PERFECT STORM, THE
Released: June 30, 2000
In the Fall of 1991, the Andrea Gail left Gloucester, Mass. and headed for the fishing grounds of the North Atlantic. Two weeks later, an event took place that had never occurred in recorded history. Wolfgang Petersen, known for his other boat movie "Das Boot", uses all the latest special effects and huge water tanks to create a beautiful looking movie completely devoid of any emotional content. Sure, there is implied emotion but it's all insincere and generic, thrown at us like as if we care about the characters. Plenty of decent actors had their talent wasted in this, including headliners George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg plus Diane Lane, William Fichtner, John C. Reilly, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Ironside and a criminally underused actress named Karen Allen (from "Animal House"). Director Petersen churns out forgetable Hollywood pap these days. Too bad this wasn't more like "Das Boot"; instead we're essentially given das poo.
129 Minutes
Warner Bros.