Look in the dictionary under intense, and there it is: "Captain Phillips".

Rating: 8/10 (6 March 2014)

Or at least it should be. It's not just the hijacked boat movie the advertising made it out to be; the action moves from ship to tight- quartered lifeboat and even into the roiling waters. And the general sense of foreboding from the very beginning gives way to heart-pumping action - and the tension just never lets up (Greengrass is a master at this). Tom Hanks is reliably terrific in the title role and embodies the no-nonsense Captain. The real surprise comes with Barkhad Abdi, who ably plays a worthy opponent; wily and unpredictable, he's the nothing-to-lose pirate who's got the stones to take a ship and hold off the Navy while he makes his escape.
I teared up right there with the Captain in the final moments as the medic checked him over and it was clear the ordeal was finally at an end. That's what kind of movie this is and the kind of narrative power it holds. The tension never lets up. "Captain Phillips" is a genuine nail-biter. Possibly one for the ages.
8/10