good action movie but is too focused on one character

Rating: 3/10 (16 October 2016)

This is an action movie first of all, not a documentary. So while I wasn't expecting historical accuracy, I expected some complexity as in the serious nature of the subject. The filming, the set, the stunts/action, acting of Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell are exemplary. But it is a very simple plot- you know straightaway who the good guys are and who are the baddies- e.g. John Malkovich with usual sneering looks and snarky comments. Again, not surprising BP are made to be the total villains (typical of many US movies where the British are villains) while forgetting that Transocean, Halliburton and regulatory bodies were also to be faulted as well for this disaster. That only 11 people of the 126 present died despite the terrible conditions, is a testimony to the fast thinking bravery of the land based rescue teams- again underplayed due to the overemphasis on Wahlberg's character. That an actor of Kate Hudson's calibre is reduced to a pouting housewife seen from time to time (she even manages to change her nail colour in those 36 hours despite everything), is a big shame. But the biggest shame of all is that the movie barely touches on the huge environmental impact of the disaster- the only thing we see is one oil soaked bird. People's livelihood were affected- from fishermen to tourism- and the world changed. That a huge disaster on environmental and personal levels has been reduced to an big action movie, is itself a tragedy.