Rating: 
Summary: I`ll admit, I`m biased....
Review: ... I liked it. It`s tough for a movie to make you feel claustrophobic in your living room, but this one did. The sound effects were wonderful, and the music was very Soviet. Nice touch. The effects of radiation were lovingly and nauseatingly rendered. I didn`t really sympathise with the Captain until the end, when it becomes clear just how much he`s trying to balance his loyalty to the party with his loyalty towards the crew. Whether that was due to the script or Ford`s acting choices, I`m still not sure, but it seemed like he was a tough guy who had a quick change of heart. The accents didn`t bother me as much as I thought they would. I sort of disregarded them pretty quickly. I agree with the previous reviewer who noted the lack of cigarettes. Major glaring anachronism there.... Overall, I liked it. ...
Rating: 
Summary: TALES FROM UNCLE SAM...
Review: It is worth reminding what the real heroes of those events thought about the movie. When it was first screened in St. Petersburg, the survivors of the nuclear submarine disaster could not hide ironic smiles, yet at the end of the film, the veterans rose to applaud the fantasy-filled story of human courage. The craft's navigator, Valentin Shabanov said that only two things in the film were true: the bottle of champagne did not break when the submarine was launched and an accident with the reactor; the rest "are tales from Uncle Sam." Although the plot is based on real-life events, producers added psychological drama to the storyline by clashing hard-nosed captain Ford against his more compassionate second-in-command in a stand-off culminating in a riot. "For the crew to disobey the captain. It is unthinkable," said the craft's powerline supervisor Boris Kuzmin. "There was no panic at all. And the guns -- they are sealed in a safebox and few people know where it is. As for handcuffs, in 1961 even police did not have them. Forget about the submarine." The Russian sailors said they had vetoed the first script of the film, which contained such scenes as a Russian officer sitting on top of the reactor and drinking vodka. Even the Director Kathryn Bigelow, admitted that the team added imaginary conflict to the story for the benefit of the viewer. Despite their reservations, the K-19 veterans were unanimous in giving high marks to the film which for the first time in Hollywood history portrayed Soviet servicemen as heroes.
Rating:
Summary: A good parody but nothing more
Review: Very good parody! Actually I would expect to see there Leslie Nelson instead of Harrison Ford. I know, Harrison Ford is a good actor, but Leslie is a better candidature for such parodies like Naked Gun or K-19... Because everything in K-19 is just a comedy, but nothing more! Russian submariners are dancing in a squatting position, call the submarine commander as "captain" and do may other funny things instead of performing their regular duty. Very funny! Actually I was expecting to see more interesting things such as dancing bears dressed in caps with ear-flaps, with a big red star and playing on balalaika. I was expecting to see lots of drunken Russian submariners playing cards and fight each with other. It's really strange that I didn't see these episodes in K-19 because this is a normal portraiture on Russian people for most of Americans. This movie was primary created for average statistical citizen from one-storied middle of America such as Cleveland or similar. Course these average statistical guys will never see all funny sides of the K-19 movie and they will sincerely believe that everything there is a TRUE. They will believe that Russian submariners handle the battle torpedo just like a firewood etc. They will believe that Russian "politruk" can contradict to his commander and even aim him with a gun :) These poor average statistical guys will never understand that commander of Russian submarine is incontestable authority for everyone on board including the "politruk"...
I don't want to explain here all such nonsense's as shown in the movie. However I would like to say that this movie has nothing common with a real story of K-19 and its heroic crew who save the word against nuclear catastrophe. Some of these heroes have spent their lives to do that they did, and some of them are still alive and they were really hoping to see at least a particle of TRUE in the mentioned movie. They were so happy to meet Harrison Ford when he was in Russia. So this is as twice as more painful to see the suffering on their old and wrinkled faces. In any case, we know ' THEY ARE REAL HEROES! Thank you for spending a time on reading of this review.
Rating:
Summary: K-19 The Widowmaker
Review: On of the finest movie I have ever seen. I have much respect for the Russian people and the loyalty they have for there country.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: K-19 The Widowmaker is an absolutely great movie, depicting actual events. The basic premise: It is the early stages of the cold war. The Soviets have designed, by their measures, the ultimate boomer. Kruschev wants it put to sea earlier than it should be, to launch a test missile and prove to us, the Americans, that they did it. Of course, poor design, followed by poor workmanship hamper this submarine from the beginning. Several people die in various ways, during the construction and even right before it sea trials. Once they finally put to sea, the Captain (Harrison Ford) begins to take the crew through several drills, attempting to make them a more efficient crew. They quickly become a team, which is fortunate, for what they are about to face will test them thoroughly. They experience a coolant leak in one of the reactors. I won't ruin the movie for those who've not seen it yet. Let's just say that this movie has plenty of suspense and that if you like these types of movies, like myself, you'll really enjoy K-19 The Widowmaker. Another great performance by Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson and everybody else involved. Catch this movie before you have to wait a few months for it to hit the DVD rack.
Rating: 
Summary: Just a remark
Review: Great movie, some already said everything I wanted to say, so I'll refraing from making my own review. I'd like to add only one comment. Somebody here compared this movie with "Hunt for Red October". How heartless (or dumb) you could be after that!?
Can you understand that this movie is all about a real tragedy, man's deaths and so on!? While movies about 007 are entertaining fairy tails... I have no words to describe what felt reading that review. Where's this world going when people can't tell a real pain from fiction!?
I'd like to suggest people to read the original novel which underlied this movie and remember one more time heroes and victims of those times when people died for nothing in the middle of nowhere.
Rating:
Summary: Kept me on the edge of my seat
Review: I've long been a fan of Harrison Ford. Since his Han Solo and Indiana Jones days. I remember seeing him on an old episode of Gunsmoke and saying This guy is a future superstar! K-19 The widowmaker is a superb movie. This is a great adaptation of the real story. Ford's acting skills are highlighted here. Special effects and musical score are excellent.I liked Hunt for Red October too, but felt that Harrison Ford outperformed Sean Connery and K-19 was far and away, a much better movie.
Rating:
Summary: K-19: The Widowmaker.
Review: To be honest, I expected just another mediocre movie about war and submarines...well it wasn't. What was so great? Tension, from the very beginning, unveils slowly but gradually, keeps the audience on the edge. Music gets five stars on its own "*****" as well as acting. I can see why some people wouldn't like the movie, labeling it as "monotonous." It will be perceived differently by those who have lived through Cold War or were in the military than by those who have not or know little about the history of the period!
Rating:
Summary: emotionally compelling
Review: This exceptional film is inspired by tragic historical events. The screenplay is a composite, based equally on two separate Soviet naval disasters. The first, obviously, is the 1961 "cursed" maiden mission of K-19, Russia's pioneer nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. The second is a narrowly-averted catastrophe of 1986, involving the decrepit "Yankee-class" boomer, K-219. Ironically, the movie was also nearly scuttled -- before it even began production. The rough draft contained every Slavophobic stereotype and Cold War cliche', and was bitterly protested by K-19's surviving officers. They wtote a series of open letters to the producers and actors, inviting them to Russia to hear their real story. When director Katheryn Bigalow met these aging veterans and the widow of their recently-deceased Captain, she resolved to film a tribute to their courage. Much of the film's reference material comes from two superb books written by Capt. Peter Huchthausen USN-ASW (ret.): "K-19: The Widowmaker"; and "Hostile Waters". The former contains the translated memoir of Captain Nikolai Zateyev (real-life CO of the ill-fated sub) with an addendum about the film. The latter, co-authored with Capt. Igor Kurdin and novelist Robin White, tells the amazing story of K-219. I urge viewers to read both books for an even greater appreciation of the movie! You'll see that Harrison Ford is a dead-ringer for Zateyev, both physically and personality-wise. He commands the role of Vostrikov (Zateyev) to perfection. Liam Neeson's character, Capt. 2nd Rank Polenin, appears strongly based on K-219's Captain Igor Britanov, who was the compassionate father-figure popular with his crew. The Captains' contrasting styles of leadership provide the conflict in the film. Hollywood melodramatization is apparently obligatory, even when true events provide drama aplenty. The mutiny's only basis in reality concerned a dispute over whether to head the stricken K-19 for a Norwegian port or toward the last-known operational area of Soviet diesel submarines. A core meltdown, while not producing a "thermonuclear explosion", would have released a massive cloud of atomic contamination. K-19's disaster occurred far from any American interests, but K-219's runaway reactor threatened to dust the entire Eastern Seaboard with lethal plutonium. K-19's valiant third-watch did cobble together a makeshift cooling system in just the manner depicted. A fire did break out. And K-19's men suffered horrifying radiation poisoning within the core so hot as to boil their bodily fluids. But the character of Vadim Rodchenko, the young Reactor Officer who conquers paralyzing fear, clearly honors the memory of another engineer. K-219's Seaman Sergei Preminin manually shut down his overheating reactor, sacrificing his life to save Americans from a Chernobyl-in-a-tin-can mere miles off our coast. It was K-219's Britanov who defied Moscow's orders to halt evacuation, and decided to sink his sub to deprive the circling enemy of its prize. And although K-19's crew was absolved of blame and even decorated for their actions, K-219's Catain and officers were persecuted by the unforgiving Soviet system depicted in the film. Thus, while "K-19: The Widowmaker" is not entirely true to its namesake, it accurately portrays the life-and-death scenario which repeatedly plagued the USSR during the Cold War. In its desperation to play "catch-up" with its vastly superior American counterpart, the Soviet Navy would continue to risk its young submariners in hastily-designed, shoddily-built, or outright obsolete boats. Katheryn Bigalow and National Geographic deserve credit for showing the American audience the human side of these young seamen and officers who were just as gallant, dedicated, and patriotic as our own. We care about them, salute their heroism, and mourn their loss. "K-19" is visually magnificent and emotionally compelling. An absolutely spellbinding drama. You'll want the video, but see the film today before it leaves the Big Screen!
Rating:
Summary: Well done
Review: I found this to be a well done and suspenseful recreation of the original disaster. I don't know how accurate it was, but I enjoyed the movie. The settings were very realistic, made possible by one of the last of the late 50's and early 60's era diesel-electric submarines that they bought for the movie. Ford and Neeson turn in excellent performances. Ford's part starts out with him being a real hard-nosed officer, different from his usual more benevolent on-screen persona. But by the end of the movie he shows his more human side, and he does what's right for the safety of his men, despite Moscow's orders otherwise. Neeson, however, had the more sympathetic role, overall. This reminds me of another sub incident the Russians had. They tried to do a test where they fired off all the missiles as once. The sub started taking on so much water with all the silos open that it would have sunk before they all launched. So they found out they had to stagger them, creating a much slower launch sequence. The crew had to struggle against every conceivable Soviet bureaucratic screw-up. They didn't have real radiation suits, they lost their original ship's doctor, Ford fires the best reactor officer in the fleet and gets a newbie just out of school, basic electronic equipment keep blowing out or doesn't work, including critical gauges on the reactor, and worst of all, the emergency backup-cooling system on the reactor wasn't installed, which might have averted the entire disaster. Overall, a fine movie. Big Steve says go see it and don't Bogart the popcorn.
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