compelling story ruined

Rating: 3/10 (15 June 1999)

I was shocked to see the rating of this movie. The only redeeming quality was a few moments of acting, but it was written and filmed in the most heavy-handed, mind-numbingly obvious way. It was full of empty rhetoric and I can't think of a worse Spielberg movie. Ooh...a shot of ship masts that look like crosses, how insightful.
It is a fascinating story and to see it told ham-handedly was a real disappointment. Hopkins was a good JQAdams, and Hounsou could be compelling, but that `African violet' stuff was so ridiculously over the top it ruined what was nearly a good scene. 3/10