Rating: 
Summary: A Navy War Movie
Review: This is good war movie. If you like war or disaster movies Buy This!
Rating: 
Summary: Forget historical inaccuracies - it's just crap
Review: I wasn't exepcting a history lesson when I went to see this movie. Most of the greatest war films (Bridge over the River Kwai being one of them) were not entirely true to life. The real problem with this film that it seems to be one of a seemingly endless speil of "movies" that all have the same simplistic plot, the same characters, the same action, the same ending and for chrissakes Hollywood it is getting BORING! I can't believe that people still spend millions at the cinema to watch the same old blockbuster tripe that is trawled out every summer! I was disappointed to see U571 in this category, especially as it was directed by Jonathan Mostow, who also did the excellent "Breakdown". I don't have a problem with historical inaccuracies but I do find it disturbing when these films are linked to real events. Why even mention engima at all? Why not just write an entirely fictional account? I know it's fiction but after having a massive argument in a chatroom about the "historical epic" the "Patriot", I now know that there are a frightening amount of stupid people (mostly American) who actually believe that these films portray the real events. Even more disturbing is the way that the films cover up anything that might be detrimental to how the world views America. There was a black guy along for the ride so that we all know America was not a racist, segregated country in the 40's. I'm surprised there wasn't a token woman on board so that one of the crew would have somebody to shag at the end of the movie. I couldn't have given a rat's about any of the one-dimensional characters. We were never properly introduced to any of them so we never cared when any of them died or had to prove themselves. The U571 crew, naturally, were all portrayed as ruthless, evil murderers with the subtlety of an A-bomb. And there was me thinking they were just ordinary people with families fighting for their country as well. Silly me. Watching Das Boot, I sweated with those guys and I was cursing the allies for bombing them in the Straits of Gibraltar. That is what a good film truly does to you. It makes you care, not laugh. And I liked the way the Yanks made a heroic comment about not firing until fired upon just so that we'd know they were the good guys - and then proceeding to machine-gun everything that moved. (Can you use a machine gun in a sub? Won't it ricochet everywhere?) Finally, it is about time that directors woke up to the fact that big explosions do not make a good film - especially when the cinema is all laughing hysterically at the dialogue that is being spoken. I'm amazed such a number of good actors went along with this, still I guess they have mortgages to pay. In the end the only reason I can think of for watching this is the large amount of good-looking men in it. If they'd done the movie butt-naked it would have been a lot more interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: A Neat Little Movie
Review: The actual events which led to the capture of the enigma decoder by the allies in WW2 were nothing less than heroic...Just the idea of fighting the war in a U-boat sends shivers down my spine..there was no where to run nor hide..it was nothing more than a game of cat and mouse where if you were lucky enough to hit and disable an enemy vessel, your celebrations were short lived as you were almost certain to come under depth charge attack from another. U571, although not historically correct at times, does an above average job in recreating submarine warfare, in a way where its audience can basically understand the plot. The submarine, destroyer and uniforms added authenticity to the film as did the vocabulary and choice of cast members. There was one reviewer who queried the use of a German speaking American? ..have i missed something here? The movie is no 'Das Boat', mainly due to the fact that the script is vastly different. The director wasnt trying to portrait the life of a submarine sailor...he was merely trying to shine light on one of the many crucial operations of the war. Overall i enjoyed U571, for once we see a WW2 based movie concentrate on one focul point without the added drag of love scenes...a three star effort for mine...
Rating: 
Summary: U-571 plummets into clichés
Review: The cracking of the enigma code played an integral part of the allied war effort of World War II. The Germans had developed and nearly perfected a code machine capable of sending accurate messages swiftly without fear of interception due to it's complexities. It was important for the allies to not only get their hands on an enigma code machine but to decipher its ever-changing code.U-571 builds its premise around this exciting and disturbing event but the film, itself, is anything but exciting. It merely attempts to ride on the coattails of other submarine films such as The Hunt For Red October and Das Boot, including all of the suspense devices that it can squeeze into its 2 hours. Matthew McConaughey plays Lt. Tyler, an ambitious young marine officer wanting his own naval commission. 'I don't think so' says his Captain (portrayed woodenly by Bill Paxton). Apparently Tyler would not be capable of making the tough decisions, risking lives for the mission or the greater cause. Disappointed, Tyler wonders what his next mission will be, succumbed to the thought that he will forever be a submarine's second in command. But this is WWII and his next mission is revealed quickly - to disguise their US submarine as a German submarine, find another German submarine stranded somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, pretend to be Germans, board the real German submarine, steal their enigma machine and get out of sight before the real Germans arrive. But the catch is to ensure that the Germans remain completely unaware that the enigma machine is gone. Otherwise, the Germans will abandon its use. Through a course of events including submarines catching on fire, going far beneath its depth capabilities, and continuous carpet bombings, Tyler is forcibly given his own command. Will he have what it takes to be a submarine captain? Will he be able to risk lives for the sake of the greater cause? More bombs, more fires, more plummeting submarines and - yes - an opportunity to send a man to his death are soon to follow without surprise. As an audience, we are asked to feel for the officers who are risking life and limb for truth, justice, and the American way. It is an almost impossible feat with U-571 as the characters are simply used as plot devices for the film. If the producers wanted to reach the success of Red October or Das Boot, they should have realised that it is the boat that is the plot device and it is the characters that provide the story - not the other way around. The film fails as it is simply bland and unoriginal in its character development, or lack thereof, and its action sequences. But more importantly, and more shamelessly, is that it rewrites history without embarrassment or concern. Although it mentions in its end credits that this was a work of fiction, it still gives the impression that these events at least bordered on accuracy. The enigma machine did exist and was captured by the British forces. The British were also able to board a submarine and steal an enigma code book. And the British were eventually able to crack the enigma code. Certainly, these events could be made into an exciting film, not just one which is merely watchable.
Rating:
Summary: Get it right ?!?
Review: I thought this was a very good MOVIE (not a documentary). The action scenes held my attention, although I thought the ending was a little lame. Regarding the reviews from our friends down under, I don't recall it being stated in the movie that this was the first capture of an Enigma machine. Also, after months at sea, don't you think the Germans would look scruffy and unclean? Did you notice the Germans on the destroyer looked clean-cut? Take this for what it is - a good action/adventure movie, not a documentary.
Rating: 
Summary: this movie rocked
Review: U-571 is one of the best war films I have ever seen. The DVD edition has awesome sound. Especially in the depth charge seens. Some things seem very planned such as an american knowing how to read german. Otherwise, there aren't any other major faults.The battles with germans and the destroyer were great. This would be a DVD I recommend to buy.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: This is a good movie based on a true story that really happened in world war 2. It is great movie and I definitly reccomend it. This u boat got hurt. It has the code the germans are using. Repairs are coming. But the americans need to get there first to get the code. Once the group gets the code the repair german boat came and killed the american sub. So the group needs to get back in a injured u boat, U-571. On the way they run into a german destroyer.
Rating:
Summary: Get it right
Review: i don't know if you are but i am sick and tired of Americans changing history so they can cry and blow there nose on other countries national flags. U-571 was the same again. The movie should of been named "Yanks are up themselves" or "We didn't do anything in the war so lets pretend we did".I also hate how the Americans are alwayus so clean cut and loyal and there opponments are rough, dirty and scraggy. Not that i am saying the the Germans where all well cut but there was not that bigger difference between the to opposing countries. For example the americans are all well shaven, well dressed and well stuck up themselves saying quotes like "this enigma machine will make or break the war" and "we are doing this for America" as they sail off into the sunset. but in comparresment not one German is shaven they all have scrappy cloths and are hidding at the depths of the sea. to end don't see it it messes with your mind
Rating:
Summary: U-571; History or Mystery
Review: The film U-571 is as entertaining and captivating as any other product of hollywood. But when look at from a historical point of view, its inaccuracies and misrepresentations are sky high. Not two minutes of the film can pass without sign of hollywoods ignorance of the events that took place in the race to capture the enigma code machine. Even someone with little historical knowledge can identify innacurracies through nothing more than common sense. It is shocking that the writer and director of the film can portray the events with such imprecise detail and show such disrespect to the men who lost their lives in these events of WWI. This film would be good if more historical research was attempted. I rate it 4 out of ten.
Rating:
Summary: U-571 A real Sinker
Review: As bad movies go U-571 tops the charts. A American Submarine crew has to find a way to board and overtake a German U-boat, and bring back a crucial secret-code transmitter. It turns out to be more difficult than they expect. Agreeably old-fashioned WW2 submarine drama starts with a bang and but holds little interest throughout, then fizzling out at the end. The film has no historical facts in it and has been described by many as an outrage, as it simply steals the true hero's glory. We are introduced to Captain Andrew Tyler, who has just found out that he did not receive the position of captain as he had hoped. His commander, Lieutenant Commander Mike Dahlgren, feels he does not have what it takes to be a captain at this point, and that his emotional connection to his shipmates would prevent him from putting them in situations of potential danger. Soon, our men are on their sub, heading out to sea, where they encounter the German submarine, take the crew hostage, and swipe the Enigma and code book to bring back to the attention of the U.S. Armed Forces. However, the German sub that responded to their call for help destroys the American sub, killing the German hostages and some Americans, leaving the rest of the crew on the German sub with Tyler as their captain. As their special ops mission turns into a race for survival, Tyler must make the right decisions in order to keep his crew alive and ship afloat as they near hostile waters on their way to safety. The plot of the story follows a pretty basic pattern that is intensified by the suspense of the action sequences and the way in which Mostow works his magic with the camera. I found myself guessing what was going to happen in certain scenes of the movie, mainly because after seeing the trailer, I knew there was more that had to happen than just allowing the sub to sink and the Germans to win. And as much as the story does for its characters and their will to survive, I knew that the script would not shortchange them in the long run. This really doesn't hinder the story, though; it still has a lot to offer. Mostow has done a masterful job in creating an atmosphere that is tightly cramped and perilous all at the same time. The lighting used for the insides of the sub is merely the lights actually shown, not offscreen, giving it an authentic and real feel. The crew finds themselves huddled tightly together at times during sequences in which depth charges are deployed to harm the ship, which adds to the sense of small space while also keeping us at bay with the question of whether or not the vessel will make it through the treachery of the explosions. The depth charges provide the most ominous threat to the vessel, which is carried out on film in a most intense manner. The first set of explosions takes place outside of the vessel, where we can see everything that's going on, while the second set keeps us inside the sub so that all we can do is hold our breath with the crew and wait for the explosions to end. The fact that the movie can set up this kind of connection is a testament to its brilliance. Mostow is able to bring us into the movie with the characters, giving us bird's-eye views of the action as well as taking us right into the middle of it. Either way, the effect is truly awesome, showing us a different kind of warfare that can be just as intense and terrifying as hand-to-hand and firearm combat on land. When the movie was over, I felt jolted and out of breath; the movie simply delivers the goods. The visual and sound effects also help to bring us into the movie's rich canvas as well. Miniatures and life-size vessels were used in the filming of the actual submarine, and while the effects that surround it may be digitized, it helps to have something that is real to harness the look and acuity of the shot. The sound design and use of the elements available is tremendous and pleasing, with a low bass frequency playing pretty much throughout the entire movie to create a sense of tension. This is one of those big, loud effects movies that, even if you don't care for the story, will please on its visuals and sound alone. Casting is an important factor in bringing out the emotion and depth, and this one, an all-star ensemble, does just that. Matthew McConaughey is the ambitious Lieutenant Andrew Tyler, who is the strongest of the characters. He is portrayed as earnest in his endeavors to save his crew, while keeping the movie from degenerating into a blatant effects show. Harvey Keitel is Chief Klough, a pivotal character who advises and aides Tyler in some pretty tight situations. He keeps Tyler from losing his cool, which is important for the movie. Bill Paxton plays Lieutenant Dahlgren, and while his character has little screen time, he does well in keeping us informed of the events at hand. Jake Weber is a convincing Lieutenant Hirsch, who knows everything about the mission and plays his character with integrity and intelligence. One of the better war films to come out of Hollywood, "U-571" follows an intense and gripping storyline that delivers the goods to even those who don't follow the war film trend. Under the direction of Jonathon Mostow, who also directed the thriller "Breakdown," the film contains a stellar cast that knows what it's doing and superb visual and sound effects that add to the atmosphere of suspense.
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