Absence of Danger with Angelina Jolie Cribbing Eastwood

Rating: 5/10 (15 May 2015)

Kind of Fragmented Film about an American Survivor of a Japanese POW Camp that made it through Brutal Captivity but not before He was a High School Olympian in Hitler's Games. A Hero before He became a Hero, again.
It's Eastwood looking Filmed by A-List Cinematographer Robert Deakins and it's an Eastwood Oscar Bait Story with much Surface Angst and very Little Depth of Despair. No matter how Dirty the Actors are there is an Absence of Danger and Threat of Death. Multiple Punches to the Face and a Caning Upside the Head are as Nasty as it gets.
There are a couple of Inspired Scenes like Jack O'Connell Showing Up His Captor and Tormentor with a Display of UN-Brokenness, but Not Enough to make this Compelling Cinema. A lengthy Opening of Flashbacks try to Flesh Out the Man. Louis Zamperini, is a Rebellious Youth and a Bombardier, and these Scenes do Intrigue.
But once the Crew is Lost at Sea Things Turn rather Mundane despite the occasional Jump Back to More Glorious Times. Overall, its just Not Engaging Enough to be Great Cinema and seems Rather Routine most of the Time. The PG-13 Rating also Doesn't Help the POW Scenes.
Overall, an Average Film about a Real Life Hero who was Anything but Average.