One problem I have with reading about and following film
talk so much is that I can get caught up in expectation. That is, if a film is
reviewing very well, I can expect that I will automatically love it as well.
Then, what happens is that I go watch it, and only end up thinking it was good,
not great. That’s how I feel about Captain Phillips. Actually, let me get this
straight at least, it’s very good, but I didn’t love it.
However, when left feeling like this, I struggle with my
rating. So, let’s run through the key points before rating.
Acting – excellent. Tom Hanks really is a pro. He’s a legend
basically. That is saying a lot, but come on, it’s fucken Tom Hanks. He’s been
around for ages, done varying roles, and, in the end, has made some pretty damn
good films. He really puts in the effort to give a convincing portrayal for
anything he’s in. There is a reason why he has won 2 academy awards for best
actor. The supporting cast are all very good, with the actors playing the
Somali pirates very convincingly.
Production – Pretty much the entire film takes place at sea,
with production being on a real life container ship and other sea vessels. The
production value overall is very high, which is what you would expect with this
calibre of talent on and off the screen. Paul Greengrass is best known for the
2nd and 3rd Bourne films. He knows what he’s doing with
films like this. However, don't go in expecting a Bourne film...think more United 93 instead.
Story – based on a true story, it’s a very interesting story
of survival. Although you may know the ending, the series of events that unfold
are quite tense. A friend of mine thought the ending played out a little too
Hollywood-ish, but, that is a minor issue. I actually thought it was
fine. Didn’t bother me.
Overall – The film is indeed very good. I found some of the
pacing was a bit off towards the middle, and perhaps it could have been about 15
to 20 mins shorter - just to tighten it up a bit. But, it’s also hard to say
where they could have cut it. There’s plenty of character development in this,
so I shouldn’t really complain about length. I’m not sure I’d ever watch it
again though, but, in a few years, you never know.
Rating:
4 out of 5.
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