Phantom

Plot synopsis:
At Rybachiy Naval Base, Submarine Squadron Commander Vladimir Markov (Lance Henriksen) meets with Dmitri Demi Zubov (Ed Harris) and tells him that he has been ordered to take command of submarine V67 (the first submarine that Zubov commanded early in his career), for one last cruise before both the submarine and Zubov retire from the fleet. The V67 is to be stripped and refitted for sale to the Chinese navy. Zubov is appalled that the Russians would allow their submarines to be possessed by an enemy. Markov explains that it's expensive to run a modern nuclear navy, and it also isn't all bad to let their enemies have access to their old and outdated equipment.Zubov complains that he and his men have only been back for three weeks from their most recent cruise of 76 days and that there are numerous other well rested boats and crews available. Markov tells Zubov that the mission is to accommodate a request by a special projects group with the KGB, who say they need the most experienced commander and boat in the Russian navy to carry out their objective. It may also not be coincidental that the Americans are currently increasing their naval assets in the Pacific Ocean. Markov tells Zubov that they were unsuccessful at rounding up all of Zubov's crew from their vacations, so some replacements will necessarily be used.Markov also tells Zubov that the command wanted to honor him by allowing him to take the V67 on it's last official cruise. Zubov seems very skeptical about that. While his father, Nicolai Zubov, was very well respected in the Russian submarine service, and a new academy is to be named for him, Zubov had a less distinguished career. He had some of the lowest grades ever for an officer at the academy and he was struggling with alcohol and drug use to deal with both physical and emotional difficulties resulting from an incident where he rammed the V67 into the back of another Russian submarine that killed 6 of his crew and induced epilepsy in him caused by a head injury.Zubov asks Markov if he thinks they can ever be redeemed for the things they've done. Markov says, "In our dreams, maybe."Zubov goes to a bachelor party being attended by his officers. One of them, Sasha (Jason Gray-Stanford), is due to be married. There are several big-breasted women and plenty of alcohol involved with the celebration. Zubov hands his executive officer, Alex Kozlov (William Fichtner), their orders. After reading them, Kozlov announces to the others that they will be shipping out at 1400 the next day.That night, Zubov attends the wedding of Shasha and his fiance. The priest had agreed to get up in the middle of the night and do the ceremony. There were five people total in the church. Zubov tells Sasha he has two hours to consummate the marriage before he must report for duty and then tosses him some keys to a room.Zubov goes home and kisses his daughter (Tessa Robinson) as she sleeps and apologizes to his wife Sophie for having to go back to sea. Sophie just remains silent, obviously disappointed.
At the dock where the V67 is located, Kozlov complains to Zubov about the age and poor condition of the boat, but nevertheless he goes about working to get everything ready.Pavlov (Johnathon Schaech), the Russian political officer on board for the trip, introduces Zubov to Bruni (David Duchovny), a "technician" with the KGB, who will be going along, in addition to several other KGB men who will be helping him. They have a new piece of highly classified equipment that has been attached to the submarine and they need to test it. Bruni seems to recognize Zubov and says, "Nice to see you again, Captain." Zubov looks at him and acknowledges his comment, but obviously doesn't recognize Bruni.The V67 was built to accommodate 86 people, so with the added KGB staff, it was very close quarters.The payload includes a nuclear missile and a small yellow canary (used to monitor air quality for potentially lethal gases).Pavlov gives Zubov two envelopes containing their respective orders. The envelopes are to be opened once they are at sea. Zubov puts them in a small wall safe in his stateroom. Pavlov also hands keys on neck chains to both Zubov and Kozlov. He also has one. They are the launch control keys for the nuclear missile.As the V67 sails from its pier and past the office of Admiral Markov, Markov is watching out the window, outfitted in his dress uniform, and standing at attention. He brings a pistol up and points it at his temple, as though saluting, then pulls the trigger and kills himself.As the sub continues towards the sea wall and on out to sea, Kozlov asks Zubov what the strange looking device attached to the outer hull is. Zubov tells Kozlov that device represents the shortest distance between Kozlov and his own command, that if he doesn't screw up this mission, he'll soon be in charge of a nuclear submarine. Markov told him as much.Right after Zubov orders the boat to dive, he hears a loud clanging noise and aborts the dive. The sub resurfaces and the crew inspects the topside deck. Zubov thought someone might have been left out there and had made the noise. There was no one there, so they dive again.Bavenod (Julian Adams), is the navigator on the boat. He's one of the replacement crew, telling Zubov that he came from the November, a nuclear sub and that he requested the transfer because he heard that crews on diesel boats were the best.As Zubov heads for his stateroom, he passes the room where the KGB have their monitoring and control equipment. He jumps as a Rottweiller sticks it's head out of the door and growls and barks viciously. The dog is not real but is something imagined by Zubov.Kozlov comes to see Zubov in his quarters and informs the captain that the replacement crew members all have no personnel records, just name, and rank. He notes that Bavenod is actually listed among the dead from an accident on another submarine. Kozlov thinks the technicians are KGB radical commandos and trained assassins. Zubov tells Kozlov that once they are deep in the water, they will do some drills, to make sure the replacements know what to do in case of an emergency.The Sonar Operator (Jordan Bridges) detects another submarine, likely an American fast-attack, and Zubov orders evasive measures, including entering the thermocline and ejecting noise countermeasures.Zubov finally opens the envelope containing his orders and has Kozlov read them to the crew over the intercom. The orders direct them to proceed to near where the American fleet is located and once there to test the new equipment.The emergency drills begin and include a simulated hydrogen leak in battery cell #1; and flooding within a compartment. In real life, if salt water encounters the electrolytes in the batteries, it creates deadly chlorine gas. The drill doesn't go well, as Zubov calculates they would all have been killed.Sonar detects a large surface contact and Bruni orders Zubov to put the boat directly underneath that ship. Kozlov is against that, not knowing what sort of ship that might be. Zubov orders the boat to approach from the rear, at periscope depth, so they can see what it is. It turns out to be a large Panamanian tanker. Bruni wants Zubov to put the sub under the tanker. Complicating matters is the fact that the boat's batteries have only 30-35 minutes time left before they need to be recharged on the surface. Zubov orders the sub to get behind and then under the tanker.One of the KGB techs in the control room keeps asking for the sub to be moved closer and closer to the tanker, until it's only about 15 feet from it's keel, at risk of getting hit by the huge propellers. Finally, with battery power gone, they are forced to drop down and fall back, getting tossed around harshly by the propeller wash of the large ship.Pavlov questions why Zubov drinks rum rather than vodka, which would be more patriotic. Zubov tells him that he drinks what he likes, not what is politically correct.In response to why he and Zubov find themselves on the V67 at that particular time, when they are older than most of the men on board, Zubov jokingly explains that it's Admiral Markov's reprisal for him marrying Sophie. As they continue their discussion, Zubov experiences mental images of bad things happening and he suffers and epileptic seizure. When he regains his senses, Dr. Semak (Jason Beghe) is there, holding him and calming him. The doctor explains to Pavlov that the seizures happen only once or twice per year and the shitty government medication he takes doesn't help any.When they are alone, Zubov tells Dr. Semak that he has dreams so clear he can't tell them from reality and at times he feels he's losing his mind. Pavlov confronts Kozlov about the captain's condition, as he's worried about potential consequences should the communist party find out. Kozlov simply responds that he's not going to tell them.Sonar detects an American skipjack submarine in the area. Kozlov orders evasive maneuvers, which gets the attention of Bruni, who wants the sub to surface and the diesel engines started, which of course would advertise their existence and position to the skipjack. Captain Zubov is back on the bridge and Bruni tells him to surface and start the engines, but he won't tell him why. He just tells Zubov to have some faith. Not wanting trouble with the KGB, Zubov issues the orders.After the diesel engines are started, Bruni orders his men to engage the Phantom. The noise level around the boat increases dramatically, as though the sub suddenly grew giant propellers that were churning in the water.The American skipjack turns and falls in behind the V67. Zubov calls the crew to battle stations, loads a torpedo and opens the outer door, ready to fire. After maybe half a minute, Sonar announces that the skipjack returned to it's original course. Zubov looks at Bruni and asks him if the Phantom was some sort of cloaking device. They adjourn to the wardroom where Bruni explains that the Phantom is a system capable of recording the screw noises from any ship at sea and then re-broadcasting it so that any sub or ship monitoring them will think they are the type of ship whose sounds are being broadcast. Thus, the skipjack thought it was following a Panamanian tanker.Captain Zubov plans to report on the success of the equipment test once they reach a pre-established reporting point. No one disagrees, however when it's just him, Kozlov, Dr. Semak and Pavlov remaining in the wardroom, a discussion ensues about what the KGB's options may be with regard to the boat and the Phantom. The potential exists for the KGB to take control of the boat and initiate an attack on the Americans, given that the Phantom would make it possible for them to become undetectable by either the Americans or their own Russian navy. Zubov thinks it would be good to have some sort of confirmation from squadron command that things are going as they planned.Pavlov warns Zubov and the other two officers that they should be very careful about making accusations like that. Zubov tells Pavlov that sometimes in life you have to take sides, not necessarily knowing if you're on the right side or not.As they reach the reporting point, Zubov orders the boat towards the surface so they can broadcast their position and confirm their orders. Bruni and one of his men don't want Zubov to do that, saying it would compromise their mission, which is to remain undetected. Pavlov supports their position. When Zubov threatens to arrest Bruni and Pavlov, one of Bruni's men draws a pistol and holds it to the captain's chest. He says if the order to dive the boat isn't given, he'll shoot Zubov. Kozlov orders the boat to dive.Bruni then proclaims out loud that Captain Zubov abuses alcohol and medication and suffers from seizures due to a brain injury, the result of colliding with Vladimir Markov's boat in a training exercise, killing six sailors. He observes that Zubov also posted one of the lowest scores ever at the Officer's Training School and he kept himself from being expelled from the navy only through bribery and his father's reputation. Finally, he tells everyone that Zubov even tried killing himself, but failed at that too.Bruni then gives the crew the choice of standing their posts in service to their country, or joining their captain in a court martial. Bruni gives Zubov one last chance to do as he's ordered. Zubov tells Bruni to go fuck himself and Bruni hits him. Bruni then separates the captain and those loyal to him and puts them in the forward part of the boat, but he puts Kozlov and some other men in the aft part of the boat.In the forward area where Zubov and others are taken, the captain decides he needs to explain what happened to him earlier in his career. He tells his men that in order to defeat an adversary, you must drive the fight and be willing to do the unexpected. In a hunter-killer exercise, with him in command of the V67 and Markov in command of another sub, Zubov placed his sub in the wake of Markov's, knowing that Markov would never expect Zubov to fight in the blind. However, Zubov didn't expect that Markov would reverse his engines. The result was that the subs collided. Zubov's head hit the gyro and knocked him out. When he came to, there was a fire in the forward torpedo room. The men fighting the fire wouldn't come out and after Zubov was forced to seal them inside to save the ship, the men opened the outer hatches and let the sea rush in to extinguish the fire.Because of who his father was, squadron command wouldn't allow Zubov's career to end as a result of the accident. They just sort of exiled him and Markov within the service to keep them from causing any further embarrassments.Zubov tells his men that squadron command would never entrust the Phantom device with someone like him. He says there are only two reasons why a boat would go rogue. One was to defect and the other to start a war. He doubts that the KGB planned to defect.Zubov gets on the boat's secure phone system and calls Kozlov and tells him he's sure the KGB has the launch codes and they need to find a way to disable the nuclear weapon. He asks Kozlov if Tyrtov (Sean Patrick Flanery) is with him, that Tyrtov knows the warhead better than anybody. Tyrtov is with Kozlov. If they can get him to the missile silo, then he could get to the warhead and rearrange the firing triggers. The missile would still launch, but would not result a nuclear explosion.Kozlov also wants to get to the boat's weapons locker, so they arm themselves and re-take control of the boat.Kozlov orders Tyrtov and Bavenod to into the crawl space below the deck. They crawl through narrow spaces until they meet up with Sasha (Jason Gray-Stanford) and another man. Kozlov orders Sasha to go with Tyrtov to get to the missile to reprogram the firing mechanism. Meanwhile, Kozlov and some other men head off to get to the weapons locker.Bruni sets the sub on a course that Pavlov observes would put them extremely close to the American fleet in the vicinity of Midway Atoll. In response to the doctor's question about why Bruni is doing this, Zubov explains that the KGB is likely planning to use the Phantom to broadcast a recording of one of the Russian subs that had already been sold to the Chinese. The Americans will think that the missile was launched by the Chinese and retaliate against them.One of the men with Zubov is a communications expert and he rigs up a device that can be ejected from the sub and once it surfaces, it would broadcast where they are and what they are doing. They do all they can to mask the noise of the ejection, but the capsule doesn't shoot out far enough from the sub and it smacks against the hull as it travels down the length of the boat. Bruni hears the noise and rushes forward to see what's going on. He learns nothing from Zubov or his men, but his interrogation is interrupted by word that a Russian sub is bearing down on them quickly. The transmitting device had worked well, and quickly.The sub coming their way is the November, commanded by the most decorated hunter-killer in the fleet. The November is lining up to shoot at V76. Bruni has no choice but to temporarily return control of the boat to Zubov, because he doesn't have the ability to evade or fight the November.Zubov orders all countermeasures released from the V76 and a decoy torpedo fired. The boat then executes an emergency dive and turn. One of the November's torpedos takes out the decoy, the other continues on and barely misses the conning tower of the V76. Zubov takes the boat deeper and they sit and wait, with the November directly above them. They are at crushing depth and some leaks start to show up.When Zubov observes that the Russian government apparently doesn't approve of the KGB's plan, Bruni explains that what the politicians don't understand is that the Americans have first strike nuclear capability and if they behave like the Russians, they won't hesitate to use it. Zubov argues that the Americans may very well exhibit self-control and not execute a first strike.Bruni explains to Zubov that the Americans have a program called Dark Star. It's an electro-magnetic pulse weapon that can disable any nuclear weapon, land, air or water-based, that the Russians may fire. With that capability, Bruni believes that the Americans could attack Russia at will and the Russians would have no counter-attack ability.Zubov argues that the Americans would have cause not to attack Russia, being an empathic and humane society. Bruni isn't convinced.Sasha and Trytov arrive at the missile silo and Trytov has a panic attack. Seems he's a claustrophobic submariner. Sasha decides he'll have to try and reprogram the firing mechanism, so he has Trytov coach him about what to do once he gets up to the warhead.Koslov, Bavenod and another man disable one of Bruni's men and proceed to the weapons locker.The November fires two torpedoes at V76. Zubov decides to execute the same technique that he did against Markov in their disastrous exercise and brings V76 into the wake of the November. He orders two torpedos rigged to be manually exploded, planning to disable the November rather than kill her. Zubov orders both torpedoes fired, followed by release of more countermeasures and an emergency ascent. The November also releases countermeasures and fires two more torpedoes. Zubov orders his first torpedo detonated. That knocks the two November "fish" off course. He then orders the second torpedo detonated within about 100 meters of the November, which causes her some damage and she is forced to surface.Zubov demands to know the target Bruni has in mind. He says it's the Pacific Fleet at Midway. He believes that once the Chinese and Americans destroy each other, Russia will emerge on the right side of history.Koslov and Bavenod arrive at the bridge with their weapons and order Bruni and his men to drop their weapons and stand down. Bruni then says, "Mr. Bavenod," prompting Bavenod to redirect his pistol at the neck of Koslov and the KGB retakes control of the boat.Sasha has accessed the nuclear warhead and is working furiously to re-program the firing mechanism. One of Bruni's men sees the red warning light flashing on the control panel on the bridge, indicating someone's trying to get to the missile. Bruni and his right hand man rush to the silo and find Trytov by the door. Bruni grabs him and slits his throat with a knife, dropping him to the floor and leaving him to bleed out. Bruni then enters the access porthole to the missile and shines his flashlight around. Sasha is on the other side of the missile, out of sight, so Bruni doesn't see him and he backs out and locks the door.Bruni returns to the bridge and collects the firing keys from Pavlov, Koslov, and Zubov. He then orders the missile fueled, firing coordinates entered, warhead activated, firing sequence started, and launch code entered. The launch code doesn't work, as Zubov had managed to compromise it earlier, using his key when he was alone at the control panel.Bruni orders everyone around him to go the captain's cabin where he orders Zubov to open the safe and extract the ship's orders. The orders contain an encrypted message with an alternate launch code. Pavlov tells Zubov not to open the safe. Bruni shoots Pavlov in the stomach. As he's dying, Pavlov says, "sometimes you have to pick a side." Dr. Semak then tells Zubov not to open the safe and Bruni shoots him three times in the back.Right then, Sonar advises that the November is firing more torpedoes at them. Koslov is next in line to be shot by Bruni, so to avoid that Zubov gets the orders from the safe and hands them to Bruni. Bruni orders the Phantom to be engaged. Back on the bridge, Bavenod reads the new launch code and Bruni enters it. He then orders the missile tube opened. As he's about to press the launch button, Zubov lunges and tries to stop him, but he's too late.In the missile tube, Sasha sees the missile tube door open above and says, "oh, shit!" He then hurriedly completes the separation of two components of the firing mechanism, the last step to ensuring that a nuclear explosion won't occur. The missile launches, likely burning Sasha to death as it exits the boat.As Bruni hurries over to the periscope to have a look around outside, Captain Zubov comes up behind him, taking hold of Bruni's head and smashing it hard against the periscope, then grabbing and holding Bruni's body in front of him as he uses a hand gun given to him by Koslov and shoots Bavenod dead. Other men throughout the boat take down the several other KGB agents on board.Zubov orders the last remaining decoy torpedo fired and an emergency dive. It's too little, too late, as the November's torpedo explodes and seriously damages the V76, sending her to the bottom. As they sit there, Bruni decides to remind Captain Zubov about who he is. He was the boatwains mate on the V76 when they had the encounter with Markov. Zubov had ordered Bruni to seal the hatch to the forward battery, trapping the six men who later died. He said he didn't have the benefit of a father's reputation to save his career, but he claims that Zubov's being selected for this mission wasn't personal, that he was just a target of opportunity.The yellow canary dies and the men are showing signs of breathing toxic fumes. They have some small filter masks they use to try and reduce the effects. Koslov advises Zubov that salt water is in the battery deck, so chlorine gas is being produced. Zubov orders Koslov to get in the egress suit and swim to the surface. It's their only chance for possible rescue and for someone to explain how all that happened was caused by mad men, and not the good men of his crew.None of them have any idea if the missile hit it's target or if the warhead detonated.The movie ends with Koslov escorting Zubov's wife and daughter to the dock, where some sailors are carrying orange body bags across the top of a submarine. Standing shoulder to shoulder on the deck of the sub are the men who were on board the V76. They are now ghosts. Zubov's daughter tells her mother how she wished her father would know how proud she is and the mother responds that he does.The ghosts are apparently aware that either the Americans showed restraint or the missile and warhead didn't explode. Zubov looks upon his wife, daughter and Koslov with fondness and pride as they turn and walk away.

Tags: psychedelic, atmospheric

Review:
However I see it as a decent sub movie.To summarize a few reviews, people hated the American actors that pretended to be Russians without Russian accents.
William Fitchner should also be pointed out as an actor who always delivers good character roles.I like the fact that they didn't try to have the actors deliver lines in broken Russian/English.
Captain Demi (Ed Harris) believes Bruni (David Duchovny), a KGB operative, has plans to take over the ship and start a nuclear war.
Great submarine movie if you have studied sub warfare during the cold war.
This movie takes some sensitive subject matter, dresses it up a bit so that it won't make the Russians mad, and lets the characters make the essential points for the understanding of the components of this mission.
'PHANTOM': Three Stars (Out of Five) Cold War submarine thriller starring Ed Harris, David Duchovny and William Fichtner.
The film is about the captain of a Soviet missile submarine, during the Cold War, who must stop a rogue KGB agent from taking over his ship and seizing the nuclear missile onboard.
It had a very limited theatrical release (in which it made about one eighteenth of it's $18 million budget back) and the film has received harsh criticism for it's inaccurate depiction of a Soviet sub (and no attempt was made to have the actors speak Slavic at all, with subtitles, or speak with accents).
The acting is great as well.Harris plays a Soviet Navy captain named Demi, in the 1960s, who's set to retire when he's asked to go on one last mission with his old crew on his old ship.
The director, Todd Robinson, should have hired just one Russian as a consultant, that would serve the movie for sure.However, if you ignore the lines in the story that this is supposed to be about Russian people and Russian navy and few real things like those gears, and imagine that this is about a US navy, and about rogue CIA agents, then everything falls in its place and looks natural.
To me "Phantom" seems like a missed opportunity to make a good movie, and I'll let it go at that.
After returning home and excited about being on leave the A Russian sub captain (Harris) and crew are stunned when they are chosen to go on another mission right away.
Director Todd Robinson obviously did here.Based on a true story, we follow a Cold War Russian u-boat crew when they come in, and are sent out right away the morning after on an old submarines allegedly last trip before it's to be emptied and sold to the Chinese.
We also get to see David Duchovny, William Fichtner, Kip Pardue and Lance Henriksen in central roles.I'm relieved this isn't a film in which the actors are to talk English with a Russian accent.
Maybe i should just look at the middle rated reviews and then judge from there.For people to think this is a movie that deserves any type of reward is just crazy, it was a 3rd rate story with a third rate director, nothing felt plausible, nothing felt real, it was one of the worst submarine movies i have seen and that is saying something as i have seen all of them i can.I don't know how to explain the disaster, the story was weak some of the acting was just stupid, the tense parts were not tense and the cinematography reminded me of movies from the 80's .I actually think i have seen some of the parts in this movie that have been stolen from others.
blah blah blah".Then what we have is essentially a remake of Ice Station Zebra (1968).The story is interesting (if we believe one of the stories about K-129) yet we have a submarine full of Americans that are supposed to be Russians that talk like Americans, think like Americans and resolve conflicts like Americans and the best among them is the most American.Is the point that someone that thought like an American saved the day?How marvelously convenient.
nutty.Ice Station Zebra (1968) has a lot less going on than this but is a much better movie, even with Ernest Borgnine playing a Russian.John Carpenter loves it as do I, even though it's so flawed.Below (2002) is also much better, scenes from that film still haunt me, no scenes from Phantom will..
That, and the presentation of the characters as real people, not your mediocre Party worshipping, vodka glugging, every-sentence-with-comrade-ending Soviet stereotype.That's just one factor which makes the movie worth watching.
Ed Harris plays his role as epileptic submarine captain with a similar character profile to his Major Koenig in Enemy At The Gates, with a little more personality thrown in this time.
None of these failings, however, take away from the movie its human portrayal of the Russian submarine crew, and that alone makes this movie worth watching..
With great North-American actors and with a well written plot based on actual events, this movie carries you into the belly of an old Diesel Submarine, Russian Submarine, at the height of the cold war.
Furthermore there is of cause no Russian audio, because who would think that people on a soviet submarine could speak anything else than American English.You wont miss this movie go and watch some of the old, but GOOD submarine movies there already exist!.
And it doesn't help one bit that the story is based on some actual events that occurred in 1968.Ed Harris plays a veteran submarine captain for the Russian navy who's sent on a mysterious mission with some possibly rogue elite KGB agents on board.
Even if you can get past the rather disconcerting spectacle of a cast of all-American actors portraying unaccented Russians, you're still left with having to wade through a muddled story, the logistics of which are so arcane and esoteric that we often can't figure out what's going on (we just know by the actors' grim demeanor that it is all Very Very Serious).And just as you're about to give the movie credit for at least daring to show things from the other side of the Cold War, Harris delivers a speech so absurdly complimentary of the Americans that Thomas Paine himself could have written it.
Even in the Harrison Ford "Widowmaker" submarine movie, where he played a Russian, he adopted a Russian accent, and Ford's not the best actor.
I watched this because the trailer, cast and description implied it was a horror movie - it is not at all.What this IS, is a 'historic' film based on a rogue Russian sub.
Ed Harris is always good, and William Fichtner is under rated as an actor (and does not seem to have much luck with boats!) Again, Duchovny is a poor choice because of what he represents, and he does not help himself by basically playing Fox Mulder early on.The problem seems to come from the fact that is 'historical'.
Someone forgot to tell the actors that they were supposed to be Russians?I would rate this as another watch and forget movie...
Clearly there are some very good Russian actors who wouldn't mind playing a role in a soviet movie.
I'm going to go and watch the movie in Russian audio and put on American subs and pretend its just really off sync so I can just pretend to enjoy it..
If you feel that you'd like to see a decent (imperfect, but much much better than this) cold war movie that may be new to you, try 'the Bedford incident' (1965)..
Again, immediately thereafter, we see the Captain (Ed Harris) looking at his watch, a modern model from Ulysse Nardin, something that did not exist in 1968, and definitely something a Soviet submarine skipper could never possess in those days.
Starting with Duchovny, who as a KGB Special Agent in 1968 is just as believable as if he would be cast to play a Geisha in a movie about medieval Japan.Sad really, this could have been a good movie if somebody had actually taken the trouble to do some real research..
I like Edd Harris and William Fichtner but they didn't give me any good reason to like their characters.The climax was interesting but sadly it made me just want to watch something better executed like Crimson tide or The hunt for Red October instead, and that was distracting.It's a pass, but don't plan a Saturday night for it.
this film has signed up a lot of good actors to perform a suspenseful submarine tactical war story.
this film has also reminded me to search out 'crimson tide' and some other wwii submarine movies and re-watch them with regenerated interest and enthusiasm.
A thoroughly engaging story with a great ensemble cast make Phantom a well made, enjoyable movie full of grittiness and tension.Don't like Americans playing Russians?
I guess you thought American Sniper was a documentary?Seriously though, this is much better than many sub movies I've seen whether big budget or small and deserves all the praise it's been given thus far and little or none of the detrimental whinings of negative reviewers.Once again, have a look at the 1s and 2s and take note they they are predominantly one review only (namely this one) and have apparently been members of IMDb for decades.
A dramatic extrapolation of one of the four leading theories behind the loss if K-129 (whose secrets remain informally hidden by both the U.S. and Russian naval communities to this day), this is a well-acted, well-written and well-directed film.The plot is very similar to Crimson Tide, but I think this movie does a better job with the basic premise of a mutiny aboard a nuclear submarine.
Also, it is ridiculous that people give this movie a low rating because the actors don't speak with a Russian accent.
Harris and Fichtner put in excellent performances and Duchovny is strong as well.The story itself is engaging and ultimately would have worked well without the whole "true events" thing...in fact definitely works better without it.
We could start with the fact that we've got a largely accent-free American cast playing supposed Russian characters, but that's just stating the obvious.
PHANTOM is a solidly entertaining, if unspectacular submarine thriller in a tradition of, but not quite reaching the level of better films such as THE HUNT FOR RED October (a clear inspiration, as Tony Scott was memorialized in the end credits).
That being said, the movie is about a submarine captain, soon to retire, who is taking an old sub out for its last mission.
I watched it because of the cast, specifically because Ed Harris always gives a solid performance, which he did as did David Duchovny, but somehow the film just didn't pull together.
Near the end of the movie, the whole thing seemed a bit sketchy and pointless but there is a bit of action and suspense.Budget: $18million Worldwide Gross: N/AI recommend this movie to people who like there drama/thriller based on a submarine which gets hijacked.
When American actors are playing Russians and try to imitate the accent, it doesn't work - lets just face it, there are many examples ("Enemy at the Gates" comes in mind first - good movie, horrible accents).Overall, "Phantom" is a very solid submarine movie.
However, since I wasn't aware of any of that while watching it, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the film.Inspired by actual events, Ed Harris plays Demi, a Russian captain who, had he not been from a prominent family, would have been long gone after a major screw-up that lost lives.
It turns out to be the testing of the 'Phantom' which cloaks the submarine and fools the enemy into thinking the sub is from another country.Demi knows that he's only commanding a sub because the Russians did not want his family shamed, so he also knows that no one in the KGB or anywhere else would choose his sub for a top secret mission.
So who are these people, and what is their real purpose?Filmed in a submarine, while this film isn't as good as Das Boot or some other sub films, it's quite exciting, and Ed Harris, David Duchovny, William Fitchner, and Jonathan Schaech all are terrific.My only quibble is that I did pick up one thing the Russian reviewer did - there is a man with claustrophobia on the sub who refuses to do something he's asked to do.
The End of the World and Nuclear War would seem to be Enough Conflict for One Movie.It is a Well Acted and Watchable Film but it is not the Low-Budget that Sinks this Thing, it is the Over Written Script that Lacks a Center.
The actors include Ed Harris, the captain of a secret mission Russian submarine.
I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good suspense film, people who enjoy war movies and anyone who just wants to watch a good entertaining film..
More than adequate performances by Ed Harris, David Duchovny, and several other notable actors, it is worth watching, and casts a sympathetic face on the pre-glasnost Soviet Union.You should know beforehand that the actors make no attempt at sounding like Russians.
Great sinister feel to the end of the world story, casually sketched out but begins to become quite plausible as the film rolls on, Harris is a legend as always but supporting cast are also bang on.Second officer gives a strong performance as does the political officer and actually quite liked Duchovnys bad guy, played straight and you buy in, nice touch he's some super trained KGB killer, worthy opponent for Harris.Sub duels are good if played out a little quickly, Also like the fact they put Harris in a diesel boat and he has to duke it out with latest nuclear subs whilst dealing with civil war etc, in fact the deck is so stacked against him you wonder why he even bothers putting the gloves on but you know he will which again endears.Budget was $18m which surprised me, effects are average but actors, subject and story won't let you turn it off, you really care what happens to them all..
This film about a Russian submarine captain(Ed Harris, quite compelling and believable) whose command is threatened by a rogue KGB group(led by David Duchovny, better known as Fox Mulder from "The X-Files", though he is also good).
Our captain suspects the latter.The film certainly plays on, or fits neatly into, depending on your point of view, the traditional tropes of both Cold War thrillers and Submarine movies.
It just goes to show a good film can be made without a $150 million budgetSee this movie if you like Cold War or Submarine movies, or are just looking for a slightly offbeat thriller.
Thrilling and claustrophobic submarine film reminiscent of days of great war movies!!.
"Phantom" is a good solid movie and well worth watching!!!.
Ed Harris brings depth to any character he plays, and his portrayal as Demi, the captain of a Soviet submarine with a few skeletons in his closet is no exception.
"Phantom" is loosely based on the true events involving the Soviet submarine K-129 in 1968.As I sat back and enjoyed this movie I must admit that at first I found myself thinking of David Duchovny's character as being Fox Mulder.
It's hard to make believe these are Russian when everyone speak with perfect American accent.Casting David Duchovny as one of the bad guys is a mistake.
Any other actor in this movie would make a better bad guy.I don't know submarine dogfight tactic so I can't say whether they got it right or not.
If you want a good sub movie, watch one of the following.
The acting, wasn't that impressive as it seems at the same time, everybody in American accent, but you know the crew is Russian.Anyways, the ending is completely fiction and that's where the movie "based on a true event" ends there as we all know that the Soviets lose the entire submarine and it was the Glomar Explorer that would rise parts of it up.In all a good Saturday flick if you're bore if you have Netflix or if this movie will ever be on the Comcast program.
Water-logged at best cliché riddled submarine drama based on Cold War event that nearly happened, has Harris (grizzled gravitas golden as always) as a demon-plagued Soviet captain whose final mission is guided by man of mystery Duchovny (trying to be villainous and nearly succeeding) whose covert plans could very well lead to nuclear Armageddon (what else is new?) Novice filmmaker Todd Robinson (who wrote the inert screenplay) pulls out all the stop for the sub-genre (yes pun intended) from ticking clock tension taut with 'silent running' to loaded guns aimed in semi-threats to advance the goals necessary..
Ed Harris and William Fichtner gave outstanding performances as usual but the real surprise was David Duchovny, I doubt I will ever forget his role in this movie.I would easily pay to watch it and would love to see it on the big screen with an audience to enjoy it and talk about it later..
PHANTOM is a Cold War submarine thriller with a B-movie feel.
this movie is totally based on cold war between USA and ussr and how humanity was displayed by the Russian army , in other words its specifically about a submarine which was assigned for some covert mission and you get a twist in the story ....
but the action was not up to what i expected by seeing the tag lines though they have described the story clearly but still more action was required and English actors without Russian acsent ..overall its good and a must watch movie..
Demi (Ed Harris) is a captain of a Soviet missile submarine.
This was about a Soviet sub and to have the American's directing the events (like in the Hunt for Red Oktober) would have spoilt a really decent movie.