Underrated by critics

Rating: Null/10 (3 August 2002)

Saw this movie and found that the critics were, for the most part, wrong about it. I'd give the movie four stars on my five star scale. (Note: on my scale very few movies get all five. Casablanca gets the "Pershing" rating, six out of a possible five.) THERE ARE SOME "SPOILERS" IN HERE Both Liam Neeson and Harrison Ford did superb acting jobs in this movie, and aptly portrayed the kind of tension that very often happens on ships of all navies between the captain and the XO. Not at all unusual for the crew to side with the XO, as that's part of his job, to maintain morale by being a sympathetic ear for the crew. Cinematography was excellent throughout, with nice camera work in the cramped quarters of the sub. One got that feeling of being isolated from the world, especially after the "accident" that killed some of the crew. Music was nicely attuned to the mood of the story, and played well by the Kirov Orchestra, even if the American Federation of Musicians objects to use of a "scab" orchestra. Them Russkies can PLAY! The story may not be totally accurate, but was told in a manner that kept my attention even though I knew ahead of time what was going to happen. This movie could have gotten four and a half stars from me, or maybe even five, if not for one flaw that the writers should have avoided. It's always one of Hollywood's pre-conceived and STUPID notions. That's the notion that a reactor problem (a biggie!) could cause the missiles on board to explode into megatons of thermonuclear violence. That is something Hollywood has never understood and won't ever understand, that it takes a whole series of procedures to be executed ON PURPOSE just to arm those warheads. Even a complete meltdown of the ship's reactor could not "set off" the warheads, which would have sunk harmlessly into the abyss along with the rest of the boat. Would have been nice if they'd ASKED a nuclear physicist or two about that, but probably they'd have ignored any such advice anyway, so as to keep the "tension" in the story line. For me, the strong potential of an agonizing end by radiation poisoning for all aboard would have been fine by itself. No violence, except for the depiction of a couple of accidents, and those were understated in the film. Even the radiation burns were not exaggerated. Just enough special makeup to give you the idea that it's not a pleasant way to go. There is only one brief sequence that involves what I call "the girl" in this movie, and that's a goodbye scene out in the open just before the ship sails. Nicely done and not bothersome. (No nude bodies writhing between the sheets.) That matters to the story later, in that one of this young couple winds up paying the ultimate price to save his shipmates, thus never getting back to his young and very pretty wife. Worth the price of admission in any case. Some Americans may be offended by the story being told from the Russians' point of view, but after all that's what military services are all about. Try watching the classic "The Enemy Below" or "Das Boot" to put that aspect in perspective.