imdb-45 I wanted to like this film. Sadly it got off to a bad start when all the actors decided to play fast and loose or not at all with their Russian accent. It was as if they tried to do something at the beginning and then said "aw... screw it. we aren't fooling anyone" and then dropped the accent entirely most of the time. You can put it behind you eventually but it's a sign about how sloppy this film is made.The premise is that Ford's character is a bit of a bully who will take out of proportion risks and endanger the lives of everyone on board to prove his point. I did not see any resolution between Ford and Neeson's character. And in terms of what plays out that I won't say - I never saw it coming. And that's only because where the film went was not what the prior time led you to believe. In fact, everything pointed in the other direction until it felt like Hollywood stepped in because the script said "insert turning point here" and then the characters had to pretend as if this was the natural next sequence of events. It wasn't.The special effects are fine and the submarine shots reasonably good. But the repair involved was also ridiculous. It was as almost as if they ran out of budget and would show you the same thing, with everyone having a go at what they were fixing which seemed more like "designated piece of metal". OK, we'll get beyond that but it still bears notice as you watch repeated scenes of the same thing as if to convey a sense of emotional impact on certain characters - which I didn't find credible.This is nowhere near Das Boot to feel the tension. And it's not really meant to be. And as a "based on a true story" it's very, very lightly based on the true story. Most of the acting is fine but the script is a real problem. And I don't think Harrison Ford would have himself cast as anything else but smelling like roses. And that's also disappointing. At no point do I think the conclusion of this film is even remotely foreseeable because the natural flow of the characters and events simply doesn't get you there. It's done solely to keep the audience guessing what happens next and the very artificial Hollywood studios twist makes for a mediocre, phony feeling film that certainly would only stand up for one viewing, at best.

SnoopyStyle It's 1961 at the height of the Cold War. The Soviets launches one of its first ballistic missile nuclear-powered submarine K-19 to test launch a missile from under the Arctic ice cap. Executive officer Mikhail Polenin (Liam Neeson) is concerned about the many problems with the new boat. Alexei Vostrikov (Harrison Ford) is the hard-charging new Commander. After finding the Reactor Officer drunk, Vostrikov replaces him with new graduate Vadim Radtchenko (Peter Sarsgaard). It's a series of mishaps and dangerous malfunctions that threatens the safety of the crew.With a Soviet crew, it's a little harder to find the rooting interest. I never quite get to a point where I care about the outcome. It seems Neeson's character is too whiny. The accents get a bit annoying after awhile. Nevertheless, the story is quite fascinating. It's just not completely compelling to me.

clarelouisecooper I cannot express how refreshing it was to see a submarine story told from a Russian perspective. I nearly didn't watch it as I expected the usual American take, which never depicts the Russians in a balanced Light.The story is a good one and it's well presented by a decent script. The acting is strong. If I'm honest it was the draw of Liam Neeson and Harrison Ford that persuaded me to watch the film in the first place. These actors in the main roles give worthy performances and do at least attempt the difficult accent. Their characters are multi layered and both of them surprise the viewer by being more complex than we might at first expect. The same is true of the strong ensemble cast. Kathryn Bigolo's direction is excellent and the tension builds at just the right pace, adding to the already intense situation of the claustrophobic setting of the submarine. I even found myself holding my breath at times. I also loved the soundtrack, beautiful, atmospheric and haunting, it complemented the scenes it was used in perfectly. I thoroughly recommend this film. Disregard the moaning Minnie's with their lust for explosive action and give the more subtle action of this praiseworthy film a chance.

Celine Boyer This one is worth picking up.Going to get something out of the way that for some reason people are saying: Nuclear weapons don't accidentally go off, HOWEVER, those are weaponized, not a nuclear core in the first Russian nuclear submarine that no one truly knew how to run (hence the drama). They didn't know how things would react and the project was rushed, enough said.That out of the way, this movie is slow but fast enough for you to not be bored. Camera work and acting is above normal and there is enough drama that you wont want to turn the movie off. I'm not going to go into a great deal of detail because it is a classic sub story that just so happens to be inspired by real events. Aside from that, there is nothing new, exciting, out of this world thing that has never been done before.My one major complaint, while nitpicking and not really impacting the review rating is that the cast could have spent more time practicing their accents. Neeson might as well have been American to be honest.7/10