Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
Just saw this one tonight, but I’m under an embargo until the day of opening, so I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it or how I think it’s the best performance from Harrison Ford since PRESUMED INNOCENT or how I feel like Kathryn Bigelow finally put it all together.
Nope. Not a word out of me. Instead, here’s some reviews that hit the e-mail box earlier tonight:
I was very fortunate to catch a sneak preview of "K-19: The Widowmaker" at the Lennox Theatre in Columbus, Ohio last night.
The movie, inspired by true events that took place in 1961, is by far, Harrison Ford’s best film in years. Ford plays Capt. Alexei Vostrikov, who replaces Capt. Mikhail Polenin, played by Liam Neeson, after Polenin fails to convince his government that he can have the ship ready in time. Interesting is that he is given second command due to his strong, father-like relations with the crew.
The K19 is rushed into service by their government in order to prove their equality with the United States who had begun nuclear patrols the year before.
This is a story about ordinary men working together during extraordinary times. This may be a story about Russians but in the end it does not matter what their political beliefs are, it is the story of soldiers and what soldiers do for one another, whether it be war time or not. It shows that patriotism is universal and it is not to be underestimated.
Ford is the ultimate hard-as-nails Captain, and proves that at the age of 60 he has the film presence to last for many years to come. No film role in recent memory has given him this much to work with and I am very happy that he decided to make this film rather than “The Sum of All Fears.” Neeson was just as convincing and their scenes together were very memorable. Also worth mentioning is Peter Sarsgaard, an exceptional actor, who played Vadim, the reactor officer.
There as been a lot of mention about the use of Russian accents by the actors and I feel that it definitely helped enhance the story. I am not a linguist nor have I personally heard many Russians speaking English or Russian accents(besides in the movies) and if I had then maybe I could be critical but not once did I cringe the way I did when I first heard Kevin Costner’s overdone accent in “Thirteen Days.”
Director Kathryn Bigelow did a fine job as did editor Walter Murch and director of photography, Jeff Cronenweth. Overall this is a very good and solid film and is highly recommended.
JimB’s grade is an A-
Here’s the first of two reviews from military personnel, who seem to be getting free screenings of the film all over the place. Very different points of view from these next two guys. Let’s check out the positive first:
Hey Harry ~
Big fan of the site! Here's my review of "K-19 - the Widowmaker" that we were given a sneak preview of on the naval base in San Diego.
"There was a sneak screening of Kathryn Bigalow's "K-19: The Widowmaker" at the North Island United States Naval Air Base in San Diego, California last night and today and I was privy to watch this film.
"First of let me say this, I was very weary to go into a film with both two fine actors (both Star Wars Alumni) Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson doing their best to hide Irish and American accents respectively, with Russian ones but I must admit the following...
"K-19" is an amazing film. Sure it has it's plot holes, I mean heck what movie doesn't these days but as a Naval Submarine film acting on material that has been done before (Crimson Tide, Hunt for Red October, U-571 and Das Boot), it is a stand alone excellent film with lots of heart and patriotism, (for Russia I must add).
"Harrison Ford's character is a complicated one as you don't know where his true intentions and loyalty lie from time to time in the film and maybe that worked in the roles favor by adding mystery?? But Harrison played the crucial moments very well and I was most impressed with his job in this film. This sounds very early now but for the first time i think Ford may have actually found a film that could get him that Golden Dude that he has deserved for so long! I hope the Academy does not shy from this film or his performance. To do so would be a crime.
"Liam Neeson seems to have been given the 'Star Wars - Episode I - I am Obi-Wan Kenobi and I am your servant standing in the background' treatment as his character really has trouble finding a piece of the pie to really hold on to. He really needed some gripping dialouge to keep his character interesting. Only at the end does he add some mystique of his own to the film. All through the film he talks of mutiny and his crews loyalty only to himself and how Ford's character is not as good as him but at a crucial part in the film, he for some reasons defies all logic and does the opposite of what we would have expected. This I did not understand. The scenes with him and Ford facing off, (ala Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman) give the film serious punch when some is needed!
"The Special Effects were awesome and the soundtrack was moving but I must give props to one part of the film in particular and that was the final closing scene..***SPOILERS*** with Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson re-uniting with his surviving crew after 28 years of silence. I don't say this often but there was not a dry eye in the house.
"Overall I give this film 8 stars out of 10. Kudos to Ford and Bigelow for making my Sunday afternoon enjoyable."
Have a good day Harry!
The Dark Lord Riddler
And now here’s someone who liked it a lot less. I understand where he’s coming from, but I think in this case, his personal feelings obscured the movie onscreen:
Dearest Harry;
I recently attended an advanced screening of Harrison Ford's latest opus, K-19: The Widowmaker. The fine folks at the Fort Meade unoplex were showing this screening to servicemembers as a special thank you for all the hard work we do. However, their choice of film, a soviet submarine trying to plant itself off the course of the coast of the United States, was kinda hard to get behind since it's our job to prevent that stuff from happening. Anyway, I went in with low expectations and a special sense of empowerment that a FREE movie screening instills in a young half-wit.
By now, we all know that the movie stars Harrison Ford as a Soviet submarine captain circa 1961. The cold war is very much in effect and the Evil Empire is struggling to maintain its evilness. The Soviets introduce the K-19, the biggest, baddassiest sub the Soviets have ever created, never mind the thing is barely seaworthy. And with that premise, we are off and cooking.
Harrison Ford plays the captain of the aforementioned submarine and man does he look old. Granted he's supposed to be playing a world-weary crusty commanding officer, but he looks like this in publicity stills too, so the times, alas, are a changing. As for his executive officer, Liam Neeson plays good cop to Harrison's bad cop. The rest of the cast: Sheep.
In the past, the submarine movie genre rightfully had to involve a great deal of claustrophobic suspense with a liberal helping of characters with at least one dimension. Here we have a gruff Harrison Ford, a genial Liam Neeson & 50 dudes who look a like and have the same suspect Russian accents. Think Jason Alexander's portrayal of Boris Badinoff, only not nearly as involving. Like a distant AM radio station, these Russian accents seem to fade in and out. Ford, was, quite frankly, the worst offender of the bunch. I kept waiting to hear him verbally bitch slap Chewbacca, but in lieu of this Wookie-less production, Ford has to verbally spar with Neeson, a semi-wookie, by the looks of it. Anyway, accents were distracting.
Now the plot, like I said, it's hard to root for the enemy when their main goal is to blow us up. The movie puts the ship in jeopardy. Who cares. The crew is about to be poisoned by heavy doses of radiation. Serves 'em right. The captain won't accept help from the U.S. Navy. Fine, your loss buddy. While watching this with a packed audience of jaded servicemembers, I think we were all collectively pissed that the sub didn't just sink (OOPS, post-passive Spoiler Alert!)
Anyway, servicemember or not, I have a hard time believing that the rest of the like-minded, jaded movie going audience will find some emotional stake in the officers and crew of the K-19. Sure they're in peril, but so is every other protagonist in every other summer movie. My suggestion for those interested in seeing this film: Go rent Hunt for Red October or Crimson Tide again. I think the submarine-genre needs to take a nice long nap and K-19 may be its Coup-de-Gras.
Well that's all for now, take care of yourselves and God bless free movie screenings.
Your Pal,
Seattle Slew
Can’t wait till this opens so I can see what sort of TalkBack erupts. Opinions were hotly divided in the lobby after the film, and I expect the same will hold true with you guys.
"Moriarty" out.
