Interesting  if that's a good thing to say

Rating: Null/10 (26 September 2002)

The Soviet Union's first nuclear ballistic submarine, the K-19 is being prepared for testing. The aim of the test will be a show of strength to American spy planes in order to ensure that America dare not strike first for fear of retaliation. For the test the submarine is captained by Vostrikov with second in command Polenin. During the mission the submarine experiences a malfunction in it's reactor which could potentially explode. The risk is not only to the crew but a nuclear blast may set off world conflict. The crew race to avert disaster.
I happily went to see this at an UK preview screening in Birmingham. It wasn't due out for another month but I read nothing into this. I didn't know the story or anything about the film so I was a clean sheet. As such the film interested me as it is a story I didn't know and even if only half of the film is actually true then it is still a fascinating story. However the film fails to deliver on the intensity of the story. Instead we get a plodding film that is so concerned with being factual and serious that it forgets to be entertaining or involving.
Director Bigelow takes a story that involves sacrifice, death, tension, potential global destruction and turns it into an overlong, dull film for the most part. Only in the final half hour do we get a feel for the excitement and tension in the submarine. Prior to this we have an dull (yet interesting) look at drills, life on board a sub and more drills. It's not that the story is dull but it's told at a snails pace and really misses every opportunity to turn the screws. I noticed one of the production companies was National Geographic and I can see their impact. This isn't a Crimson Tide style film, but instead a documentary that is so worthy and serious that it forgets it has to at least engage or entertain it's audience.
Ford and Neeson together are good. In fact some of the best scenes revolve around their relationship during the disaster. Individually they are both strong with Ford's accent only wandering slightly the odd time  Neeson also slips into Russian/Irish the odd time. The rest of the cast are OK but they don't stick in the mind. The way we are treated to a little background information on each and a group photograph just makes it feel like the lazy character building done in disaster movies to try and make you care for the ones who may or may not die later.
Overall this does have it's moments and it is a story worth being told, however if you're going to make a Hollywood film then at least make it a good one! This drags it's heels all the way to a good last 30 minutes. There are some sparks but really it feels very pedestrian. It is interesting  but is that enough? What should have been a gripping real life thriller with the world as the stakes is turned into a slightly dull, overlong film that just feels so damn heavy and serious that though I like it I still couldn't say I enjoyed it.