CAPTAIN PHILLIPS - Review

Captain Phillips

Thriller, 2013
2 hours, 14 minutes
Written by Billy Ray
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Rated PG-13 for "sustained intense sequences of menace, some violence with bloody images, and for substance use."

Starring
Tom Hanks
Barkhad Abdi
Barkhad Abdirahman
Faysal Ahmed
Mahat M. Ali
Michael Chernus
Corey Johnson
David Warshofsky
Catherine Keener

"I am the captain now."

I really liked Captain Phillips. I know there was some controversy over whether Phillips was actually a dick or not, but even so, it's an interesting story. It's really intense and went to places that I never expected it to. It's a very well made film that is definitely one of Tom Hanks' best movies.
So the movie is about Somali pirates taking over a freighter ship captained by Phillips and he's taken hostage at one point. It's a really intense story, well directed by Paul Greengrass of The Bourne Ultimatum fame. The movie is well shot and edited, and the score by Henry Jackman is pretty good.
The whole movie is very tense. It starts as soon as the first pirate ships appear on the radar, and from there, it just doesn't stop until the end. There's almost no lull in the intensity, and that's actually quite a feat. Some films might have high intensity, then lull a bit, but Captain Phillips is just one thing right after another, and it just does. Not. Stop.
The movie is definitely going to be up for some awards this year, in particular for Hanks. Barkhad Abdi, who plays the main pirate named Muse, is sure to be a contender as well in a fantastic breakout performance. Not only him, but the rest of his crew all boasted great performances, all bringing a strange sort of humanity and sympathy to their characters. It's really quite impressive.
The only real issue is Phillips' relationship with his wife and family. It's touched on like two times but then they bring it around in the end, and while it definitely has an emotional impact, it could have been far more explosive and, well, emotional. I mean, Catherine Keener, who plays Phillips' wife, is in it for like the first five minutes of the movie and then she's just... not. Not even at the end of the film. It's weird.
Captain Phillips is definitely not short on thrills, not by a long shot. It had me tapping my foot on the floor in anticipation right up until the credits rolled. It's not a movie to be missed.

9.5/10