Having given us his preposterous What Lies Beneath, Robert Zemeckis has followed it up with a giant two hour, twenty minute advertisement for FedEx. No seriously!! Tom Hanks plays a driven, work-obsessed systems engineer for FedEx called Chuck Nolan, helping them to expand triumphantly around the globe. We see him first motivating the local hirelings in the Moscow branch - a picture of Lenin is being unscrewed from a wall in one shot – harassing them with the ethos of the dynamic, beat-the-clock service economy. Then his FedEx plane crashes and he's stranded on a desert island for four years with nothing to do but grow a very big and unattractive beard. The FedEx packages washed ashore help our Tom to survive - and even, finally, to find love.
What happens when you are stranded alone, forced to survive in the wild? In real life, you grow skeletally thin, and become deeply traumatised by the solitude, unable to communicate properly for months afterwards and in dire need of therapy. None of this applies to cheerfully robust Tom! (Chuck) Even after four years, he's got a right old gut on him. Castaway or no castaway, Mr Hanks has clearly been visiting the location catering van three times a day during principal photography.
Zemeckis's film is blithely uninterested in any of the serious personal or social implications of becoming a modern Crusoe. Chuck Nolan comes out of it the regular guy he was when he went in although does seem to finally realise that there is more to life than Fed-Ex!
However…… Despite the very boring and not very well though out storyline (sorry to keep on about it, but I was very disappointed!) Tom Hanks does, as usual, act out the part with wonderful and professional enthusiasm and any of his fans will be thoughroughly pleased with his performance, and even if it is not as emotional as ‘Forrest Gump’ or ‘The Green Mile’ I’m sure it will set many peoples tear ducts flowing.
Overall this film is a great one for the youngsters and family viewers, but if you were looking for an in depth plot, breathtaking cinematography and a film to keep you wanting more you may as well give up now. Like I have said, it’s not all bad – just most of it.
I would love to hear any feedback from you regarding this or any other of my comments posted through my e-mail, both positive and negative comments are welcome and much appreciated (though offensive material just doesn’t help anyone so please keep them to yourself) . Thankyou.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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
Production Year: 1999 - Drama - Director: Dick Maas - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: William Hurt, Jennifer Tilly, Denis Leary, Michael Chiklis, Francesca Brown
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...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
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 struggle...
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...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
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...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
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
![Cast Away [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/80615837.jpg "Cast Away [DVD] [2001]")
Feb 5th, 2001
(Feb 7th, 2001)
very helpful by (83%):
helpful by (17%):
![Cast Away (2 Disc Set) [DVD] [2001]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78548822.jpg)
