One of the Better Films of the Year

Rating: 7/10 (10 January 2014)

Directed by Paul-ShakyCam-Greengrass of the Bourne films fame, "Captain Phillips" is a straightforward tale of brave actions of the captain and the crew of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama when hijacked by desperate Somali pirates.
The pace of the film is relentless and the run-time of over 2 hrs never seems long. The shaky cam is at an acceptable level and the cinematography is quite good overall. The efficiency of the US Navy SEALs is always impressive and is showcased as such here. Like with all Paul Greengrass films, the focus is more on the action and less on the backdrop or the characters. It is terse to a fault and perhaps less fulfilling in that sense, but Tom Hanks makes up for that with his acting chops as the titular character.
Overall entertaining fare, and definitely one of the better films of the year. 7.5/10