Another movie in a long list of based-on-a-true-story disapointments

Rating: Null/10 (31 July 2002)

This movie was an absolute disappointment as it diverged from reality, dishonored the real Soviet crew that sacrificed so much and insulted the audience by making up implausible plot twists that created a global crisis beyond the real [environmental] crisis that was actually present. Does anyone need to be told that a nuclear meltdown does not cause a nuclear explosion?
Why does Hollywood time and time again think that the real story, or anything close to it, is too boring to tell? The real K-19 story is amazing, but they did not launch any missiles, they did not patrol of the coast of the USA, they did not have two captains on board and the Americans were not involved at all.
Does anyone remember Apollo 13? When you watch this movie you learn what actually happened; you feel like you lived the real event. K-19 could have been such a story. Some of the crew and I believe the captain are still alive today to lend insight. We had a chance to catch a glimpse of real life on board the first Soviet nuclear sub. Remember Das Boat? Instead, Hollywood fed us the usual: Nuclear War! Americans good and helpful. Russian state evil and corrupt.
As far as acting goes, I would have to say this is the worst acting of Harrison Ford's career. His Russian accent was so bad even he couldn't keep it up as it ebbed and flowed. Remember Russia House? Michelle Pheiffer's Russian accent was so good you'd think she was named Pheifferskaya.
After you get over the fact that the movie has nothing to do with reality, the worst part about it was the writers inability to end the movie. It drug on possibly 30 minutes past the conclusion of the [completely artificially created] crisis. Perhaps it didn't seem appropriate to end the movie at the end of the crisis because so little story had been told.
This movie goes on the shelf next to other recent "based on a true story" movies, such as Wind Talkers, another complete insult to the people actually involved.