This movie will leave you wondering why...

Rating: Null/10 (14 December 2000)

As always, Tom Hanks gives us a wonderful performance. It's really easy to enjoy spending time with him alone on an island talking to a volley ball, but I don't know what they were thinking with the book ends they stuck on the movie.
I guess it comes back to my lack of enthusiasm for Helen Hunt (she plays Hanks' love interest in the movie)... or maybe just that things happen kind of fast. First we're in Russia and we see that Hanks is an enthusiastic Fedex employee. Then he's home for Christmas, then he's on a plane, then he crashes, then it's four years later, he escapes the island and next thing you know he's sitting on a plane going home to Memphis. And what's the point of making him grow that awesome beard when he shaves it off as soon as he gets back to the motherland?
I will say however that it's a good movie in that you barely notice that it lasts 2 1/2 hours, but it could have been so much better (I know it's easy to criticize, but keep in mind that I always extend props to those who work on features. It's a lot of work and they do it well). And please, stop casting Helen Hunt, she really ruins movies for me.