K-19 - The Widowmaker

Rating:
Summary: Gripping, real, and drawn out
Review: As a movie alone, K-19 stands on it's own feet well. Having seen a special that I believe was done by National Geographic, it fell short of my expectations. The trailer for K-19 also gave me false impressions about the movie. I would have liked to give it 3 1/2 stars, but that isn't an option in the form.

The special I saw outlined the history of K-19, which is very much like the actual movie. However, the trailer gave me the impression that the move was more action oriented, talking about a missile being fired at a sub and a series of shots that almost make it look like the crew is being left on an iceberg. Neither of those cases happens in the movie, which makes me wonder why the trailer is full of action shots.

The movie itself is very realistic; the shots of the sub make you feel, even in the theatre, that you're in this little tin can floating around in the ocean. They go to crush depth and you see the exterior of the sub buckle under the pressure. The scenes where members of the crew are suffering from radiation sickness can make you cringe; they hold little back.

My primary gripe about this film, and why I didn't like it as well as other sub movies, is it's drawn out. The film weighs in at 2 hours, 20 minutes, and I feel 30 minutes of that could have been cut out. The beginning of the film develops why the original captain (Neeson) is not allowed to command the sub, brings on the hard-nosed Captain Vostrikov (Ford), and sets up the idea that K-19 is cursed. After the sub puts out to sea it's an endless string of days where Vostrikov sends the crew through drills. Every time the crew is too slow, or something goes wrong, or someone's injured. Finally the crew does it to his satisfaction and the movie proceeds, but it seems like they're stuck in a "Groundhog Day"-ish loop. I suppose it was to get to know the characters better, but it just seemed to lengthen the film, which wasn't really necessary.

The movie is gripping, and feels real. There's no sugarcoating in the movie, there's a couple scenes where there's a bit of sentimental feeling, but none of the "feel good, everything will be okay" that you often get in movies. It didn't dislike it, but I didn't like it either. I think had it not drug on in the earlier parts I would have liked it more.

Rating:
Summary: Been there, done that.
Review: This movie was sub (haha) par for many reason. The Submarine story has been done many times before, and better then this one. The 'cold war' movie has been done beofre, better then this. The acting was... mediocre at best. Character developement non-exsistant. Story line jumps... Is it a nuclear threat movie? A battle of control movie? A political war movie? Instead of blending them to make a great movie it seems to have chapters that don't tie well. And you know it's a bad movie when you feel like 2 hours has been 5. Who are we kidding? Go rent The Hunt for Red October and be done with it. So you are wondering why I gave it 2 stars? 2 words. Harrison Ford. I love that guy. But even I will admit that this is not his finest hour.

Rating:
Summary: Honor, Courage and Duty
Review: This is a moving story of honor, courage and duty to one's homeland and to one's shipmates. It is moving, not uplifting. The price of duty, even though honorable and showing great courage is not always pretty as this film depicts. Harrison Ford gives one of his most realistic performances though not one of his most charismatic (which is loyal to his character). Liam Neeson's character must show all the human qualities that Ford's captain can not, because Ford is the captain and Neeson understands this point. Both actors are brilliant in this respect. Don't wait for this film to jump up and grab you. Just let it work on you. The images will stay with you. Try to watch some of the specials they are showing on TV about the actual event. It will make this film even more closer and moving.

Rating:
Summary: great history lesson
Review: harrison Ford did an superb job is this film. Very good photography, had me really focused on the film. Great for anyone who enjoys films dealing with the history era.

Rating:
Summary: Tension filled action
Review: I went on the recommendation of a friend after the papers gave it a so-so review. I was stunned by this movie. It's action packed and character driven. Harrison Ford made me forget who I was watching and Liam Neeson was larger than life in the cramped world of a submarine. The young man, Peter Sarsgaard, who played the officer in charge of the atomic reactor was just amazing. His fear was palpable and all consuming. A fantastic job.

Thank you Kathryn Bigelow and company for a wonderful film.

Rating:
Summary: Gripping story with fantastic cast
Review: I went into K-19 without many expectiations (I make it a point to see every new Harrison Ford movie), but when I left, I thought it was the best movie I had seen all year.

This is a movie about heroism of all different types...heroes both willing and not, heroes both recognized and not. It aks the question...if you were at the brink, and had to face your fears and an almost certain death, what would you do?

The 2 main characters (Liam Neeson as Polenin and Harrison Ford as Vostrikov) are played with a remarkable strength of personality ...they are both patriots and excellent officers, but they have differing styles (which, of course, clash). I ended up empathizing with each man's point of view and decision process, especially as it became clear that their actions could easily start an apocalyptic world war.

I found the Russian accents easy to accept, and they helped the story immensly. Telling the story completely from the Russian point of view helped us focus on their story...we saw their world as they did, rather than as the American "good guys" would see them.

I don't usually go for submarine movies (the last I saw was The Hunt for Red October), but I was riveted for the entire time (over 2 hours). It was suspenseful, with the crew facing multiple enemies: communist beauracracy, americans, nuclear power, the sea, and K-19 itself.

Perhaps you will leave the theater thinking the same thing I did: It is amazing that we (Americans & Russians alike) managed to survuve the cold war and avoid sinking the world into a nuclear holocaust. How often were we at the brink without even knowing it?

Rating:
Summary: This is like Das Boot in the Soviet Navy
Review: I didn't know what to expect going in to the film. I knew I liked both Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. I knew that all things submarine fascinate me. I have always been curious about life aboard a Soviet submarine. Truth be told: this film delivered on all of the above.

The acting: Superb. You could feel the emotion coming off the actors. Being ex-navy myself, I found myself very sympathetic towards the plight of these young men. Soviet accents were at least attempted in this film, which lended a little more believability.

The drama: Excellent. Kathryn Bigelow kept the action rolling and, much like in Das Boot, had some very fine camera work done. You could feel the crampness of the submarine, especially when there were a lot of men in one compartment at the same time..very tight and constricting. During the key sequences of the film (I won't give them away here..enjoy it for yourself), you felt gloomy and sorrow for them..it was played out and directed that well. She also used a lot of outside shots of the boat (especially underwater) to remind you that, hey..we're still 200 meters below the surface, and not in a sound stage LOL.

The sound: The theater I saw it in had DTS digital...unfortunately only Ultra-Stereo. However..the theater was filled with the usual sounds of a sub...creaking hull plates, bubbles coming from the screws, and water rushing by..so you were really immersed in their world. It was a job well-done by the sound technicians.

By the time you leave the theater..you will have experienced the whole gammut of emotions...fear, joy, laughter, comradship, concern, sorrow, relief, elation, etc. For a movie to do that nowadays is a welcome relief. It was nice to go see a film that not only made you think, but completely immerse you in it so youre taken away for the 2 hours and 20 minutes of the movie. Well done to Kathryn Bigelow, Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson, and everyone else involved in the making of K-19: The Widowmaker!

Rating:
Summary: Intelligent, exciting, & inspiring tale of heroism!
Review: In a summer movie season full of superheroes, "K-19" tells the tale of some ordinary Russian submariners whose real-life heroics may just have actually saved the world. In a refreshing change, the story is told totally from a Russian point of view. There are no annoying intrusions of an American point of view anywhere in the film.

It does take a while to get used to their accents, but Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson both give convincing performances of Soviet submarine captains who have two very different views of how a ship should be run. They both had me so into their performances, that by the time a crucial event occurs late in the film, I was totally on their side. I almost felt like a traitor to my own country, but it gave me a great insight into the loyalty people in the military must feel towards their country. I have been so use to seeing Russians demonized, that perhaps K-19's best accomplishment might be the way it humanizes the Russians. The sailors onboard K-19 are real people with real emotions, just like us.

"K-19" is by no means an easy film to watch. The humor is minimal but befitting of a film whose ultimate villain is nothing to laugh at. If you wonder why nobody wants nuclear waste buried in their backyard, you will have no doubt why after you have seen this film. Perhaps this film would have played better in the greyness of the winter season, but its message cannot be ignored no matter when you see it. Director Kathryn Bigelow and her very talented cast have made a film that not only is worth seeing, but that just might be what I call "good for you." In a season normally reserved for mind-numbing entertainment, "K-19" delivers an intelligent,exciting, and inspiring tale of heroism that is the most powerfully, emotional film I have seen since "Life is Beautiful."

Rating:
Summary: "DAS BOOT", IT IS NOT!!
Review: As submarine flicks go-this one does not meet the standard's for high tension under water. K. Bigelow had a large chunk of testosterone to contain and I think it got away from her.
Two powerful male leads, Ford and Neeson, a powerful story a large cast all cramped into one boat-k19. The tension never gets to the point of say the movie 'Das Boot,' dubbed version not the mini series, or the tension of 'Hunt for Red October,' with the CRAZY IVANS,which had you on the edge of your seat, or even 'Crimson Tide' and 'Gray Lady Down .' Ford and Neeson did a great job, but most of the tension that happened was between them and not what was going on with the sub. The part with the young sailors going into the reactor was a tragic moment and the angelic music lets you know how the men will come out of the room. It was not split second timing and you were led into the situations by the hand. The dialog was in and out of Russian accents. Not many had the look of Russian sailors. But we are force fed all the Russian cliche's.
The scene of the sailors mooning the American copter photographer was the only light scene in the dark underworld of this submarine epic. I still will recommend you see this movie as it has a historical background. But, I think it should have been made by the Russian's and imported to USA.
ciao yaaah69

Rating:
Summary: A very well done movie that isn't very likable.
Review: Harrison Ford gives one of the better performances of his career. I've felt that he hasn't had a serious acting challenge since the Indiana Jones movies. Liam Neeson also did a very good acting job in this movie. It was completely believable as a story, which can sometimes be difficult when basing a movie on true events. But even though it was a suspenseful, cringe inspiring movie that did what it set out to do, I didn't enjoy it much. This is one of a number of movies that are worth watching once. I'd suggest seeing it in the theater, instead of waiting for it to come out for rental, because the imagery and sound are incredible, and are worth seeing on the big screen. But the storyline seems like a cross between Crimson Tide and The Hunt For Red October. I assume both of the previously listed movies were partially based on this true story, or rumors of the occurances on K-19. But it still feels like a re-hash. If you are interested in similar movies to K-19, see Das Boot.