Captain Phillips

Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!

Today's review is Captain Phillips.

Directed by Paul Greengrass.

Written by Billy Ray.

Based on the book - "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea" Written by Richard Phillips & Stephan Talty.

Review #232

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

Run Time: 134 min

Hulk Spoils Hollywood Podcast Page

Cast

Tom Hanks...Captain Richard Phillips

Barkhad Abdi...Muse

Barkhad Abdirahman...Bilal

Faysal Ahmed...Najee

Mahat M. Ali...Elmi

Michael Chernus...Shane Murphy

Catherine Keener...Andrea Phillips

David Warshofsky...Mike Perry

Corey Johnson...Ken Quinn

Chris Mulkey...John Cronan

Yul Vazquez...Captain Frank Castellano

Max Martini... SEAL Commander

Paul Greengrass seems to be the go to guy for films that deal with retelling of historic current events. He put his name on the Oscar map with the unsettling yet powerful United 93. He's at it again. Only this time his latest story has a happier conclusion. Does this film have gold in it's future? It's possible. The one thing that is for sure is that Captain Phillips is another hit by Greengrass.

Despite it's MAJOR flaw.

Plot

The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. 

OK. Let's get to it. What is the major flaw that Captain Phillips flaunts. The answer is simple and obvious. Before you leave your house on the way to the theater you know EXACTLY how the movie is going to end. Studios and film makers dedicate part of their lives to avoid spoilers hitting the public before their film comes out. Now films like Captain Phillips are the exception to the rule because they are made from actual events that were covered world wide. The trick people like Greengrass have to employ is making a well known story fresh.

How does he do it?

Simple answer....a LOT of research and who better to get key information from than the man who was directly involved in the incident portrayed in the film.

Richard Phillips is the only source needed to tell this story. Yet some people in the business deem it unnecessary to seek out the people who were actually involved in said story and just work off a published work or worse....they wing it. Greengrass did the right thing going to Phillips and "picking" his brain and getting the major details that chronicled his amazing story. This comes out wonderfully in the film. Even with the full complement of Hollywood embelishments.

The next thing to get into is the stellar cast and how the performances by the two leads drive this film into unexpected territory. Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi bring much more to the table than just playing the leads in this film. They provide the emotional strength needed to get through the story. Hanks is obviously terrific but the newcomer Abdi not only holds his own with the Oscar winner but makes a strong case that he steals the show.

A big part of this comes from his back story. I didn't read Phillips book so I have no idea if what we see concerning Muse's life situation in the film was accurate. His character gets some development which gives you some insight as to why he does what he does. It's that development that makes his actions during the hijacking humanizing him and even inspire a little bit of sympathy. A lot of this comes through in his broken english performance. Abdi plays his character with the right amount of balance between his desire to have a better life with his disdain for hijacking.

On the other side of the equation is Hanks and his ability to maintain control throughout the entire film. This is evident at the outset as he goes through his routine before casting off. His detailed run through the ship points out flaws in some of the security measures. Not assuming that the problem will be taken care of he sees to it himself and gets it done. His drill instructor like attitude was a sign that this guy knew the dangers of the job and was going to do whatever he could to make sure that he and his people were safe. When tipped off that pirates were active in the area he was in he ran unannounced rills to prepare the crew for the real thing. Then when it actually happened the crew followed his orders to the letter with the same level of calm and readiness that he exhibited during the attack on the ship.
The final part was Hanks displaying his training and knowledge of what needed to happen in the event he was taken hostage. Phillips kept his cool and more importantly his wits about him while under duress. The film goes great lengths to show the chaos and lack of control the pirates went through once the Navy locked on to their position and surrounded them. It would be easy to just fall into the craziness that followed but Phillips knew that his only chance of survival was to keep himself and his emotions in check. The final moments leading up to Phillips' rescue were tension filled and well paced. The only thing I question is the final strike that took out the pirates. I could be wrong but I'm calling BS on that final assault. It felt way too Hollywood for it to be exactly how it went down. Regardless, it was a fitting conclusion to the rapid fire moments that took place before the pirates were dispatched.

The bottom line is Greengrass and company have once again taken a story plucked from the headlines and given us an adventure worth taking. Despite the undeniable fact that walking in you are spoiled the film's climax.

Captain Phillips gives you more than you could ask or bargain for.

On the 5 star scale. Captain Phillips gets 4 stars with a "Go See It!" recommendation.

That's a wrap for today.

Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"