Review of Perfect Storm, The

Introduction

After seeing the trailers for "The Perfect Storm" at the cinema last year, I was tempted to go and see the film. I never got round to it, put picked up the DVD in a "3 for 2" offer a couple of weeks ago.

Based on real-life events, the film follows the crew of the Andrea Gail, a swordfish boat based at the port of Gloucester, Massachusetts. In 1991, three storm fronts combined to create what weathermen called "The Perfect Storm". The Andrea Gail and her crew went much further out into the Atlantic than usual, trying to bring home a good load of fish after a dismal catch the previous time out. As the crew celebrate a huge catch, the storm forms between them and the mainland, and rather than waste the catch, the crew take a gamble and decide to try to make it back instead of waiting until the weather cleared.

Video

Video comes in 2.35:1 and is of a extremely high standard throughout. All of the Warner Home Video discs that I own have excellent picture quality and this is no exception - the image is crisp, stable and sharp throughout the movie.

Visually, this is one of the most spectacular films I`ve seen - the special effects during the storm sequences are stunning - you almost feel seasick at times!

The biggest compliment to Industrial Light and Magic is that it`s practically impossible to tell the CGI sequences apart from the live action.

Audio

Like the video, the audio is superb. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix really brings the ferocity of the storm into your living room. At times, I expected water to come crashing through the window!

Full use of the available channels and frequency range are use to make the wind swirl round the room and the waves crash over your head.

Throughout all this spectacular noise, the dialogue is always clear and understandable.

Features

There are a good range of extra features available: two full-length commentaries, trailer, three documentaries, gallery, storyboards and a photo montage.

Conclusion

Overall, The Perfect Storm is enjoyable for the spectacle of the storm, and fairly dull otherwise. As with many other true stories based on the life of ordinary people - the characters just aren`t interesting enough. The other problem is that I knew what was going to happen at the end - so it was a case a waiting during the build up to the storm, enjoying the storm itself and then witnessing the inevitable climax.

Visually and sonically this disc is up with the best currently on offer with tremendous effects and superb sound. There is also a very good selection of extra features, making this disc good value for money.

You`ll enjoy this film a lot more if you don`t know anything about the story, but even if you know what is going to happen, it`s well worth viewing just to see and hear the storm.