Hanks' Tour de Force

Rating: 6/10 (24 January 2001)

Just saw this movie a couple of hours ago. Let me get straight to the point. This movie is not good, it isn't bad either but it doesn't deserve the attention it's getting. The first part (introducing the character(s)). We meet Tom and Helen, Tom is a sleazeball yuppie who only cares about his job, Helen euh... has no character. I didn't care about either one. The second part (plain crash) this was good, but not as good as the "ALIVE" plain crash, but it had it's moments. The third part(Tom only on island part 1). This is were the problems lie. It's very very slow, it's all about the nature cinematography (if you want to see this, please rent or buy THE THIN RED LINE) it was nicely done but not perfect. Tom Hanks is a good actor, but I simply do not care if, I know he is alone on the island, I know he will make a fire, I know he will learn to break coconuts, I know he will make an imaginary friend, (all seen in the trailer), but there's NOTHING more. This trailer ruined the entire film. That's why this part is very boring. The third part (Tom on island 4 years later and escaping). This part I enjoyed, we see a man who was spend 4 years of his life alone, of course he's cracking up, wouldn't you, but this part isn't long enough, In the beginning we only see the first weeks/months of his solitude, if you really want to see character development it had to be spread out more over the years, not only the first and last month. The last part(Tom and Helen meet again) some good parts (his sleeping on the floor/his disinterrest for being wet and the towel he gets) but mainly bad parts. The dialogue with "Stan" for not being with him when his wife died, and the scenes with Helen Hunt. So what do we got : Tom Hanks' role was good (oscar-nominated worthy, not winning) and another Robert Zemeckis film I just didn't get a real good feeling about.(Forrest Gump and Death Becomes Her being the others)