A true story thriller that truly thrills.

Rating: 9/10 (17 October 2013)

The first time I saw the trailer for Captain Phillips, my thoughts were racing on how this movie, starring Tom Hanks and based on the true story of the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in over 200 years, would fare under the pressure of retelling such a tale. My original thoughts were quite skeptical, it didn't seem as though the film would be able to provide the type of real-life thrills that the actual hijacking did. Boy was I wrong.
Right off the bat, I am going to give the obvious gold star of the film to lead man Tom Hanks. Portraying the title character, Hanks is the sole elite level actor in the cast and because of this, he completely and rightfully steals the show. We first see Captain Phillips as an everyday family man, worried about is children and wife and by the time he reaches his vessel, the MV Maersk Alabama, we can see that the thoughts of possible pirate attacks are also running through his head as he runs drills and reads instruction guides to help prevent from pirates. This lead me to believe that upon the eventual attack, the Captain would be a stress-ridden mess but the exact opposite transpires, as Hanks portrays the calm and collective manner that a captain should have. Hanks continues to display his award-winning acting talent throughout the rest of the film, which clocks in at just over two and a half hours long. Every emotional string is pulled as the movie progresses, and Hanks is the center of nearly every one. From sadness, to frustration to pure heart-racing moments and in the closing minutes of the film, Hanks gives an emotional performance rivaling that of his beloved performance in 2000's "Cast Away". Tom Hanks proves that age is just a number when it comes to his raw ability to evoke numerous emotions in his viewers, and could be on his way to another Oscar for Best Actor.
Every great thriller builds itself up for the eventual finale, and Captain Phillips does just that. The movie starts off slow, letting you get to know the crew and ship just enough to not bore with nonsensical back story that a movie such as this doesn't necessarily need. We see the ship's eventual hijackers in Somalia gearing up to move out on their mission to bring back money to their leader Hufan. The film doesn't provide to much information on exactly why these pirates are seeking out the American vessel, and this is both good and bad. Bad because it could leave viewers slightly confused on what is going on, but good in the sense that it leaves mystery and fear behind the pirates. The movie continues to build anticipation, and when the first gun shots are fired, the movie really kicks in. Eventually the NAVY Seals get involved with the situation and even more intensity is added as the movie gets into its final moments. The say the least, the action is defined by the pressure built between the Captain and Muse and his crew, and less on hundreds of bullets flying across the screen, and because of that, the genre "thriller" is put to use perfectly.
As I say, a movie is only as good as it's villain, and newcomer Barkhad Abdi plays antagonist Muse, the leader of the pirate group. Muse and his crew are relentless and scary, and the surprising smarts of Muse force Captain Phillips to adapt to the situations much faster and it makes for a wonderful and exciting game of chess between the two leaders.
Director Paul Greengrass, best know for his work on The Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum, deserves a shout out for his ability to produce and capture intense and thrilling moments that give this film a sense of realism that many true-story movies fail to do. I was highly excited when I discovered Greengrass was directing and he did not fail to deliver.
When it's all said and done, Captain Phillips is defined by it's edge of your seat moments, relentless antagonist, emotional prowess and phenomenal performance by lead actor Tom Hanks, all built on the fact that this film is based on a true story. This is a film that will undoubtedly help Captain Richard Phillip's story be remembered and stored away in the books of American history.
9/10