Movie Review

SEAing high reviews for 'Captain Phillips'

On the American Cargo ship Maersk Alabama, Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) left his family to deliver supplies to needy countries in Africa. Taking extra precaution around the borders of Africa, Phillips and First Officer Shane Murphy (Michael Chernus) order safety checks, only to encounter armed Somali pirates who manage to hijack the cargo ship. While searching the ship, Somali pirates Abduwali Muse (Barkhad Abdi), Adan Bilal (Barkhad Abdirahman), Nour Najee (Faysal Ahmed), and Walid Elmi (Mahat M. Ali) take Phillips hostage and demand a large ransom. However, as the money is collected and the pirates board an emergency lifeboat, they don't release the captain, and Phillips gets taken with them. Both the crew members and Navy SEAL then have to work to rescue their captain and do whatever it takes to keep him alive. The determination and persistence brought out through the characters' actions supplied a prominent theme in this film. All while Phillips was held hostage by the Somali pirates, the crew and Navy SEAL never stopped trying to bring him to safety.

Because this movie is a retelling of a true story, I feel that this movie appeals to many audiences. Those who lean towards action and suspense will definitely be interested, but those that aren't as big into the action portion can still enjoy this captain's fascinating story. This movie does contain scenes with abuse and violence, which might not be appropriate for younger generations, but in my opinion, there is no set age limit.

Overall, Captain Phillips was a very well constructed film that was able to hold a suspenseful factor as the plot progressed. As a viewer, I was constantly on edge, wondering the outcome of this uncanny situation. Although the introduction was a bit slow, the series of events quickly picked up speed, beginning when the Alabama first spotted the Somali boats trailing after them. Aside what was shown in the film, the ensemble effort and production of this film is extraordinary. The director, Paul Greengrass, kept the film rolling for many minutes on end, which proved an exponential strength of character for both the actors and filmmakers. As this story is based on true events, Greengrass did an incredible job at capturing all aspects of this story. This movie shows a new level of remarkable abilities with its use of real equipment instead of fake props, which are unable to capture the full essence of the story. For that reason, this film went above and beyond to draw the audience in and provide a true retelling of this astounding event. I would rate Captain Phillips an 8 out of 10, for it fully encompasses the captain's story and provides a new sense of action and suspense that leaves the audience at the edge of their seats.

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