Honestly, I decided to write a review to counter some of the more trivial reviews found in this thread and to try and present an objective perspective of this film.
Firstly, the dialogue in this movie is typical for a movie depicting World War II Naval life and is accurate to the time period. Do not watch this film if you expect anything other than period correct Naval terminology or the constant passing of orders between the captain and the crew, as you are not going to be satisfied with this movie. Ninety percent of the dialogue in this movie relates to the business of conducting asymmetrical naval combat in a high-speed situation and is way too short to have a grand introspective or extrospective expose on the psychology of warfare or one's place in the world. Sadly, the short length of this film prevents any adequate amount of time dedicated to forging interesting and dynamic characters or a complex plot with a villain that was somewhat pointless. If anything, the director should have lengthened the film to expound upon the narrative and bring our cautious, somewhat hesitant, captain to life or pick a handful of critical Sailors to develop a relationship with within 80-minute time constraint.
Secondly, there are better movies or shows that depict the Battle of the Atlantic which brings me to my second point. If anything; this film should have been broken into a mini-series, like Das Boot or a full feature series like Band of Brothers or The Pacific. Had the directors decided to embark upon that route, we could have had a significantly stronger plot and been able to identify with the characters in a more empathetic way. As a former United States Navy Sailor, I felt right at home with the style, accuracy, and briskness with which the film endeavored to portray. However, I did not find myself overly attached to any of the featured characters. In fact, the film attempts to "show" us that we should feel shocked, saddened, or disheartened by the plight of these Sailors, however, without any in-depth character development, I found it difficult for me to feel any more than somewhat saddened, and by the time that I did experience this emotion, the movie moved onto another chaotic event. Reflecting upon the movie now, maybe that is the point of the plot? Maybe, the film tries to showcase that the chaos of battle does not grant us a moment of emotional expression aside from the adrenaline rush of combat or a life-threatening event. In any case, if you are looking for significant character development, and a grander view of the Battle of the Atlantic at large, this is certainly not the film for you.
Lastly, I do not, in any capacity, feel like I wasted an hour and half of my life like some of the other viewers felt. For me, it was a nostalgic trip back into an old life that I long forgotten and I enjoyed every minute of this film despite its shortcomings. Has Tom Hanks done better? Certainly. Did I think he did a poor job with this film? Absolutely not. While my main complaint is that this film could have been significantly longer, I am left with a desire to want to explore more in regards to the treacherous Battle of the Atlantic and the men of all nations who participated.
Overall - I was pleasantly surprised with this movie, and while I felt that this film could have been produced as its own mini-series in order to develop the plot and the characters better, I thoroughly enjoyed my time, and I am sure I will return to it again in the future.
Enjoy!
