Great movie! A few alterations from the actual story, but still worth seeing.

Rating: 10/10 (7 May 2014)

Captain Phillips 5 turkeys/stars Captain Phillips is a thrilling, pulse pounding film that will leave you on the edge of your seat and gasping for breath. Captain Phillips is based on the true story of Captain Phillips, whose cargo ship was boarded by pirates. Phillips was taken hostage in the lifeboat and was eventually rescued by the Navy SEALS. The cast and crew clearly knew what they were doing with this movie. The cinematography was perfect- the lighting was never too bright or too dark to see, the camera was steady throughout the film. Transitions were smooth. The effects were well done, rarely gratuitous. The faces of the dead pirates after they had been shot was like something out of a horror film and the blood was everywhere but not excessive. One of the best aspects of the movie was the score. The music was fitting and was able to successfully fade in and out without a becoming a big distraction. The actors did a great job portraying their respective roles. Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi make you feel for their characters. I was so nervous that I felt like my stomach was being put through a shredder. When I finished watching, I was shaking. The scene after Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks) realized that the pirates were dead and he was alive was one of the best scenes I have ever seen. You could feel the distress and panic radiating off of him. The character development was astounding. The development wasn't like in most movies though-the protagonist becoming a better person, instead the characters devolved and became more and more violent. In the beginning Captain Phillips just wants to get the pirates off the ship and be on their merry way. But later in the submarine, Phillips is more willing to use force. At one point he throws a pirate overboard in an escape attempt. The dialog is, for the most part, well scripted. Hanks repeats himself over and over several times in the movie. It's mostly things like "yeah" or "I'm okay" but after a while I learned to ignore it. Some viewers may have a problem with the changes made from the original story-Captain Phillips knowingly went off course to deliver supplies quicker (that's how the pirates found them), never told Muse to shoot him instead of Shane or the other members with him in the control room, tried to escape when the guard was peeing instead of telling them he needed to go. The crew also sued Phillips after. However, the majority of the events remained unchanged and make for a compelling watch.