Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3/4
"Captain Phillips" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 04/08/2017
An American cargo ship is hijacked by Somali pirates provoking a hostage situation and intervention by the might of the U.S. military. This true life story based upon the experiences of Captain Richard Phillips is presented in the pseudo-documentary style that has worked so effectively in the past for director Paul Greengrass and features a typically worthy performance by its star Tom Hanks. The situations are clearly very tense and there is some nice interplay between Hanks and his adversary in the form of Barkhad Abdi whose character is not exactly sympathetic, but the script steers clear of stereotype or demonisation and at least attempts to make the audience think as to why and how his life has led him to this situation. Captain Phillips is a taut and efficient thriller, the true …
Rating of
3.5/4
A tense thriller from action-captain Greengrass
sreekirch - wrote on 05/25/2014
The captain of this film Mr. Greengrass has got it all right. He drives us into the real adaptation of Captain Phillips hijack scenario played by terrific Hanks and his fellow somalian pirates lead by newbie Abdi. The film as a whole was my pick of the best. I liked every aspect of this film. The story was intense, narrative was gripping, the music was awesome and the cinematography was pin point. The tense moments Greengrass creates after an hour into the movie keeps us waiting for the reaction to come by. The script never relents to go down, rather every move made by Greengrass be it the puzzling action, hard hitting dialogues works really well. I might givc a bit low for the film rather than a full score, because it had a run time of nearly one hundred and thirty minutes. That is way …
Rating of
3/4
Not the Best Movie, But Definitely a Good One.
Rod - wrote on 03/17/2014
A true to life story of Captain Richard Phillips who led the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama which was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009.
***
I would say that this was an Oscar nominee-worthy film with all its drama and thrill combined. An interesting material with very clean execution of the script. I remember watching in the news about this Somali pirates and I think the movie painted a clear picture to me how a real hijacking went.
At first (about 98% of the film) I was not feeling Tom Hank's portrayal of the character. Until the last scene when ***SPOILER ALERT*** he was rescued and a medic checks him up. He cries and I felt all the sorrow and suffering of the character, the real captain Phillips.
This is definitely a film with heart. All the thrill and suspense end up with a …
Rating of
2/4
Wish it didn't make me yawn
BD - wrote on 02/21/2014
I know it's probably just me, but this film literally put me to sleep. Despite really outstanding performances by Hanks and Abdi, it just seemed to be bogged down somehow. There wasn't really any kind of developments that made me jump up and go "WOOF!", and the (overly) long stretch on the lifeboat, which seemed to take up half the film, was just plain claustrophobic, and really, not exciting at all. I think that that is really what I felt was missing here. A sense of some kind of excitement. I didn't find any at all. Hanks is without doubt at all a great actort, but please excuse me for blaspheming, he has done a few that have left me flat. This is one, and despite all the fanfare, "Castaway" seemed like one lonnnng droning FedEx commercial (don't think so? Count the number of …
Rating of
3/4
O Captain, My Captain
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/01/2014
Two outstanding performances from Tom Hanks and newcomer Barkhad Abdi help elevate the film above a typical biopic. In this case it follows the events of the Maersk Alabama, which, in 2009, was the first U.S. cargo ship in 200 years to be boarded by pirates. In this case, the Somali coast, crawling with various factions of pirates, targets ships of all kinds hoping for a big payday. Paul Greengrass is not stranger to turning out dramatic action - from United 93 to the Bourne series, he has proven he has a handle on how to not only adapt a good story - but he has a deft eye for action. Granted - you also have to realize he is a fan of the hand-held "shaky-cam" style of filming - and Captain Phillips is no different.
However, considering how much of the film takes place in a cramped …
Rating of
3/4
Captain Phillips review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 01/24/2014
"I come too far, Irish. I'll not give up." The realistic direction again is present here. Cast well very believable and chosen intently. Screenplay was likewise impressive with touches on the corporate world being cut-throat, changes, greed and illegal business. What makes this works is the acting and the very tense situation, imagining being in the place of Captain Phillips. One would empathize with Hank's character since he is only concerned with the welfare of the crew and injured fisherman. You can likewise see his pain when the towed boat nears the Navy's ship and in shock upon the near conclusion. This movie again proves Tom Hanks ability as an artist, and not just being a movie-star, when it comes to acting chops and that aura or authenticity, Admittedly this reviewer is …
Rating of
3/4
its good but nothing special
smeagol - wrote on 12/02/2013
The true life story of captain phillips who's cargo ship was hijacked by pirates in 2010
Not the classic or oscar worthy movie some would lead you to believe.
it was rather silly if you think about it. the pirates were made out to be idiots.. the efforts to free captain phillips were laughable .though i guess as its based on a true story maybe they really were that pathetic .
tom hanks was good but his acting was nothing more than anything else.he is in The only moment acting wise thats worth high praise was when he was with the doctor near the end
to be honest i fail to see what makes this movie better than a jason statham movie. the only real difference is this one is done more seriously and has tom hanks. it doesn't make it more enjoyable or more worthy of the praise . i …
Rating of
3.5/4
Ceaseless Thrills
Unknown - wrote on 10/27/2013
'Captain Phillips' is the first 'based on a true story' film of 2013 whose story I already knew front to back. Besides a few minor (inevitable) additions, it most certainly does justice to the real life event. This is one thriller that sustains it's riveting nature from beginning to end. Director Greengrass and star Hanks continue to impress. However, the real surprise is the first time acting showcase of those playing the 'pirates'. These men were immensely believable. Their performances, coupled with certain scenes, showed every facet of the ordeal from the 'pirates' perspective, giving an understandable reasoning for their actions and not making them seem like generic villains. This, to me, was the most compelling part of the film. The fact that this was a dire and …
