Top draw movie, ace performances, a little more Africa back story might have helped.

Rating: 8/10 (3 December 2013)

This is a very good movie. 'Movie' enough that it's enjoyable from a movie-lover's perspective, and realistic enough that you feel you've seen a fair representation of events, as much as any movie can give. Thankfully avoids the gratuitous or bloody violence that afflicts so many modern pictures, while leaving you in no doubt about the potential for extreme violence that the characters have.
Tom Hanks again? Yes, but he tones down much of his characteristic affability, and is very believable as the captain of the cargo ship. (As with George Clooney in The Perfect Storm, Hanks happened to bare a strong likeness to the real captain of the ship, so was pretty much ideal.)
The plot is closely based on a real hijacking of a large cargo ship off the Somali coast in 2009, and the key role of the Captain in manipulating the hard-bitten hijackers and get his ship, his crew and himself to safety ... however, events spiral out of control, thwarting both his and the hijacker's best laid plans, and other forces appear on the scene to raise the stakes even higher. It's hard to say too much without edging into spoiler territory, so if you don't know anything about the actual hijacking, I'd suggest not finding anything out beforehand to get the most from the movie, but even if you do, you won't be disappointed.
The whole cast gives a pretty flawless performance, somewhere between United 93 and Zero Dark Thirty in tone. Barkhad Abdi as the cool, dedicated and desperate pirate leader is mesmerizing, and is a sure Oscar tip. The American crew give such a polished, realistic performance that you can't help placing yourself in the situation, and wondering what you'd be doing or thinking.
The film is well paced, the two hours passing easily, with no spurious padding. It's simply a good movie - not a great one, but good.
I say not 'great', simply because while it entertains, thrills and informs (to an extent), it didn't leaved me 'moved' afterward. I'd have personally liked to have seen more of the hijackers' back stories. I've had a number of good friends from related backgrounds (not Somalia, but Nigeria, rural Zimbabwe and township South Africa), and I think their first reaction would be, 'It's good, nice to see some realism about what some people have to cope with, but we're not all hijackers you know!'.
So, to sum up: top draw movie, ace performances, a little more Africa back story might have helped.