# Perfect Storm, The (2000)

### reviewed by
Berge Garabedian

    THE PERFECT STORM
    RATING: 7/10 --> Good movie

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"Money shots". I have to admit that I have always been a sucker for money shots in movie trailers. Who can forget the tidal wave scene from DEEP IMPACT a couple of years ago, or just recently, the shot of Catherine Zeta-Jones slinking under a red laser with her butt sticking up in the air for ENTRAPMENT. Money shots are those very scenes in a movie trailer that make us want to see the film in question. This year, the top money shot for me was the gigantic son-of-a-bitch wave featured for this film. What a shot! What a wave! Here's my nine dollars and change...now let's see the movie!

PLOT: Based on a true story, written about in a novel, this movie features an atmospheric anomaly known as the perfect storm and the six men who happened to get caught right in the middle of it while going out to catch some fish.

CRITIQUE: This movie starts off slow, wanders into its own at about the halfway point and gets really, really wet and wild after that! Are you one of those people who is prone to seasickness? Well, if you are, I wouldn't suggest that you see this movie, cause it really does make you feel like you're part of the ride during its second half. Boats capsizing left and right, crewmembers scrambling all over the deck, water crunching down on the little ship as it keeps pushing itself further into the monster storm from hell! This movie sure beat the crap out of my senses as it moved through the psychotic gale, but I have to admit that it all did seem a little redundant after a while. Okay, so here's yet another shot of George and Marky Mark guarding the fort at the helm of the ship. And here's even more water splashing all over them. Hmmm....okay! But don't mind my sarcasm too much, I did thoroughly enjoy the second half of this film. It was tense, it was fast, it was furious, godammit I'll say it...it was a whole barrel of monkey fun! And that's the kind of thing that I look for in a summer action popcorn presentation.

Slap together a few interesting actors with decent skills. Set up an engaging tale, and blow me away with a lot of cool effects and plenty of action. Check, check and check! I would've preferred that the sentimental crap at the beginning of the film was chopped of a wee bit. I would've preferred that the lovely Diane Lane, whom I honestly do love, remembered to brush up on her acting skills before her breakdown scenes. And I definitely would've preferred that the whole side-story about the helicopter dudes jumping into the water, was replaced by a rescue attempt by another ship, or just more focus on the Andrea Gail, but then again, I'm just a dinky audience member with a sharp opinion. Overall, I can't say that I didn't enjoy the film. It provided me with just the right amount of mindless entertainment that I needed over this hot, sticky, summer holiday weekend. I was also very glad to see the return of the money shot from the film's trailer, a shot which is definitely atop my list of most amazing things I've seen on the big screen this year. What a scene! Add William Fichtner into the mix, little screen time for Mastrantonio, and just enough character development for me to give a rat's ass about most of the crew members, and I thank Wolfgang for slapping together another decent nail-biter. Thank you, my good man...I think I'm gonna go throw up now! (but in a good way)

    Review Date: July 1, 2000
    Director: Wolfgang Petersen
    Writer: Bill Wittliff
    Producer: Wolfgang Petersen, Gail Katz and Paula Weinstein
    Actors: George Clooney as Captain Billy Tyne
    Mark Wahlberg as Bobby Shatford
    Genre: Thriller
    Year of Release: 2000
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    (c) 2000 Berge Garabedian

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