Thoughts on: Captain Phillips


Captain Phillips is an experiment in what happens if the main character doesn't panic, is smart, does everything right, and stays calm for 95% of the ordeal. The movie is exceptionally well-made and I can't pinpoint anything that it did wrong. However even when immersed in a traumatic situation, if the main character isn't stressed or scared, then why should the viewer be? This is the question I found myself asking when about halfway through the movie, I found my immersion (and interest) waning.

By not getting emotional, it also made it difficult for Tom Hanks to show off his acting chops, and instead the main character remains impenetrably calm for almost the entire movie. It's simply not the kind of thing an audience can be expected to empathise with. Fortunately, we're given a really strong ending with Tom Hanks' acting finally given a chance to hit the audience hard.

It's a movie that does nothing wrong, but lacks any real drive or tension simply because the good guy stays in control.

6/10


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