The Perfect Storm

"For once, we have a film in which the FX guys dominate and yet, human truth and drama shine through."

"Things only really kick in once the black clouds loom."

"This movie is capable of hitting you with gale force."

"Have you ever wondered, while contemplating your laundry spinning, what it would be like to be trapped in the rinse cycle? Well, now we know."

"Perfect Storm is thrilling but can't match the terror of the book."

"A well-crafted example of a film of pure sensation..."

"Has noticeable problems with characterisation and dialogue. But once that awesome storm... gets cranked up, it's hard to remember what those difficulties were..."

"This gusty oceanic epic... has lollapalooza special effects and gripping ensemble performances. But its quotient of human drama is finally too stingy for the personal stories of a group of New England fisherman battling "the storm of the century" to hit the emotional bull's-eye."

"The Perfect Storm shook me, and the feeling lingered."

"A picture that leaves one thinking less about the fates of the characters than about how the actors had to spend most of their working days soaking wet."

"A sense of reality is essential, and it's sorely lacking."

"Not terrible, but distinctly disappointing..."

"The plot's simply one long - but hugely effective - set-piece which contains more action than all the other popcorn-crop put together, while rising above its fellow big-hitters due to some terrifying realism."