White Squall (1996)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

You might pick this movie up expecting just a "disaster at sea" type movie, but there is more to it. Yes, it does feature the title sea storm and ship disaster, but it also features a good story and character study leading up towards it. Jeff Bridges stars as a skipper who leads his team of schoolboys on a ship as they learn about discipline and teamwork. The storm scene at the end was well filmed and will remind you a bit of The Perfect Storm. I also liked the ensuing trial. I liked the movie, the cast, the story, and the characters. You will too.

It's an entertaining movie about the friendship forged among a group of teenagers who sail throughout the world in a ship/school. The story is developed dynamically and it is filmed in really beautiful landscapes.The only reason of my review is this: the importance of choosing the title. The events occurred through the film do not forecast the incident that will happen eventually i.e. the "white squall"In my opinion, the story could have had several different endings although the unfortunate movie title makes you watch the movie with another perspective. More or less, in the middle of the film the question you are asking yourself is: When is the squall going to take place? Instead of, what is it going to happen next?Like I said, the title of this movie was an inappropriate choice.

Mystic, Connecticut high school student Scott Wolf (as Charles "Chuck" Gieg) goes to sea for his 1960-61 senior year. He joins the crew of "Skipper" Jeff Bridges (as Christopher Sheldon) on the amusingly named ship "Albatross". While not acknowledged in the script as such, the name turns out to be a bad omen. Of course, you knew that going in. There are teachers on board, but the real lesson is adventure on the high seas. This is where boys become men. They fight, cry and study together. They bond while smoking, drinking and taking penicillin shots for venereal disease...Our narrator and star is Mr. Wolf, who gained popularity as a small screen look-alike for Tom Cruise on the TV series "Party of Five" (1994). Top-billed co-star Mr. Bridges gained his sea legs on his famous father's syndicated series "Sea Hunt" (1958)...Wolf and the "boys" look more like "male model" college graduates than high school teenagers. They have shaved chests, plucked eyebrows, pouty lips, and perfectly trimmed hair. Wolf is first drawn to boyish Ryan Phillippe (as Gil Martin), who clings to a picture of his dead brother and has a fear of heights. Made obvious for his lateness and snobbery is Jeremy Sisto (as Frank Beaumont). He commits a despicable act due to domineering daddy David Selby (as Francis Beaumont). In a lesser storyline, initially obnoxious Eric Michael Cole (as Dean Preston) goes to the head of the class...This is based on a true story. Having age appropriate actors play the parts might have made some of the behavior look more inappropriate; herein, they appear trimmed, tempered and tamed. The photography, by Hugh Johnson, is a strength.****** White Squall (2/2/96) Ridley Scott ~ Scott Wolf, Jeff Bridges, Ryan Phillippe, Jeremy Sisto

This is a great film about teenagers learning about themselves and facing a challenge together. It is very interesting that this film avoids the usual clichés of an action movie and develops characters more than just stereotypes. I would describe this film as a drama with a magnificent backdrop of uncontrollable natural events...storms and rough seas. Sort of a parody on some the difficulties that these young men were facing. Ridley Scott directs a film which is unique and pushes back the boundaries of genre as have some of his other films such as ALIEN and GLADIATOR. Both of these films are landmarks in their own way. It's hard to think of a film before ALIEN which had similar qualities. The same with GLADIATOR except perhaps its character development which makes a comparison with KUBRICKS Spartacus. As for homo-eroticism, seeing beautiful young male bodies may subjectively be deemed homo-erotic by some people. Does it really matter? Just enjoy the film on your own level as you would other works of art!!!