First the positive: The cinematography, especially some shots at sea, is just phenomenal. Furthermore, Jeff Bridges delivers, as mostly. For the rest, this is not Ridley Scott’s best work. For a movie called White Squall, that only happens more than 1,5 hours into the movie and it is never really explained to the viewer what that really is. The first 90 minutes are essentially meant to get to know the characters, which could have been done in 30 minutes. The juvenile characters are also quite shallow, despite the long time taken to introduce them, and many of the sub-storylines are just irrelevant at best. Then there is the ending, which is just not worth a director like Ridley Scott. It is unnecessarily melodramatic, a pure cliché and just feels rushed in general, especially given the time taken before to extend far more irrelevant content. This movie would surely have been better if it had been told through the trial, with flashback scenes on what happed. As such, not terrible but mediocre at best.

Excellent movie. Second time seeing it and enjoy it both times. Actors played each of their roles perfectly. Well worth watching.

The squall itself is impressive, a proper Spielbergian set piece that feels like the ocean itself has a personal grudge against Jeff Bridges and his ragtag crew. The problem is everything in the lead-up – it takes a solid hour of brooding, bonding, and shirtless rope-pulling before the movie remembers it’s supposed to have stakes. It’s fine. Some good performances, a bit of unintentional comedy (one-too-many corny speeches) and a storm sequence that’ll make you glad you never signed up for sailing camp.

A classic that shows you what really counts in life in a great modern fable