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07/07/00- Updated 07:04 PM ET |
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![]() 'Storm' fails to find its anchorBy Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAY
So much water. Such a dramatic washout. And on paper, the story of the mother of all nor'easters, a freak weather event that swept through the North Atlantic in fall 1991, and its effect on the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing boat based in Gloucester, Mass., made for a great drenched-in-details read. But with a half-baited emotional hook, the movie version doesn't translate into such a great watch.
At least when Storm sets sail and the hurricane-force digital effects kick in, it manages to suck us into the life-or-death action. Seeing a highly paid Hollywood actor (or even a double) bob in and out of the churning surf like a crazed yo-yo in a walloping downpour sure beats a carnival dunking booth. But on land, Storm summons a less authentically briny atmosphere than the average Popeye the Sailor cartoon. And, oh, the soggy, cardboard-thin clichés that pass for characters. Before we cast off, we must meet our all-too-familiar cast, a domestically challenged bunch of scruffy wharf rats who hang out at the Crow's Nest saloon between fishing trips. They smoke, drink, fight and have sex (if they are lucky). They are either divorced or single. They care about catching fish and getting paid. There's no-nonsense captain Billy Tyne (George Clooney, fashionably attired for a
soaking but no more believable as a fearless leader than Gilligan). He flirts with a
fellow captain (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, who shouts a mean "Mayday!") and
makes manly declarations ("I always find the fish!"). And he is bent on turning
around a recent streak of low hauls. (Requires: Real Player.) Having trouble? Click here. | ||||||
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