Cast Away (2000) User Reviews

Amazing performance shines through

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 22 December 2000]

Robert Zemeckis has his 4th best film here (behind Forrest Gump, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Back to the Future) with Cast Away. Sure it might be overhyped and some characters in the film aren't needed (not to mention it depends on the liking of the lead), but when you have Tom Hanks working harder than any actor in a movie this year, it is worth it.

The story follows Hanks as a dedicated fed-ex deliverer who has a fiance (Helen Hunt) and has to leave her Christmas time to go to Asia, but alas, the plane he's on crashes in the water and, dare I say more (well I can because practically everyone saw the all-revealing trailers)? Well, Hanks arrives on a deserted island and then the real fun begins as he survives in a primitive way (probably remenicent of 2001, Hanks' favorite film), and even finds a silent companion named Wilson (a volleyball). That Hanks can communicate with this volleyball, and almost make the ball as a real person with real feelings that is almost like the Silent Bob to his Jay, is one of the films triumphs. The others of course being the whole lot of him on the island and Hanks' performance. If it was someone else, it would not be as successful, but Hanks gives his all and (as usual) pulls through 5 fold delivering one of the years and his best performances. A-

Outstanding

[jspratjr3 · 10/10 · 8 March 2002]

I think this is an excellent movie..I've noticed many felt it "too long, boring, etc..." which is to be expected in today's "gimme non-stop action; I haven't been doing anything for 5 minutes, I'm bored" mentality. This was a true man vs nature movie that really made me think about what I take for granted and I found myself wondering how I would react in such a situation. Would I talk to a volleyball? you betcha...anyone who has spent any significant time alone can relate. Bought the DVD and will watch it for years too come.

The most deserving film not in the top 250

[mjcmike1 · 10/10 · 18 August 2012]

This movie is the most deserving of all movies out there that is not in the IMDb Top 250. In fact, this movie should be in the Top 100. Everything about it works, the cinematography, the locations, the acting, the story and this is Robert Zemeckis' greatest showpiece. Tom Hanks has done some bad roles over the years but this is as brilliant as any Jimmy Stewart performance captured on film. I revisit this film about once a year and find things about it that make it even better with each viewing. The story is so well written in its simplicity, and Helen Hunt and Hanks have an amazing chemistry. It is a love story with action and heartbreak like few films have been able to pull together. I guarantee you will never pass a Wilson volleyball again without a big smile!

What a fantastic film!!!

[frwjames · 10/10 · 28 July 2007]

I have never seen a more meaningful and thought-provoking film. Right from the start, I knew this was going to be a classic film, and my opinion was not changed throughout the course of the movie one bit. It delivers such a strong message of fear, survival and hope, that leaves your mind devoted to thinking about it for a long while after. It made me think about all my creature comforts, and what is actually necessary in life. Talking to a volleyball has never been more dramatic! I also loved the fact that there was little talking in the film, maybe that was because i was staying in a hotel in France with french TV, but anyway, it sort of made you guess how he was feeling, in a clever way. This is one of my all time favourite films, and I could watch it again and again without getting bored... so go and watch it...NOW!!

A wonderfully silent drama with Hanks and Wilson spiritually sensational

[Stampsfightclub · 7/10 · 12 October 2007]

At the turn of the millennium technology started to get bigger and better. Films were starting to develop in a way that was never predicted, but so did the actors. After watching Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump 1994, I thought I had seen a true drama, but that was clearly only the beginning.

Tom Hanks (Big, Forrest Gump) stars in his Oscar nominated performance as Chuck Noland, a Fed Ex executive who is stranded on an isolated island after a thunderous plane crash.

When doing background research on this film, I was surprised to see that Russell Crowe had beaten Hanks to the Oscar in 2001. As good as Crowe was in Gladiator, I personally thought Hanks made the most sensational performance of his career here. Hanks' character Noland is truly remarkable. From being a comfortable and hard working executive at home with his long time girlfriend Kelly (Helen Hunt), to being an isolated figure in different circumstances. The change in character allows Hanks to express his full acting potential and dive deep within the soul of the character. It is a true battle of human intelligence and human power that Hanks does so well to give and some scenes really got to me, it is such a powerful role and does well to rival his other Oscar wins.

The text's semiotics are remarkably significant. Having left the wreckage of the plane with only a few supplies, Noland builds himself around what he can salvage and none is more recognizable, than Wilson. A silent volleyball, which was encoded into Cast Away so Hank's could use dialogue to express his traumatic emotions.

The plot is made exciting through various scenes. The plane crash is very dramatic and beautifully directed by Zemeckis and scenes shot on the island, when Hanks is alone and wandering what to do are silent and chilling, justifying the drama genre.

The beautiful island is contradicted by the drastic situation, a truly magnificent incentive.

The ending too is wonderful as it paves the way for many possibilities

a spellbinding film

I was deeply touched

[little-bee007 · 10/10 · 22 April 2007]

******This may contain spoilers******

It's a superb,well directed and well acted movie!Well done,Hanks!!!

I'm a Hanks fan!!!I really appreciate his outstanding performance.I consider him a genius in acting.He never just acts.However,he gives life to his characters ,and makes himself exactly what they are.Forrest Gump,Saving Private Ryan,The Terminal,The Da Vinci Code,including this movie are all my favorites.I'm always deeply touched by his movies.And they often make me cry,make me think,and make me understand more about life and love.Cast Away is without exception.

I was moved by Chuck's spirits. His imagination(he names a volleyball Wilson and talks with him as a friend),his perseverance toward love,and his courage to face problems,all these enable him to survive and finally return to his homeland.

When Chuck and Kelly embraced each other in the rain, I burst out crying.They are true lovers.But,fate is cruel.His beloved fiancée,his only belief during those terrible days and nights is forever gone.His hope is disillusioned.He is standing at a life crossroads,thinking and hesitating.He has to choose a way to begin his new life.

I greatly recommend this movie.Don't feel boring,just be patient.I think movies are not only seen by eyes,but also by heart.Use your heart to feel what the characters feel.Then the more you see it,the more you'll be inspired and the more you'll find.Finally,hope you enjoy other Hanks movies!!!

Great one-man performance

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 3 January 2015]

It's 1995. Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) is a FedEx systems analyst troubleshooting around the world. He is meticulous about time in his work. He comes home to spend the Christmas holidays with his girlfriend Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt) in Memphis but he's called away. Before he leaves, he gives Kelly a box with a ring and declares "I'll be right back." His plane goes off course in the storm and crashes in the Pacific Ocean. He gets marooned on a deserted island with some of the packages washing on shore. His only companion is a volleyball he names Wilson.

This is one of the best one-man performance ever. The story itself isn't as compelling as one assumes. It is a lot of wave sounds while Tom Hanks discovers survival techniques through trial and error. Wilson is a fascinating invention. It's interesting that Robert Zemeckis doesn't insert a voice for him. It actually works very well. The movie can drag at certain places but Hanks is always a fascinating watch.

Not a film to cast away...

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 23 June 2017]

Quite the opposite. Admire both Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks, and honestly feel that 'Cast Away' is among the best work of both. It is long and the opposite of feel good, but utterly riveting, thanks to the bold risk-taking and Hanks giving a performance for the ages.

'Cast Away' has been criticised by some for having an unsatisfying ending. It is understandable as to why it is polarising, and why it is seen as inconclusive and depressing to some wanting something happy. Count me in as somebody who found the ending incredibly powerful and who cannot fail to tear up. Have been picky about endings recently and the inconclusive nature didn't bother me that much and actually appreciated that it was more downbeat rather than happy, who to me would have felt a little too on the pat side.

There are so many great things about 'Cast Away' that help make it quite a superb film. Zemeckis' direction is some of his boldest, there are some courageous risks taken like his use of camera work and done in an ingenious way and not overdone. Even better is Hanks' one for the ages almost one-man show performance, sometimes not saying much but expressing a lot in a nuanced way. He is instrumental in making the island and his resilience in struggling to survive riveting viewing and he does so phenomenally.

It is a very well made film too, beautifully and cleverly photographed, atmospherically lit and with a lovingly created island setting. They blend so well with the film's tone and with its boldness. The score avoids from being overwrought, while there is a beautifully constructed script that provokes a lot of thought and wide range of emotions. While deliberately paced, the story is an engrossing one, with a excellently harrowing plane crash and the very telling section on the island that to me didn't drag at all even with events being a little on the slight side. Plus there aren't many times when you feel so much for a volleyball, you do here.

While the other characters aren't as well written or as interesting as Hanks', it is not in a way to bring down the film in any way. Helen Hunt makes a moving impression even with limited screen time, her meeting with Hanks one of the film's most powerful moments.

In conclusion, a powerful, bold and superbly acted, directed and made film that is moving without the audience being forced or manipulated into feeling so. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Loved it

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 19 September 2021]

I saw this in the cinema and loved it. Essentially a one-man-band show from Hanks who proves himself up to the challenge with an intense physical performance. Great scenery and the addition of 'Wilson' is the icing on the cake.

Bad, pointless film

[frankcaruso47 · 3/10 · 31 December 2000]

CAST AWAY - MINI REVIEW

PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME OF MY COMMENTS MAY GIVE AWAY CERTAIN PLOT LINES OF THE FILM.

Cast Away could have been a great film -- but it turned out to be a real disappointment for me. The plane crash and the subsequent challenge of surviving on an isolated island was quite fascinating. The problem was that the relationship between the Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt characters wasn't well established. It seemed forced and rather phony. One minute Hanks' character is calling his lover from Russia, in a rather matter-of-fact tone, telling her he loves her. He barely turns off the cell-phone and he's back at his high-stress job. If only the director had given him even a few seconds to dwell on his recent conversation with someone he is supposed to be madly in love with. I just never bought the love story aspect of it, so when he returns after being stranded on a tiny, deserted island for over four years I just didn't care about her or their relationship. Far too much time had passed, both in real life, and in the movie. Having Hanks stare at tiny fading photo of her just didn't work. I think Helen Hunt is a fine actress, but her tom-boyish looks don't do much for my libido. And if the audience can't feel what the protagonist is supposed to be feeling, well -- it just doesn't work does it?

I also couldn't understand why the movie dragged on for so long after his rescue. The film would have been much better if it had ended at that point.

The scene when the freighter glided by his raft was fabulous.

There were a lot of great scenes in this movie, but they didn't lead up to anything dramatically. His relationship with Wilson, the volleyball provided the most tender moments in the film. Wilson should be nominated for best supporting actor. Sure his acting was a bit stiff at times, but it was better than the mushy acting that preceded Hank's disappearance and certainly much better than the absurd acting and dialogue we had to endure in the aftermath of his rescue.

Maybe I was expecting too much after reading all the great press.

All in all -- a real disappointment.

Definitely worth a couple viewings.

[LebowskiT1000 · 10/10 · 14 October 2002]

I'll be honest, the first time I saw this film, I wasn't too sure if I liked it. I mean, I certainly enjoyed it, but I just wasn't too sure of how I felt about the film as a whole. I must say that this film was MUCH better the second time around. And just got better with each additional viewing. I am a huge Robert Zemeckis fan, so maybe my expectations were slightly skewed at first. But, all in all, I've watched the film enough times now that I can say "I love this film!!!"

When I really stop and think about it, the film is brilliantly executed. The scenery is absolutely breath taking, the special effects are so well done that you don't even realize that there are special effects present. This seems to be a trademark of Robert Zemeckis (case and point, "Forrest Gump"). The acting is very good, although, there's only 2 real sources of acting in this film, Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt. The rest of the cast was good, but their roles were very minor. Tom Hanks pulls off another great performance, as usual. You really can feel all of his emotions while he's stuck on the island. Also, not many actors have changed their physical appearance like Tom Hanks did for this film, I truly applaud him for his work. As much as I liked Russell Crow in "Gladiator", I firmly believe that Tom Hanks deserved it more (although that would be his third Oscar). Helen Hunt also pulls off a very nice performance. There is also a good deal of comedy in the film, and it is done very well.

This is one of the few films that I strongly recommend you watch. There aren't a great many films that I would say this, but this one I would. Although...if you aren't a fan of Tom Hanks, then you might have some trouble with this film because a great deal of the film is him alone on an island. So, if that is the case, then you are off the hook. So, I hope you watch the film, and I hope that you enjoy it. Thanks for reading,

-Chris

Underrated, excellent movie

[freakerm · 8/10 · 10 March 2010]

Its such a shame that this movie would receive such bad press. The idea of just a man by himself on an island may seem boring and long-winded yet this movie isn't. It touches so many emotions, laughter, sadness, fear, tension. When released it was said to be one long advertisement for FedEx however this movie proves to be so much more than this. With a fantastic soundtrack, great storyline, great acting from Tom Hanks, this movie truly is something fantastic. Maybe a bit of a cliché, other than that the movie appears to be faultless and to find that it didn't make it onto the top 250 saddened me as the movie truly is something to be perhaps even considered a masterpiece.

A Movie That Saved Mylife

[wolfduc · 10/10 · 10 September 2021]

A week ago I completely lost every hope in this world and I set my mind to do it, for some reason and out of nowhere I remembered this movie and I had the desire to rewatch it which is quite strange. I watched this movie like 15 years ago and I barely remember anything from it anyway I started watching the movie in the worst mental state I've ever been. Throughout the movie I settled down a bit felt comfortable, some cries then and there some laughs as well and that monologue at the last quarter of the movie truly saved my life when he said "I've got to keep breathing because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?" What a brilliant movie absolutely wonderful, I hope things get better for anyone in a rough spot, take care all.

Misunderstood

[pdjudd · 8/10 · 8 April 2002]

I simply loved this film but was shocked by the bad reviews that people gave it. To this I say to them: You seriously misunderstood the meaning of it. Although I won't reveal any real details about the meaning because I think that you should try and understand it yourself. The movie was terrific and simply breathless the whole time. I felt awestruck about how the life of one man could be so changed after an experience that Hanks went through. I say that every element of the film was perfect. And for those of you who hate Wilson, you have to understand about how human he really was to Chuck. I was amazed on how well this movie was made and think that everybody should have an experience that should cause you to take stock of your life. I was so adamant to get this movie; I got it at 8:00 the day it was released. I give it an 8/10. Well done Robert

well-crafted and intriguing

[Special-K88 · 14 March 2002]

From director Robert Zemeckis comes this powerful character study of a man and his quest for survival. Hanks is a time-obsessed postal worker on a routine cargo transport. His life is forever changed after the plane crashes and he finds himself stranded all alone on an uncharted island. We're drawn into his long, arduous journey as he struggles not only to keep his sanity, but to stay alive so he can make it back to the love of his life (Hunt). A fascinating, believable, and thought-provoking portrait of a man and his fight to live, with a remarkably ideal performance from Tom Hanks, and steady, effectively leisure direction that allows viewers to accompany this resilient survivor on his emotionally wrenching journey. A small idea expanded into a one of a kind movie. ***½

A Tom Hanks vehicle with Hanksisms, Hanky writing, Hanky melodrama

[Flagrant-Baronessa · 7/10 · 16 December 2006]

Tom Hanks stars as time-obsessed FedEx executive Chuck Noland who literally lives by the clock, even when spending time with his girlfriend (Helen Hunt) during the holidays. On Christmas Eve his beeper calls him to catch a last-minute FedEx flight to Malasya for official business and he waves "I'll be right back" before he boards. Then his plane crashes in the Pacific and Chuck is indefinitely marooned on a desert island, with only a volleyball as his company.

I have huge affection for 'desert island' premises and subscribe to the thinking that whatever you do with the execution, it will still be a wonderful experience. It simply cannot go wrong. It does not go wrong in 'Cast Away' either – although I would have loved to see more exploration of the lush island jungle – in fact, its island sequences are all golden. The only problem this film has is the lachrymose final act in which Hanks fades and director Zemeckis pulls up the directing chair and starts pouring in relations-melodrama to sew things together.

Everything up until this rote lukewarm point is well-crafted with patient strokes, courtesy of the film's protagonist. Tom Hanks, who put forward the idea for the film to Forrest Gump-pal Zemeckis, is in nearly every scene and carries so much dramatic weight, effortless leading man appeal and sympathy-laden charisma that he sucks you in entirely. Initially I applied some skepticism to judging his businessman character and it was not until the vivid, epileptic plane crash sequence that he started to absorb me. As the airplane was sinking into the deep blue with Chuck trapped inside (I can't imagine anything more frightening), you knew, judging by how much you were pulling for him, that he was our hero. This is man vs. nature at its best.

Upon waking up on the beach of the stormy desert island, Chuck is faced with some of the weapons mother nature has in her arsenal: you can feel the energy being slowly drained out of him during the first couple of days as he struggles to crack coconuts, find water, build shelter, make fire, catch fish and tend to his wounds. Insanity sweeps across the shore and Hanks aptly embodies the hard-edged, blood-spilled, sweat-dripping, tear-shedding transformation of a time-driven businessman to a primitive instinct-driven maroon. It is eerily crafted with an harmonic silence and sans your dutiful MacGyveresque inventions, scaffolds or nifty tools. Here is a mere man, seen through epic aerial shots and with underlying subtitles that spell out "desperation" and "loneliness", both of which Hanks assuredly and crisply exemplifies.

So then, what is really wrong with 'Cast Away'? Nothing – aside from marginal missteps – is wrong with the cast away part, it's the ending that that is not in-tune once Zemeckis wields his clear-cut, spelled-out and moralist trademarks. I refuse to spoil anything (mostly because I remember the film having been spoiled to me long before I sat down to watch it), just rest assured you will be begging to be taken back to the exciting island.

7 out of 10

Tom Hanks or Daniel Day-Lewis

[jmclane-57815 · 9/10 · 10 October 2022]

They both have their place and there's room for both. These two actors, and I'll throw Sean Penn in there, are touched by God. It's hard to explain but when you see an actor you just know it. Feel it. My husband and I tend to gravitate toward actors rather than movies and then watch all of their work.

Tom and Daniel are truly transformational but their acting is always believable and authentic. My husband and I don't tend to get emotional at movies but Tom Hanks in Forest Gump, Philadelphia, this, etc. Seems to pull those emotional chords for us. Sean Penn did the same in Dead Man Walking. Day-Lewis did that for us in Lincoln. Touched by God.

Man VS. nature

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 18 May 2003]

This is the only movie were you actually get emotional attached to a volleyball!

The movie starts of real good. We see Hanks as a guy that is always hasted and always have to beat the clock. When he strands on the Island (after an amazingly shot plane crash) he all of the sudden has all the time of the world and the movie turns into a man VS. nature battle were both challenge each other.

The are lot's of scene's were nothing really happens and are really slow but it never gets boring! And that's the power of this film.

Hanks once again shows his talent and he definitely is my favorite actor of this moment. Zemeckis directing, Burgess cinematography and some nice special effect and make up also do good to this movie.

My only points of critic: The time on the Island is to short, it last only about 1/3 of the movie and I really wanted to see more of Hanks on the Island because those are definitely the best scene's. Another thing, the movie is maybe a bit over dramatized at some moments. But oh well...

In a way a must see.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Excellent film gave me goosebumps

[UniqueParticle · 10/10 · 28 May 2020]

Crazy that Tom Hanks didn't win the nominations that year! A captivating stranding of wonderfulness, gloriously directed by Robert Zemeckis! I like how there's a bit of comedy despite the circumstances. I love stories about unfortunate things happening where characters are stuck somewhere that deal with many things. Cast Away is legendary even many years later.

Much Ado About Nothing...

[RomyNL · 6/10 · 11 February 2001]

Before seeing the result of a new cooperation between Hanks and Zemeckis I read lots of reviews and praises about this film. My opinion is: It is the ordinary Hollywood mainstream movie targeted at the average America's audience (by the way, in Europe this movie did not score at all).

The first "let's meet our hero" part is just terrible. The worst part is about the FedEx guy's visit to Moscow. Hey, Mr. Zemeckis..it is year 2001 now, and you show Russia as it is 20 or 30 years ago. The most ridiculous thing is a lorry stuck in the middle of the Red Square (as far as know, there's no traffic there!) and Tom Hanks "the savior of under-developed Russians" paying his employees with bars of Mars and cans of Coke. Hey...this is nominee number 1 for the worst movie of the year!

Then we see Helen Hunt with another non-convincing performance this year (I think her popularity this year is a big mistake of the studios' casting). She tries (without success) to show at least some emotions towards her husband played by Hanks. But it seems like Ms. Hunt read her script just before shooting somewhere in between her other numerous movies, because her acting is not convincing at all.

Then we are supposed to be stunned by crash-scene, after which the "one-actor" show begins. I do not think that Tom Hanks is a bad actor, but his level is not high enough to carry the weight if mega-million dollars' movie alone. For sure, this part of the film contains lots of stereotypes about "a-la Robinson" situations. For almost one hour we see how Mr.Hanks learns to make a fire, to open the coconut shells, etc, etc. In fact, Discovery Channel would do this part of the movie in a better way.

Then our hero fights with the ocean, loosing his companion, Willson-ball, which was supposed to be a very touching scene. Then our hero is happily home, being saved in the middle of the ocean. His wife is already married, and here it's better to stop the movie, but the director uses the audience's patience for another half-hour, posing some moral questions (finally!) if it is good to ruin new family of his ex-wife.

Overall, the movie is boring with exception of some moments (10% of the movie or so). After leaving the theater I just felt like I left an American-style fast-food, feeling lots of food in my stomach but being unable to recall the taste of food. Same here: expensive movie longer than 2 hours with nothing to recall in couple weeks. Indeed, this year was not good for Hollywood.

one man show that delivers

[nmop-apisdn · 8/10 · 25 December 2000]

Cast Away is a movie that captures the spirit of one character facing the challenges of nature better than any Jack London story. The enormous risk in making this movie was that it relies, more than any other film I have ever seen, completely on the talent of its star, and realistically I don't see how anyone other than Tom Hanks could have made this work. And work it does; Hanks did a lot more than lose 50 pounds to make this a convincing performance - he reached the very core of the transformation from a human surviving in the information age to one that must survive on primal, animal instinct. He is so convincing that when he loses a completely inanimate object (a volleyball - his only companion throughout the mid-section of the movie), he moves the audience almost to tears. There are a few other characters in the movie, and the supporting performances are well done for what they are worth, but this is Hanks's show from start to finish. 8 out of 10 stars.

One of the Greats

[jnog · 10/10 · 28 May 2011]

I have a philosophy about people who view a movie in it's own time: Many have great difficulty in appreciating the scope of a truly great movie; for some reason true greatness is only recognized in previous generations, because of how they stand out against their peers.

In my opinion, this movie is truly one of the greatest movies of all time. The story, script, performances, cinematography, and overall production are second to none in every way. Anyone who doesn't appreciate every aspect of this movie is frankly inventing reasons not to like it, just because most people do.

If you are one of the 10 people on earth who haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and download it now. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll ask yourself 'which way does he turn?'.

One Tediously Super Long FedEx Commercial!

[mikehamilton · 5/10 · 23 February 2001]

If you must see this.....rent it....better yet, wait until it comes to HBO or Showtime and save yourself the money. It goes on and on and on for no apparent reason. If I saw the FedEx logo one more time during this ridiculous exploitation, I felt I was going to scream, or at least run from the theatre. Why should I have to pay the same price to see a tediously super long commercial as I do a quality piece of work? It just doesn't seem right. FedEx obviously subsidized the film, they should have subsidized my ticket! And P.S. - Helen Hunt Stunk in this film!

In my opinion, the best movie ever made.

[jack_orange_18 · 10/10 · 1 May 2011]

This is the movie that defines perfect. Every way I look at it, it's amazing. Now, if you don't think this movie is perfect, erase all of the thoughts you had about this movie before reading this, or else you'll probably disagree with many of the things I say.

This is my favourite film of all time. I love Tom Hanks, I love the location, I love the story, I love the camera-work, I love every aspect. I'll start off with Tom Hanks himself. Well, he sure says a lot without saying much. The emotions on his face are unbelievable realistic. Every breakdown Hank's character has seems real. He can also make the audience emotionally invested in a volleyball, now THAT'S good acting.

The camera-work is astounding. There are many shots that last much longer than the average take in a movie. At first they annoyed me, but now I love them. The pans that can take a minute long really add to the realism, and just lets you take in the situation the main character is in. The effects are pretty good too, sometimes the porta-potty sail looks kinda iffy, but for the most part it's solid. Zemeckis nailed it with how this film was put together, and the camera crew did amazing too.

The story comes off outlandish, but in the end seems realistic. I found that the chances of Noland actually surviving a plane crash and then stumbling upon an unoccupied island slim to none. But hey, at least it's not like Lost, where not only to they crash onto an island, but like 20 or so people survive. I absolutely adore the ending. It shows that the movie will take risks, and that it's willing to vary from the crowd. Some people might say this movie is depressing, but for me, it's a perfect balance. We see a whole bunch of sad and dramatic stuff, so when the happy, funny moments come around it makes them all the more enjoyable.

Finally, I will put all the stupid complaints to rest. A feature length FedEx commercial. Ya, right. Regardless if Zemeckis made a deal with FedEx or not, it makes the movie even more realistic. A real company makes it seem like it really happened or really could happen. Not to mention, why does it bug everyone so much? I didn't even notice how many times the name appears until I read someone complaining about it online. The next thing is the runtime. I'll admit, this movie is a bit long, and is not very convenient. When i saw this for the first time, it bugged me how long the events went on after Chuck is rescued, but now it makes sense to me. More story needed to be told. This wasn't just a survival movie. It's supposed to be more than that. A character study, as we look at the lengths someone will go to stay alive, and the effects that being taken away from civilization for a long time can have on a person and the people around him. And for everything else, you don't like Tom Hanks or the story, that's really just personal preference and I probably won't change your mind on that.

Well, I think Cast Away will always be my favourite movie, and for me, It's a dream come true. My favourite director and my favourite actor come together to make a masterpiece. It's Zemeckis' best movie (Forrest Gump is a close second) and Zemeckis has mastered the art of telling a good story. But, can you please stop with all those CGI movies? It was cool at first, but now it's getting old. Oh well, we've still got his early work, one of the best films ever made, and my favourite film of all time.

Cast Away 10/10

Remarkable and a story that everyone would want to hear about

[ronggur-silalahi · 9/10 · 24 September 2013]

Castaway is one of those classic movies that everyone must see. The plot is uncommon and it was very interesting. Tom Hanks played a great role as Chuck Noland. The fact that he had to face and understand the difference between life in the real world and living in an island with nobody else but a ball named Wilson, made the movie remarkable. Every second is mesmerizing and really made me wonder how scary and difficult it is if I were in Noland's position. This movie also contained love that played a main role to Noland's survival, which makes the audience to feel not as desperate to watch Noland getting lost with the power of love that brought him hope. Also the transition of time as Noland lived his different life being an outcast was really interesting. Not only by appearance, but also mental and behavior. It's a classic the everyone must watch. Tom Hanks played it really well. It also made me question his future fate as the movie goes on, telling about his journey and survival day by day. A very well done movie, it's definitely a story that everyone wants to hear about.