Captivating film with a few down moments

Rating: 8/10 (21 January 2014)

Pre Review and Hype: I first saw a trailer for this movie in late 2013 and immediately knew I wanted to see it. After the trailer, it fell underneath the radar until it hit the television for commercials. I never got the chance to see it on the big screen, so I can only imagine how much more intense it would've been at the movie theater.
Review (may contain spoilers):
Paul Greengrass, director of many thrillers, takes the viewer on a roller-coaster of emotions. Starting in the beginning with a slight bit of sadness, then when the pirates are spotted during a drill it gets a little heated. The movie does a lot of the ups and downs, going from white-knuckle intense to just coasting along. Greengrass does an amazing job at telling the story and I feel as though all the ups and downs are necessary in order to fully engage the viewer to make them feel as though they are right there with the crew of the Maersk Alabama.
The most significant parts of the movie are so well done that I felt as though they weren't acting at all and I was right there with them. One of these parts is right as the pirates are trying to board the ship and Phillips is trying to ram them off course to avoid being boarded. Eventually, however, they get boarded and the crew has to hide in the bowels of the ship in order to not be seen by the pirates.
After the pirates board the ship, things start to get more interesting. As seen in the trailer, Phillips advises his crew that they have been boarded and tells them to remember one thing: You know the ship better than they do. Once the pirates reach the cabin, they take Phillips and two other crew members hostage and demand control of the ship.
The leader of the Somalis eventually gets bum-rushed in the Engine Room and becomes a hostage himself, as the crew radio up to the cabin and let the other pirates know. The pirates are given the opportunity to leave on one of the lifeboats with the money in the safe in exchange for Phillips, who was singled out and taken as a sole hostage. After a dispute between the two groups, Phillips has to get in the lifeboat and the pirates con the crew into exchanging hostages. However, when Phillips is in the lifeboat, they knock him to the ground, shut off the lifeboat's entrance, and plunge into the waters below.
I go into any more detail about the movie because I believe the rest of it is so crucial to see for yourself. I explained about half of the movie, and the rest of it is the best part. I strongly urge everyone who can withstand a little bit of downtime in a 2 hour movie to go see this movie. The plot is so simple, yet so well done that I was floored even though I had high expectations.
Tom Hanks is such a brilliant actor. The emotion on his face and in his actions throughout the whole movie made it feel as though it were the actual events unfolding live.
Rating: 8/10. Must See.