Cast Away

A classic tale of Robinson Crusoe, brought to life in a captivating spectacle, with the main highlight of this Zemeckis film being the performances. The story itself isn't particularly innovative, it's just sometimes well-spiced - like with the toothache, for example. It’s one of those films where I felt it could have ended about twenty or thirty minutes earlier, but no, they had to tack on another three endings. (13/10/2016)

I don't need to go on and on about what an amazing actor Tom Hanks is, because we all know that already. What I should mention in my review, though, is that Hanks' performance is what makes Cast Away such a compelling, moving and thought-provoking adventure that I enjoy on each subsequent viewing as intensely as on the first... (12/10/2012)

I totally agree with Tosim that we should realise what is and what is not important. Of course, the problem is that Zemeckis could have used the contrast “necessary for life vs. consumer life" to a much greater extent, but he did it in only a few scenes (Hanks at the table with crabs and a lighter). Instead, in the final quarter, he showered us with an emotional avalanche that may have made some cry, but annoyed the hell out of me. It's a pity, such an attractive premise could have been used much better, and the splendidly skinny Hanks with his gorgeous beard would have deserved it. (08/05/2003)

A little bit of an overdone film. Tom Hanks is excellent, and his Robinsonade is pretty well sketched, but the script slid across the surface, and the highlight of his skid is a terrible and over-complicated ending that clearly shows how much Zemeckis didn't know what to do with Chuck Noland's character. His whole story eventually drowns in horrible phrases and stretched melodramatic schemes, which is really unfortunate. Especially since Hanks is persuasive and apt... The little that the script allows him to show from Noland's insides is demonstrated with passion and great suggestion. But he can't pull off an entire film that's so down-to-earth and literal that it got on my nerves towards the end. It’s too bad, because the theme and some partial technical categories (camera, design) are promising... But the result is unnecessarily sweeping, pathetic and overdone. Yet, thanks to Hanks, quite convincing. (02/02/2005)

Unlike the others, I needed this ending exactly. Without those final minutes, Chuck's adventures would have lacked the emotions and empty journeys back and forth (whether literal or metaphorical) that I've already seen enough of. Zemeckis truly knows how to skillfully create these gentle yet believable moods. (27/05/2006)