Castaway wasn't quite the survivor it could have been. Chuck Noland, played by Tom Hanks, is a successful executive who's plane crashes into the ocean leaving him stranded on a small desert island. After a lifetime of living his life by the clock he must learn to survive in a place where time has no real meaning.

Though well done Castaway never really engaged my interest. After all, it's a given that Noland is going to adapt and survive life on the island, that he will be rescued and that he will go through the pathos of learning that after such an experience you can't really go home again. So as a result the story progressed in an unwavering line from Point A to B to C while never developing any real sense of tension. Also, despite the tremendous talent Tom Hanks brought to this role I never could separate the actor from the character. For me the film was never about Chuck Noland surviving life alone on a desert island as it was about Tom Hanks playing a man trying to survive life on a desert island. Finally, the ending was completely unsatisfactory in a 'nobody wins' scenario, which may have been true to life, but was a disappointment to watch.

There were some nice touches, mostly provided in subtle ways by Tom Hanks, and it was certainly an emotional film, but one that never really makes any lasting impact on the viewer. As a side note, I can't help but wonder if it was a coincidence or a play on words that the movies hero, who's plane crashed in the middle of the ocean, was named Noland, get it?, No land. Anyway, the idea of watching this film shouldn't be castaway, but it shouldn't be your first choice either.