Some great suspense and intensity in this film.

Rating: Null/10 (22 April 2000)

My girlfriend and I went to see 28 days, but ended up walking into U-571 as she changed her mind at the last minute and wanted to see an action movie. How sweet is that?
Sadly, the best part of the experience for me was seeing the M:I 2 preview. Which was awesome, just awesome.
U-571 was a good movie. Not a great movie, but a good movie. There was some great suspense and it gave me an interesting perspective of what it must have been like to be in a U-Boat in WWII. Granted this film was not made to be referred to as a historical document but since I have zero frame of reference in this category, I learned a few things.
We know this is a film that was (loosely) based on the true exploits of Her Majesty's Forces in WWII, but since Costner butchered the British accent in Robin Hood all those years ago, the producers thought discretion to be the better part of valor and told the story with the good ol' boys from the US Navy as the heroes. I don't want to bore you with plot points, as it lacks many surprises in that respect, and let's talk about what was worth seeing.
It was extremely claustrophobic. U-Boats don't have a great deal of room in them, and this film made me feel trapped. By the end, I was ready to get out. With nothing to see, and in a crippled submarine, the movie generated real suspense, and the digital sound really helped in this capacity as we hear the depth charges falling down from the passing Destroyers. These were the scenes that worked for me in a big way.
There was great tension as we got a taste of what being on board U-571 had to offer. The sailors couldn't read German so they had trouble operating the controls, the ship was damaged and wouldn't run properly, no weapons, and very low on power. These elements helped to raise the emotional level for the exchanges between the characters, and made it seem very real in certain scenes.
Matthew McConaughey's character was impacted the most by this tension, giving him the most development in the film. You could clearly see him traverse from caring X-O of the American sub to hard nosed Captain of U-571, with a little help from Harvey Keitel of course. If you like McConaughey, you won't be disappointed here.
The supporting cast was good, but we really didn't get a chance to see them and spend time with them so we could empathize with them. We met certain characters briefly, but sacrificed their development for the action sequences. Films like Saving Private Ryan should be a case study in how you can have both. If you see the film you'll know what I mean.
I would recommend this movie if you haven't seen Das Boot, which is a vastly superior film. Unlike Das Boot, U-571 has few plot surprises, doesn't let us get inside the characters and doesn't revolutionize storytelling as it relates to a U-Boat film. Fortunately, U-571 tells an interesting story, and generates some real suspense and tension, and the sound will leave you rattling in your seat.