Not bad, not great

Rating: 7/10 (16 October 2000)

U-571 is a pretty fair yarn. There are a few plot holes, not the least of which is that it was the British, not the Americans, who grabbed an Enigma machine. There were a couple more technical problems, but nothing that couldn't be overcome. The acting was pretty doggone good, I thought. I thought the best performances came from Bill Paxton, Jon Bon Jovi, Harvey Keitel and Matthew McConaughy. The basic story has been covered by others, so I'll not bother with it here. There is enough drama and action to keep anyone interested (well, people who like that sort of thing anyway). It's a story of survival, of courage, respect and teamwork. Overall, it's an entertaining piece of work. This is a film well worth a rental when you're in the mood for some adventure.