Predictable and therefore less exciting

Rating: 2/10 (13 December 2016)

I'm not surprised that this film gets such good ratings. Clint Eastwood handles the subject splendidly while Tom Hanks rarely fail in his performances. My objection to the film is the high degree of predictability and lack of excitement. Not that we don't know how this dramatic crash finally ended. But how the story is told.
Hanks is good but his acting lacks presence as he does and says pretty much exactly what you expect. His character is the American hero stereotype, which is boring. The story is textbook example of how to make a predictable film: first, everything looks good, then it turns bad, then it turns good again, and you know it's going to be good. I was also surprised that Aaron Eckhart, who played the co-pilot, had so little to say or add to the story. His character reminded more of an extra. Despite the fact that he was in the cockpit landing the aircraft in the river, I almost felt he never was on board. No one asked him anything despite his efforts. Finally, what on earth did Sallys wife, played by Laura Linney, do in this film? I mean, it is hard to believe that the first thing a wife thinks about, after her husband survived a plane crash, is how they can afford to live in the house. I also disliked the repeated time jumps as they themselves became spoilers. The tempo was also too slow.
There is by all means no doubt that this is a solid film made with quality and there are good things in it as well. The supporting actors did a fantastic job of adding realism and authenticity. The CGI parts were also pretty good even though I occasionally expected a little more. The interiors, environments, props and visual effects were all very convincing. Nothing felt random or done by mistake and for the most part I actually enjoyed it. But where was the drama? Why put a stone face on Hanks? Why make Eckhart so dull?