I love Ridley Scott. The man is one of my all time favorite directors, and has created several film experiences that have inspired me unlike ever before. So when my parents told me to watch this older film that they both really love, I kind of just agreed and didn't think much of it. But as soon as I discovered that Ridley Scott was the man behind the camera and story, I immediately became much more interested.
Unfortunately, although Scott has made numerous films I love and probably would fall into my all time favorite films, he's also made several forgettable, bad, and bland projects, and unfortunately, I feel like White Squall falls in the "bland and forgettable" projects he's done, and it's no surprised considering that I'd never heard of it until today. I can't call it a bad film, but it certainly is far from "good" aside from a few interesting characters that don't seem to have arcs. Everyone just kinds of blends together and what should be an interesting coming of age film just falls short for me.
The moments that hit really hit, and the score stood out to me in a few areas, but other than that, I'm probably going to forget about this one in the next few days, and I'd be surprised if I remember it in the months to come. I gave this film a fair shot, and if you like/love this film, that's totally fine. But for me, it just didn't reach the heights and expectations that were built up for me beforehand by my parents, and I was just so painfully bored the entire time.
Not to mention that I had to watch this one douchebag harpoon an innocent dolphin, then care about him once he got kicked off the boat. Look, I know people who have been through a lot and have a tough life at home. But you know what? That doesn't give them an excuse to act like a fool and commit physical harm, and I don't care if you're using a dolphin as a metaphor-that doesn't change the fact that the character is really unlikable and I had to watch this very realistic animatronic dolphin get sledgehammered in the head by Jeff Bridges after this idiot shot it.
I can't care for the character, and I particularly have this thing to where I hate seeing innocent creatures being killed in films, as it just really breaks my heart. If it has a purpose, that's cool and I can deal with it. But when the purpose is ultimately a really dumb metaphor for a stupid character, I can't respect it. White Squall is a forgettable, bland, and ultimately boring film that I tried so hard to enjoy, but just couldn't.
The cinematography is fine, I guess, but it looks like a made for television film. The color grading sucks aside from a few areas, and the film has this weird misty haze to it (which I guess is supposed to represent the sea or something, I don't know) that sometimes works and other times just makes the film look outright ugly. I'm sad that I didn't like this film, but I really tried my hardest to. I respect Ridley Scott a ton, and admire him as one of my biggest filmmaking inspirations, but White Squall just fell short for me, personally. 4.5-5/10
I love Ridley Scott. The man is one of my all time favorite directors, and has created several film experiences that have inspired me unlike ever before. So when my parents told me to watch this older film that they both really love, I kind of just agreed and didn't think much of it. But as soon as I discovered that Ridley Scott was the man behind the camera and story, I immediately became much more interested.
Unfortunately, although Scott has made numerous films I love and probably would fall into my all time favorite films, he's also made several forgettable, bad, and bland projects, and unfortunately, I feel like White Squall falls in the "bland and forgettable" projects he's done, and it's no surprised considering that I'd never heard of it until today. I can't call it a bad film, but it certainly is far from "good" aside from a few interesting characters that don't seem to have arcs. Everyone just kinds of blends together and what should be an interesting coming of age film just falls short for me.
The moments that hit really hit, and the score stood out to me in a few areas, but other than that, I'm probably going to forget about this one in the next few days, and I'd be surprised if I remember it in the months to come. I gave this film a fair shot, and if you like/love this film, that's totally fine. But for me, it just didn't reach the heights and expectations that were built up for me beforehand by my parents, and I was just so painfully bored the entire time.
Not to mention that I had to watch this one douchebag harpoon an innocent dolphin, then care about him once he got kicked off the boat. Look, I know people who have been through a lot and have a tough life at home. But you know what? That doesn't give them an excuse to act like a fool and commit physical harm, and I don't care if you're using a dolphin as a metaphor-that doesn't change the fact that the character is really unlikable and I had to watch this very realistic animatronic dolphin get sledgehammered in the head by Jeff Bridges after this idiot shot it.
I can't care for the character, and I particularly have this thing to where I hate seeing innocent creatures being killed in films, as it just really breaks my heart. If it has a purpose, that's cool and I can deal with it. But when the purpose is ultimately a really dumb metaphor for a stupid character, I can't respect it. White Squall is a forgettable, bland, and ultimately boring film that I tried so hard to enjoy, but just couldn't.
The cinematography is fine, I guess, but it looks like a made for television film. The color grading sucks aside from a few areas, and the film has this weird misty haze to it (which I guess is supposed to represent the sea or something, I don't know) that sometimes works and other times just makes the film look outright ugly. I'm sad that I didn't like this film, but I really tried my hardest to. I respect Ridley Scott a ton, and admire him as one of my biggest filmmaking inspirations, but White Squall just fell short for me, personally. 4.5-5/10
