Cast Away : Special Edition

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.

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 two hour-plus duration, but at times it does 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 feels forced and doesn't reach the emotional peaks that Gump & Co produced.

With the rental title being available for sometime now and receiving some multiple viewings in its time, the movie begins to grow on you and the emotional aspect becomes evident in the littlest of things such as the importance of Wilson, the volleyball extra, who is there to keep Chuck sane, [Spoiler: Highlight to read]and then the simple realisation that the rest of the world has left him behind, including the love of his life.[END] With such powerful moments than can be felt by those who have also experienced a love wasted in their life, the tissues start to come out and a sense of 'living the moment' overwhelms you.

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. When you have expectations for a mammoth Lucasfilm effort in the video department in Star Wars and are let down, a gem like this comes out of nowhere and really surprises you as to what this format is capable of. Easily one of the best transfers presented to region 4 pundits to date.

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 is hardly venturing out of his corner office.

The 5.1 mix is also a very entertaining soundtrack. Whilst the review equipment on hand wasn't capable of determining the presence of a Dolby Digital 5.1 EX soundtrack, the audio present was more than enough to make you think there was or there should be.

The opening street scenes in Moscow render the ambience of the Red Square beautifully with activity in all directions as the camera does a circular pan from time to time. The plane crash scene is a soundtrack to behold and throws you dead smack in the center of the chaos and mayhem as she goes down. The island itself is a showcase of natures elements at its finest. 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.

Universal has seen fit to include almost ALL the extras on this sell-through special edition disc that they included in the US release which is exactly what we want from a local distributor. As mentioned earlier, the only thing of note that is missing is the dts ES 6.1 soundtrack to really make your system rattle and hum.

Disc one is a bare minimum disc containing the movie and an audio commentary featuring director Robert Zemeckis and crew in a non screen specific commentary made up of semi interview pieces that detail key aspects of the movie. Zemeckis has priority here and provides a wealth of information for even the casual observer.

Disc Two really shines as a bonus disc with an extensive collection of extras. First up is a Making of (27:39) that is more a visual commentary as heard on the first disc with a focus on the 3 main sections of the movie, the cold in Moscow, the Island and then back home in a soundstage. it's amazing the amount of work that goes into such a production and the following documentaries expand on this feature even further.

4 Documentaries take the details about the creation of this movie even further beginning with an Interview with Tom Hanks (47:34). This almost hour long interview is a fascinating insight into how hanks got into the role, the ordeals he had to face, the weight loss, the mental mind job he had to convey and more. The only issue with the full-frame presentation, as is will all the footage on this disc, is that the image is very red, as if someone fiddle with the color balance and left the transfer for dead. Icky.

Documentary 1 - S.T.O.P. Surviving as a Cast Away (27:01) is a focus on the possibility of someone becoming a cast away and what they're going to end up gowing through physically and emotionally and probably even spiritually. Documentary 2 - Wilson: The Life & Death of a Hollywood Extra (13:13) takes a light hearted look at the friend Chuck creates for himself to keep him company on the island. Lastly, in this batch of docos, is On Location: The Island (13:57) which, obviously, focuses on the island itself, how it was found when scouting, the dangers and perils of shooting on it, it's beauty and more. A fascinating look at one of the uninhabited islands of Fiji.

One of the more special features on this disc, and probably the most interesting of extras that any disc could include is a feature on Focusing on Technical effects (8:17). This is where you can marvel at just how good the special effects wizards of today are where they can transform and back lot car park into the pinacle of a mountain on an island and turn a daytime sea shot into a night time shot with a curious whale making it's presence felt. The various scenes looked at here are The Plane Crash, The Island Revealed, Climbing the Mountain Top, The Wind Changes Direction on the Island, The Raft Goes Over a Bg Wave, The Whale. A must view for anyone even remotely interested in special effects work. Some of the stuff here may seem over the top in terms of the simplicity they are trying to achieve but it's worth it in the end.

The last collection of extras to help complete the collection are the Video & Stills. A quick gallery montage of Behind the Scenes images accompanied by the excellent Alan Silvestri score aswell as Storyboards to Film comparisons, Production drawings and Conceptual Artwork (raft, fishing, whales), all of which feature the similar montage effect with the storyboards taking up most of the screen with a Picture-in-Picture of the final footage in the bottom right.

Finally, Theatrical Trailer 1 & 2 are included with the latter being a spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet. Of note is the missing easter egg whereby Zemeckis explains what was in the Fedex box that Chuck decided not to open.

Not the greatest film ever made and probably a good indication of it's merits with Hanks getting his 4th nomination for best actor but not winning, Cast Away is a very good story of hope 'not' lost in the most lonliest of places. Hanks puts in performance befitting the character and this collection of extras and transfer are befitting of a special edition title.

A must for collectors.