It could be argued that with the recent Survivor and Survivor II craze, a movie of sorts was bound to happen, so it was with great anticipation that we waited to see what director Robert Zemeckis could conjure up. His last collaboration with Tom Hanks was the the superb Forrest Gump where Hanks really came into his own and his dramatic side took a hold of his career.

Here's one we prepared earlier

Chuck Nolan (Hanks) is a FedEx executive travelling the world extolling the virtues of his worldwide company to a Russian based warehouse. Whilst he makes it home to his girlfriend Kelly (Helen Hunt), his Christmas/New Year holiday is cut short when he is called on yet another trip. But this is one trip that is going to last four years.

A lot has been said about how realistic Zemeckis wanted this movie to be, with Hanks going on a strict diet to lose some 20 kilograms of his chubby frame during the shoot. Couple that with long months filming out in the southern Fijian islands to achieve that authentic 'been-out-in-the-sun-too-long' look and you've got a pretty convincing depiction of a man, alone, for a long time.

Hanks' portrayal is excellent as usual, if not a little over the top in some instances and without his personality and presence this movie would have really been deserted by the public. The movie itself rockets along at a decent pace for a 2 hour plus duration, but at times it did feel rushed. One can only imagine what was cut during the editing to keep the public interested. Whilst the Hanks/Zemeckis combination worked well in Forrest Gump, Cast Away felt forced and didn't reach the emotional peaks that Gump & Co produced.

The traffic outside was unbearable.

When it rains it poors. The last few titles to come across my path for review have been of exceptional quality and this one from Dreamworks/Universal is another of the best. Yes, the format still surprises me and I think the best is yet to come for some reason.

The detail within the image is almost photo quality in nature and really does give the presentation a definite film like quality. Those of you with projection screens should enjoy this transfer immensely. Shadow detail is excellent, depth of field rendering really brings the print to life and makes objects literally jump out at you. Colour saturation is top notch and our dear friend Mr Ed G Enhancement rears his head ever so slightly from his corner office.

The 5.1 mix is entertaining at the least. The opening street scenes, the plane crash and the island itself are all showcases of a very detailed sound mix. It's simplicity and subtlety is its standout characteristic though and is an excellent demonstration of what can still be achieved in this age of all things artificial.

Given this is only a rental at the moment with the fully specced 2-disc special edition due in October, we don't get any extras other than an alternative German 5.1 language track and alternative languaged menus. As a rental only it packs a punch in the DVD presentation department of a good movie. Rent now, buy later.