - Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Nick Searcy, Michael Forest, Viveka Davis, Christopher Noth We offer *** WORLDWIDE *** Delivery!, Manufacturer: MoviePostersDirect
Cast Away Movie Poster
Reprint Movie Poster; Rolled Poster; Poster Condition: New; Size: 27 x 39 inches approx. ... more
All our items are despatched from the United Kingdom. Starring - Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Nick Searcy, Michael Forest, Viveka Davis, Christopher Noth We offer *** WORLDWIDE *** Delivery!, Manufacturer: MoviePostersDirect
Allow up to 14 Days for delivery as item is manufactured to order. Your poster is professionally mounted on a High Quality Canvas resulting in a fine piece of Art for your enjoyment. A modern and popular alternative to framing a poster which also makes an ideal gift. Process is irreversible please see our help information for further details., Manufacturer: MoviePostersDirect
Production Year: 1945 - Drama - Director: David Lean - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey, Cyril Raymond
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
A review by IzzyS on Cast Away (DVD) February 3rd, 2008
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Liked it
Story
Satisfactory
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Standard
How does it compare to similar films?
Good
Advantages:
Good performance from Hanks, emotive, might make you think
Disadvantages:
The ending (a bit too over the top perhaps), the story is hardly unique, a bit unbelievable
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
- Introduction -
I had heard of Castaway when it first came out and being that I had already seen and quite enjoyed other movies the main actor, Tom Hanks, has done (such as Big (a great movie!), Forrest Gump and The Terminal), I thought it would be worth seeing. I hadn't got around to seeing it before, so when I spotted that it was going to be shown late at night on TV (not that its an adult movie, it isn't really, its rated 12), even better on the BBC (no annoying ad breaks!), I knew I had to record it to watch later. I decided to watch it last night and found it to be pretty good, all in all.
- Main Credits (non-actors, which are mentioned further on in the review) - Source:- IMDB (see:- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162222/fullcredits)
Director - Robert Zemeckis Writer - William Broyles Jr. Producers - Tom Hanks, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis Associate Producers - Steven J. Boyd, Cherylanne Martin Executive Producer - Joan Bradshaw Cinematography (director of photography) - Don Burgess
- Story (incl. main acting cast) -
Cast Away stars Tom Hanks as Fed Ex employee Chuck Noland, who lives a very hectic and stressful life, travelling around the globe, delivering packages.
That is until one day, when his flight encounters problems, entering a storm that quickly turns nasty and results in the plane crashing into the ocean below.
Chuck manages to survive, remarkably with only very minor injuries all things considered and climbs aboard an empty rescue dinghy which floats through the wreckage (handy, eh?) as he struggles to stay afloat. With the storm still going strong, he stays in the dinghy and the next thing we know, he's waking up the next day to find himself having been washed up onto the beach of a deserted island, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
Will he manage to find enough on the island to survive on? can he find help? what will become of him? you'll have to watch the movie to find out, of course.
- Genre/Themes etc. -
This is a slow drama, I would call it. It isn't too fast paced but it still kept me interested enough to keep watching and there is the odd dramatic scene to add to the story.
I'm not sure about themes really but the message behind it is clearly one about thinking what really matters and about thinking about your busy workload and lifestyle. Things could be worse, you could be stuck starving on a desert island!
- Thoughts/Opinions/Extra Information -
It was kind of interesting to see the ways that Chuck adapted to his new environment.
For instance, learning the best way to open fallen coconuts so that he gets all the moisture and liquid available from them.
It is quite clever, how he manages to make the most of the little he has, like some Fed Ex packages that drift onto shore, he finds a use for most of the items they hold.
The sheer frustration has has is clear, as is understandable, I mean just imagine the thoughts he must have, not knowing if he'd ever be found. Can you imagine what you'd do, if you were in that situation?
Its hard not to wince at times too, he gets his share of pain through certain situations, which of course adds to his frustration.
As the movie goes on and of course time passes by, he becomes more vocal and makes a face out of one of the items he found in one of the Fed Ex packages - a volleyball, which he names Wilson and starts talking to more and more, as if it were human. The lack of human contact clearly affects him, as it would affect anyone, I imagine.
Alot of the emotions are only evident from his facial expressions and later on from his frustrated and sometimes hopeful outcries and dialogue/banter with Wilson (the volleyball).
Its not hard to feel sorry for the guy in this situation (although at the start of the movie, he is portrayed more as a bit of a jerk, bossing people about and complaining when he doesn't get to where he's supposed to be quite in time) and it is intriguing, like I say, to see how he copes and adapts to whats available to him.
Seeing how he changes as time passes by is also quite sad or depressing in one sense but in another it indicates some real strength and will I guess. I wonder how long it would be possible to last in such a situation? he clearly misses his wife, having a framed photo of her that takes pride of place among his belongings. As time passes by, he realises what a large area there is for any search party to cover and his hope of being found diminishes but of course, you have to see the movie to find out if he is rescued eventually or not.
The sort of friendship that evolves between Chuck and Wilson is kind of intriguing. I guess some would say that it marks the start of his mental well being deteriorating, he certainly converses with 'Wilson' as if it were a fellow human, initially painting a face on it as I mentioned previously, to even more humanise it.
Tom Hanks does pretty well in portraying the character of Chuck, certainly, as I say, you can see the emotions, the frustation and fear, on his face.
I guess the message behind it is to do with taking a step back from our busy workload and lifestyle and to think about the basics, hey at least we have food, drink, shelter and human company, well, most of us do anyway, right?
While this might sound like a fairly boring movie, there is the ocassional dramatic scene, not including the plane crash, though its also fair to say that they are a bit few and far between.
There is the odd squeamish moment, I would warn, if you don't like blood, just be aware, its only the occasional but it made me look away, I'm not good with that sort of thing I'll admit!
The way the story plays out and the character of Chuck is shown, I felt it intrigued, certainly me anyway, to watch on and find out what became of him.
The film does a good job of making you see quite how isolated he is too, with the vastness of the ocean surrounding him.
I thought, given the ending as well, that this is a movie that feels like it is trying to give a message to its viewers, about making us think about our hectic lifes and whats really important. This may put some off I suppose, I wouldn't say thats overly preachy really, its more at the very end that this is really brought home, you could say.
I thought that this was a good movie worth watching on TV or renting but probably not particularly worth paying much to get on DVD. There are more exciting, funnier and more original movies out there of course but for what it is, its been made pretty well (if that makes sense(?)), so I'll be nice and give it a 4 star rating. The main downside I felt was at the ending, which I felt was a bit over the top and too 'Hollywood-ised', which I did feel in a sense let it down somewhat, so I'd say that really overall, this is a good movie but by no means the best around. Good but not great.
- Certificate -
Cast Away is rated 12 in the UK. This is due to some dramatic scenes, which may scare or disturb young children and due to some disturbing images, which are mainly of wounds inflicted on Chuck. As I mentioned under thoughts and opinions above, if you don't like the sight of blood you'll have to look away a few times but its not something thats present so much it should overly put you off watching the movie, its only present in a few scenes every now and then and it adds to the realism of the movie. I don't remember there being much strong language or any real violence as such, there's also no sex scenes or any drug references either, so its pretty sfae for teens to watch. They may find it a bit slow though, it isn't a particularly fast paced movie.
- Official Website -
Cast Away doesn't have an official site now, so again I'll re-direct you to IMDBs entry for the movie, where you can find the usual sorts of things (trailers and videos, trivia, memorable quotes and other user reviews etc.). Here's the link:- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162222/
- Conclusions -
This is a good movie to watch, especially for Tom Hanks fans, I thought he did quite well in this, as you'd expect of such an actor. Also having the name Robert Zemeckis as director should also make you expect that this is a decent, quality movie, which it is, pretty much, though like I say, it isn't without any negatives and is hardly the best movie around (which would be difficult, considering how many movies exist of course!).
The story is interesting enough but without the character of Chuck being so well played out, it would be very average or/and even very boring. As it is, its worth seeing, its good for what it is, so to speak.
Worth renting if your interested, or taping/watching if its shown on TV again, this is a pretty well made movie of whats now becoming perhaps a somewhat over-used story (given the TV show Lost of course and other similar shows and movies, though it is probably worth saying that this movie dates from 2000, so before the TV show Lost started).
I hope you found my review useful in deciding whether to watch this movie, I hope it doesn't seem too rushed, I've thought of something else (an album) I want to do a thorough review of and am trying to get through this one to start to work on that, so expect another review from me possibly this evening or tonight at the earliest or otherwise possibly tomorrow or later this week (depends how long it takes for me to put all my thoughts down and decide what I want to say and so on, so I can't be sure how long it'll take. I'm becoming a bit obsessed with reviews I know, I just really enjoy the comments and messages I get so again thank you everyone for those!).
Advantages: Thought provoking Disadvantages: long and slow
...The directing in Cast Away is very good, the pace is very slow to reflect the life on a desert island. The only problem being too slow at times. Overall Opinion *************** The acting is good and this is a must see for Tom Hanks fans. I can understand why this did not receive rave reviews from everybody, there are a few dull moments. However, you do get drawn in to Nolands fight to survive. When he starts talking to the volley ball you can almost ... ...the film is long, perhaps a little too long owing to the nature of the pace. Definitely not for action fans this is a film that really is meant for video and it will be available to buy on 29th October this year. Personally, I would just rent it out as there is not much that would entice you back for a second viewing. Why suitable for video? Because once again I must emphasise it is long and it is slow. You will need a few tea breaks and leg stretches ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Excellent Performance, Appreciate the Small things in life Disadvantages: A little too slow, but not a major problem
...to watch, with interview with cast and crew and behind the scenes footage of them making the movie.
Surival Guide: Suvival Expert teach the screenwrites about many different way to survive on a deserted island. This is extremely interesting, and would help out alot, in the unlikely event that it happened to you.
Special Effects: This explains about the many special effect used in the film, although while watching you don't even notice that it uses ... ...also interviews with Tom Hanks, and the usual Special Features such as trailers and story boards.
This disk adds extra to the film and makes you appreciate it much more, which is a very good thing so it deserves 4 out of 5 also.
(Also Posted on dooyoo) ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: A good film with good acting Disadvantages: none
...*Surviving as a cast away. This is a documentary, on how things would happen in the film, and why. *Wilson the life and death of a Hollywood star. This is all about the ball, that Chuck called Wilson, which turned out to be his only companion on the island. Why it was put in the film. *On Location. This shows the island, the location and the people that owned the island. Permission had to be requested to film on the island, as no people had ever ... ...*Storyboard comparison. How the film compares to the storyboard. *Trailers. These are the ones shown to promote the film. The running of this film is 2 hours and 18 minutes. My opinon.
I was really happy, when my girlfriend bought this film for me, for Christmas. I had seen it once before, but really wanted my own copy. Like I said to start iwth, it is nicely priced at £19.99 for two discs. I believe this to be great value. I wouldn't have minded ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Tom Hanks and Wilson Disadvantages: maybe a little long
...make the film so engrossing. Cast Away is a very powerful film which shows man's dependencies on modern life but when these things are removed his natural survival instinct is shown.
The star of Cast Away is Tom Hanks (Philadelphia) who puts in a virtuoso performance as Chuck Noland, the man stranded on the remote island. Hanks lost an amazing fifty pounds during the filming of Cast Away to make his appearance after 4 years more realistic. The film ... ...ball.
The real supporting cast only appear in the opening and closing scenes of the film and includes the likes of Helen Hunt (What Women Want) and Nick Searcy (Runaway Jury). Although they don't appear on screen for long, the performances from the supporting cast are very good and help to create the character of Chuck both before and after being stranded.
The film is directed by Robert Zemeckis who also worked with Hanks on Forrest Gump. It seems ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Hanks does his best; some interesting moments Disadvantages: Basically it's boring; very cheesy - especially the end!
I'm sure you don't need to be told the 'jist' of this latest vehicle for Hollywood's most expensive actor, Tom Hanks, but here it is anyway. No need to worry, though, as there's not much to tell.
Hanks plays determined FedEx extraordinaire Chuck Noland - a man obsessed with getting those little white boxes delivered on time; a man who's not afraid, we discover, to bend the rules if it means he meets a deadline, but a man, above all, with a heart ... ...gasps. And wow - what a predictably cheesy beginning to the film.
Anyway, having just got back from a posting in Russia, and home to his soon-wife-to-be for Christmas, he's whisked away again by the evil FedEx Corporation - nothing (not even Christmas) will come between them and the delivery of those boxes. "I'll be right back", he says as he trudges off towards the waiting plane.
Of course, the plane crashes (which is one of the few exciting scenes ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: brilliant acting, great special effects, tonnes of special features, cheap Disadvantages: feels as if special effects are prioty over acting, storyline wasn't as good
...available on CD - you can pick this up for just short of £10 from Play.com. Jerry Goldsmith composed the soundtrack for the first Mummy film, and fans say that the music in The Mummy was some of his best work. The same story is happening here, just with another composer! The music this time was composed by Alan Silvestri after Goldsmith turned the offer down to write music for the new hit film. He has a different approach to Goldsmith, but with 70minutes worth of amazing tracks to keep up with the pace of the fast, action-packed movie Silvestri did incredibly well, and his fans say it's some of his best work along with music for CastAway and The Mexican.
- DVD Features -
The DVD of The Mummy Returns is a two disc blinder. It's packed full of features, including a DVD-ROM. The below features are all pretty self-explanotory so I won't bore...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: None Disadvantages: Far to many to list.
...reality he is a bungling fool easily overpowered and never gets the upper hand.
As I finished watching Red Eye a sentence rang throughout my head "I'll never get that time back!" Even a ninety minute nap would have been more appreciated and certainly more rewarding.
Special Features
Audio Commentary consists of Craven and some other emotionally devoid gimps chatting about production values, costs etc. Its very bland and very boring, made worse by Craven's constant "I thought this would be a really menacing idea" and similar statements. If you find yourself listening to this after the state of the film I think you need to reassess you life.
"Making Of" Featurette is the best part of the DVD. Some nice candid images of the cast working away on set. Some brief interviews of the cast telling you how happy they are to be working...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Good comedy with loads of laughs involving pain Disadvantages: Bit of a predictable outcome
...liners too.
The Director/Writer
Dawson Marshall Thurber - New to this sort of thing he appears to have done a good job in getting the cast to give their all in this movie. In the feature, hidden away in the language section of the extras on this dvd, its difficult to tell whether or not the cast are joking as they describe how difficult he was to work with and how they will never do it again.
The Cast and their Characters
Vince Vaughn plays Peter La Fleur who runs the run down gym which is in big financial trouble but has a bunch of what can only be described as strange but loyal supporters who refuse to see it close down. He truly cares about them but finds it hard to see a way out. Has a bit of a thing for the bank lady who is working to see him close and gradually works his charm on her.
Vince Vaughn, I feel, is a master...
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Studio(s): DREAMWORKS HOME ENTERTAINMENT; UNIVERSAL MUSIC OPERATIONS, DREAMWORKS HOME ENTERTAINMENT; PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT, PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Tom Hanks is Chuck Noland, a man in a hurry. His job for Federal Express has him traveling the world on a moment's notice, exhorting the company's employees to speed things up--"never turn your back on the clock." When he's suddenly called away for business on Christmas night, his tolerant longtime girlfriend Kelly (Helen Hunt) drives him to the airport. They have their Christmas in the car--and Chuck plunks an engagement ring into her lap right before he gets on the plane, telling her, "I'll be right back." But an unexpected storm cuts the plane's crew off from radio contact and blows them off course. Chuck is the sole survivor of the resulting crash, and washes up on a completely deserted island. Stranded there, he must give up everything that he once took for granted and learn how to survive all alone in the wilderness. From director Robert Zemeckis, CAST AWAY is a beautifully filmed story of adventure and discovery surrounding one man's will to stay alive.
Technical information
Special Features: Making-of CAST AWAY: HBO - FIRST LOOK, Interview - Tom Hanks on THE CHARLIE ROSE SHOW, Documentary - 1. S.T.O.P.: SURVIVING AS A CASTAWAY, 2. WILSON: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A HOLLYWOOD EXTRA, Featurette - 1. On Location: The Island, 2. Focus on Technical Effects, Audio Commentary - 1. Robert Zemeckis - Director & Crew, Trailers, Film-to-Storyboard Comparison, Scene Selection, Interactive Menus, Conceptual Art
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English German
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Professional reviews
Review: "...Interwoven with timely observations about the centerless chaos of life in the modern world....Compelling..." (Box Office, p.66, 01/02/2001)
"...Zemeckis does an excellent job of finding visual means to express Chuck's isolation and thought process. Technically, the film is a marvel..." (Hollywood Reporter, p.12-98, 08/12/2000)
"...Compelling..." (Sight and Sound, p.38, 01/02/2001)
"...A brave move for the helmer....[Hanks] conveys the isolation of his character with little dialogue and just a hint of madness..." (Total Film, p.80, 01/02/2001)
"...A bravura solo spin....Thanks to Hanks' abilities, [a volleyball] actually seems to emote..." -- 3.5 out 4 stars (USA Today, p.1D, 18/12/2000)
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Listed on Ciao since : 19/02/2006
Product details
Plot: Chuck Noland, a executive for Federal Express, survives a plane crash which kills all of his fellow passengers and crew. He is washed ashore a deserted island where he must learn to fend for himself or perish. Only the thought of his girlfriend, Kelly, keeps his hopes alive.
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25.08.2008
