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01/26/06
White Squall (1996)
62
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:29
Fresh:18
Rotten:11
Average Rating:5.8/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 8 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: Eclectic director Ridley Scott here tries his hand at a coming-of-age tale, which stars Jeff Bridges as ship captain Christopher Sheldon. Based on a true story, the film is set in 1960 as a group... [More]
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Scott Wolf, Balthazar Getty, Caroline Goodall
Director: Ridley Scott
Reviews for White Squall
Top CriticNo review available.
12/05/03
Dead Poets Society goes to the high seas in this overly ambitious tale of 13 young men aboard a floating prep school vessel. Their rite of passage is the core element in this all-spit and no-polish production.
05/14/03
This film offers just about everything, including a twenty-minute white-knuckle sequence and a chance to shed a few tears. In short, it's first-rate entertainment.
01/01/00
Daring and dramatic film about the passage of a group of young boys who come of age during their adventures at sea.
08/22/02
I enjoyed the movie for the sheer physical exuberance of its adventure.
01/01/00
Top CriticThe script is slow and tired. We've seen it all before, and the change of setting has little impact.
01/01/00
The movie's a shipload of coming-of-age blather, supplemented with enough rolling-sea footage to make the audience yearn for both Dramamine and a decent drowning scene.
01/01/00
If the focus had been on the characters' experiences instead of the white squall, much more of the movie would have made a lasting impression.
06/05/02
Despite great scenery, the distinctive visual ideas of Mr. Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) and the strong dramatic presence of Mr. Bridges, most of White Squall remains listless and tame.
05/20/03
Top CriticThe 20 or so minutes we spend with the Albatross in the squall is high adventure, to be sure. Everything else is ballast.
02/13/01
Top CriticThe heavy-handedness of these final scenes will probably ruin the movie for some people, while others will enjoy its earnestness and energy. Count me among the latter group.
01/01/00
Director Ridley Scott, who more than anyone else founded post-1960s visceral filmmaking, is at the top of his form in White Squall.
01/01/00
While the denouement is basically another bummer of a letdown, you'll still be coming off that adrenaline rush from the 'squall' scenes.
01/01/00
This picture has nothing original to say, and the acting is way below par. Imagine making a show about kids and then not putting in a single kid (or adult for that matter) that you care about.
01/01/00
This is a very solid film with strong acting performances to boost it, excellent photography and a good soundtrack.
03/16/03
The storm sequence is worth the wait, as scary and dramatically filmed as any ocean disaster you've seen in the movies, but the tribunal that follows is so muddled as to end the film in a great big anti-climax.
01/01/00
The visuals throughout the movie are exhilarating, and the squall scene in particular is pulled off spectacularly (if a bit chaotically). The scene is so powerful, it almost washes away the taint of familiarity...almost.
01/01/00
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04/25/03
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