Castaway: Special Edition: 2-Disc Set DVD Review

Title: Cast Away: Special Edition 2- Disc Set

Region: One

Genre: Drama

Stars: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, and Nick Searcy

Writer: William Broyler, Jr.

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Feature length: 143 minutes

Extras: Commentary By Robert Zemeckis And Crew, “The Charlie Rose Show” Interview With Tom Hanks, “Wilson: The Life & Death Of A Hollywood Extra” Featurette, “The Island” Featurette, Special Effects Vignettes, “S.T.O.P.: Surviving As A Castaway” Survivalists Documentary, HBO “First Look Documentary”, Theatrical Trailers, and TV Spots

Languages: English DTS ES Digital Surround, English Dolby Digital EX, and English and French Dolby Surround 2.0

Subtitles: English Captions and Spanish Subtitles

Packaging: Amaray Keep Case

Chapter Stops: 32

Sound: DTS ES Digital Surround Sound, Dolby Digital EX Surround Sound, and Stereo Surround Sound

Year of Theatrical Release: 2000/DVD Release: 2001

Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox

Home Video Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

Academy Award Winning® Actor Tom Hanks and Academy Award Winning® Director Robert Zemeckis reunited for the first time since their Academy Award Winning® Best Picture collaboration “Forrest Gump” with “Cast Away.” Now Fox will be releasing to DVD “Cast Away: Special Edition 2-Disc Set” this June and having screened it, I must write that without a doubt this is one of the best DVD Videos Fox has put together so far this year in 2001. The story places Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland, a FedEx® systems engineer whose time is literally not his own since he constantly shuffles his schedule and his personal life to meet the demands of his job. One day he is abruptly called away from his lover (Helen Hunt) at Christmas time on a business flight aboard a FedEx® plane that crashes into the sea. The sole survivor, Chuck is marooned on a deserted island where he must not only stay alive, but learn to live again when he returns to civilization.

What can be said about Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis that has not already been typed? The film is great, they are super talented, and if you have not seen it in theaters, this DVD is the next best way to view the film. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has made an excellent special edition DVD set with “Cast Away” presenting the film in a pristine reference quality anamorphic (1.85:1) transfer that is THX approved. In addition the sound is fantastic with a choice of English DTS ES Digital Surround, Dolby Digital EX, and Dolby Surround 2.0 and a French Dolby Surround 2.0 Soundtrack as well. The DTS ES soundtrack is stunning. At times while watching the film I got frightened by the sound effects of the crash sequence and the storm sequences and every speaker is used so carefully that the smallest nuances are brought to life in a way that is truly impressive.

The THX Optimode™ Program is also included for picture and sound calibration and there are English Captions and French Subtitles encoded on to the DVD as well. The gem of the first disc is the technical and screen specific audio commentary track with Director Robert Zemeckis, Director of Photography Don Burgess, Visual Effects Supervisor Ken Ralston, Co-Visual Effects Supervisor Carey Villegas, and Sound Designer Randy Thomas. Collectively, these five men deliver one of the best feature length audio commentary tracks I have ever listened to on a DVD.

The second disc features the HBO “First Look” Documentary on the making of “Cast Away”, three featurettes that include “Wilson: The Life & Death Of A Hollywood Extra”, “The Island”, and the “S.T.O.P.: Surviving As A Castaway” Survivalists Documentary. There are six special effects vignettes with commentary by Visual Effects Supervisor Ken Ralston and Co-Visual Effects Supervisor Carey Villegas, and nine still galleries. The complete Tom Hanks Interview from “The Charlie Rose Show”, and ten TV Spots plus two (1.33:1) theatrical trailers round up the extra features within this DVD set.

The interactive menus feature full motion scene selections and scene incorporated animated menus that look eloquent and are easy to navigate. “Cast Away: Special Edition 2-Disc Set” will debut on DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Tuesday, June 12, 2001.

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