Brings Nothing New to the Genre

Rating: 5/10 (26 April 2000)

First of all, I don't care that this film bends historical fact for dramatic license. There is no "based on a true story" disclaimer at the beginning of the film, and at the end a postscript gives credit to the Brits who actually recovered the real Enigma device.
But as a movie, "U-571" is plain weak. While the acting is passable, the characters are shallow and one-dimensional. I didn't care if they lived, died, sacrificed themselves for their shipmates or whimpered like cowards. The main "action" of the film is a redundant, almost endless series of depth-chargings, each louder and more obnoxious than the last. There are no surprises and the climax is an unrealistic mish-mash of bad special effects and sappy heroism.
Everyone should forget this flashy mess and go rent the minimalist yet riveting "Run Silent, Run Deep" and marvel how great acting is always better than underwater explosions.