If its got a nuclear reactor you just *know* it's gonna give trouble....

Rating: 10/10 (18 September 2004)

This is one of those movies that, no matter what you may have been thinking of it as you watched it, the end 'justifies the means' and it all comes right as it crosses the finishing line.
K19 - The Widowmaker, set at the height of the Cold War, ploughs doggedly through every cliché in the 'nuclear submarine on its maiden voyage with two captains and a dodgy reactor' book while it explores such issues as loyalty, heroism, patriotism, comradeship, cowardice, fear, bravado etc. on the personal scale and touches on the possibility of events leading to a nuclear holocaust on the global scale.
(I have to say at this point that, nowadays I expect *any* nuclear submarine on its maiden voyage to get to the point where it may have to be scuttled, or will sink, as the nuclear reactors on these vessels are bound to play up!)
The film has been well made with decent camera-work, lighting and sound although some of the technicalities were a little suspect at times - the interior of the sub was looking decidedly scruffy in places for what was supposed to be a brand new vessel and there were nothing like enough oranges to go round when supplies were being loaded! Best not look too closely at the dockyard setting and I have to say the inevitable dockyard scene with welding and grinding sparks flying everywhere would have been an immense disappointment had it been missing. (As it would also have done if Joss Ackland hadn't appeared briefly as a high-ranking Russian official....)
What carried this film, in my opinion, was the excellence of the supporting cast. OK, Neeson and Ford did a fairly good job of looking alternately po-faced and/or grim as the occasion demanded and managed to stay just short of the 'woodentop' mark, but the supporting cast were really quite superb. Being mostly complete 'unknowns' I had no problem accepting them as a real, if rather young, submarine crew. The film was well enough directed to ensure that they were much better used than the more usual 'standing around looking scared extras'and the standard of acting by all of them was really quite good.
I enjoyed this film. It was solid and had its own integrity that made it a fairly uplifting experience by the time it was over. Despite ticking off every cliché as it presented itself, the pace wasn't quite as slow as it appeared, as there was continual activity and suspense. It certainly wasn't boring and the outcome was never entirely predictable. The end held no great surprises when it came, but it was well done and rounded off the story nicely.
Therefore 8 out of 10 for a much better than average 'non blockbuster' movie that I enjoyed watching.