Decent Drama

Rating: 6/10 (23 December 2002)

Greetings again from the darkness. Missed this one during its theatrical run, so caught it on video. Much better than expected submarine drama aided immensely by the real life facts and wonderful cast. Director Kathryn Bigelow is quite the paradox. Before this she had directed 2 terrible films ("Blue Steel" "Point Break") and two interesting films ("Strange Days" "The Weight of Water"). I guess right now she is one up! By no means a classic, "K-19" does hold one's attention and creates a bit of caring for a few characters. Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson create the strength and empathy necessary for the leads, while rarely letting the script take them too far. Sub scenes are at times breathtaking and the sound can be deafening. The fear of reactor failure is real, but not overdone. Very watchable drama, even if it is not "Das Boot".