Tom Hanks
Barkhad Abdi

Billy Ray

134 mins.
Biography, Drama, Thriller
October 11, 2013

Rated PG-13 for sustained intense sequences of menace, some violence with bloody images, and for substance use. (MPAA)

“Captain Phillips” was released amid some controversy surrounding the accuracy of the story, in comparison to the actual events, and the depiction of Somali pirates as bad guys. That controversy didn’t impact my viewing of this film, especially in regard to the depiction of the pirates. …

“Captain Phillips” is a no-nonsense, straightforward action-thriller. The filmmakers provide just enough backstory, via a few brief scenes, to explain the motivations of the captain, his crew, and the Somali pirates. This both helps and hurts. One positive result is that the pirates don’t come across a pure villains. We understand their motivations, which make perfect sense. But we also understand the motivations of the captain and his crew. So we’re left to just watch the events unfold without really getting behind one group or the other. This resulted in a passive viewing experience for me. There was no one to root for; the best result would’ve been that no one gets hurt. That’s shaky yet refreshingly inoffensive ground for a thriller to stand on.

Also, the film felt about 30 minutes too long. I was done watching it long before it was done watching me. The sequence with the captain and the pirates on the escape boat, during the final part of the film, seemed to be the worst offender. Since we know or can research the outcome of these events, more attention needed to be paid to the creation of momentum and tension. That was done only moderately well. It didn’t raise the hairs on my head as “United 93,” another Paul Greengrass film (along with “The Bourne Ultimatum”), did, for instance.

Overall, “Captain Phillips” is a competently made film with a decent blend of screenwriting and improvisational acting, which actually turns out to be repetitive, at times. Barkhad Abdi, who was found in Minnesota (along with the other actors who played the other pirates who reach the ship) and landed his first acting role in this film, garnered numerous nominations and one first-place win (Indiana Film Critics Association Award) for best supporting actor of 2013. It seems that this is a weak year for that category as a whole (they need five nominees), so giving him a nomination can’t hurt; it makes for a good story. He did a good, serviceable job in his first film; we’ll see what he does next. Tom Hanks once again delivers, but he doesn’t do anything unexpected or exceptional.

Everyone just showed up and did his or her job.

Verdict: Good

About: (Source: captainphillips)

Captain Phillips is a multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. Based on a true story, the film focuses on the Alabama’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (two-time Academy Award®-winner Tom Hanks, Best Actor, 1993, Philadelphia; Best Actor, 1994, Forrest Gump), and the Somali pirate captain, Muse (Barkhad Abdi), who takes him hostage. The two men are set on an unstoppable collision course when Muse and his crew target Phillips’ unarmed ship; in the ensuing standoff, both men will find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control.