Mediocre film, a sub story done Hollywood style

Rating: 5/10 (6 May 2017)

I wanted to like this film. Sadly it got off to a bad start when all the actors decided to play fast and loose or not at all with their Russian accent. It was as if they tried to do something at the beginning and then said "aw... screw it. we aren't fooling anyone" and then dropped the accent entirely most of the time. You can put it behind you eventually but it's a sign about how sloppy this film is made.
The premise is that Ford's character is a bit of a bully who will take out of proportion risks and endanger the lives of everyone on board to prove his point. I did not see any resolution between Ford and Neeson's character. And in terms of what plays out that I won't say - I never saw it coming. And that's only because where the film went was not what the prior time led you to believe. In fact, everything pointed in the other direction until it felt like Hollywood stepped in because the script said "insert turning point here" and then the characters had to pretend as if this was the natural next sequence of events. It wasn't.
The special effects are fine and the submarine shots reasonably good. But the repair involved was also ridiculous. It was as almost as if they ran out of budget and would show you the same thing, with everyone having a go at what they were fixing which seemed more like "designated piece of metal". OK, we'll get beyond that but it still bears notice as you watch repeated scenes of the same thing as if to convey a sense of emotional impact on certain characters - which I didn't find credible.
This is nowhere near Das Boot to feel the tension. And it's not really meant to be. And as a "based on a true story" it's very, very lightly based on the true story. Most of the acting is fine but the script is a real problem. And I don't think Harrison Ford would have himself cast as anything else but smelling like roses. And that's also disappointing. At no point do I think the conclusion of this film is even remotely foreseeable because the natural flow of the characters and events simply doesn't get you there. It's done solely to keep the audience guessing what happens next and the very artificial Hollywood studios twist makes for a mediocre, phony feeling film that certainly would only stand up for one viewing, at best.