An Underwhelming Hanks-Eastwood Film

Rating: 7/10 (19 July 2017)

Well,I was excited to see this film after knowing that Tom Hanks will be the lead star and Clint Eastwood is going to direct the film.But then I watched it.I could not believe what I just saw. It was purely underwhelming.Before I explain further,let me first describe what "Sully" is all about.
It was January 15,2009.The US Airways Flight 1549 piloted by Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles are coming from LaGuardia Airport towards Charlotte Douglas International Airport.But three minutes into the flight when the plane was at an altitude of 2,800 feet hit a flock of birds that disabled both engines of the plane.Without engine power and realizing that there are no airports around,Captain Sully decided to land the plane on Hudson River.Everyone hails the Captain as a hero.But the National Transportation Safety Board claims that Sully should have landed the plane at a nearby airport instead of putting the plane on the river.Now Sully must defend what he did at the Safety Board that he indeed acted correctly.The End.
And knowing Hollywood being penchant for happy endings,the viewer would likely know what is going to happen.They know that Sully will definitely end as a hero and acted correctly or did movie would not have been made.The story was simple as that.In fact,the movie was short for it lasted only 90 minutes.It could have been interesting but it wasn't.The film was totally underwhelming as the viewer would probably not really get involved in Hanks' character nor the tension of the story as everything just happened without emotion.That includes the landing of the plane and the scenes at the Safety Board when Sully and Skiles were defending themselves.
What saved it from disaster is definitely both Hanks and Eastwood.Tom Hanks provided a good performance as Sully.Eastwood's direction was decent.But it wasn't enough to have an interesting story.Overall,the movie just went to the motions of telling the story as it lacks tension,characterization and emotion.Truly underwhelming.