I am a huge Tom Hanks fan so I am not sure why it took me so long to watch Captain Phillips. This is based on a true story and to be honest, I am not sure what I expected. What I got was an intense thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. I am actually glad that I did not know the real events of this true story as I had no idea how this thing was going to go!
How to Download Captain Phillips
Captain Phillips was released on October 11, 2013. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you want to see more of Tom Hanks, we recommend Forrest Gump, Cast Away, The Terminal, or Saving Private Ryan.
The Movie Review
The story of the movie is about the hijacking of a ship that is making its way through the Guardafui Channel. Apparently, this was the first time in many, many years that a US ship was hijacked by pirates. I have no idea why I have no memories of this going down as I am sure it must have been all over the news!
Key Facts
| Fact | Information |
|---|---|
| Movie Title | Captain Phillips |
| Release Date | October 11, 2013 |
| Download and Streaming | Available for download/streaming on digital platforms. |
| Main Plot | The movie is based on the hijacking of a ship in the Guardafui Channel, involving the first hijacking of a US ship by pirates in many years. |
| Main Character | Rich Phillips (Tom Hanks) |
| Supporting Character | Muse (played by Barkhad Abdi) |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Realism in Storytelling | The movie maintains a realistic approach instead of turning into a typical action film. |
| Intense Second Half | The second half of the movie keeps viewers deeply engaged. |
| Recommendation | A highly recommended, engaging thriller starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi |
The Captain and the Call for Help
The ship is captained by Rich Phillips. Rich and his crew see that they have some pirates on their tail and they put out a call to the coastguard. We get to see the quick thinking of Captain Phillips here and one of the pirate vessels hears the distress call over the radio and high tails it away.
The Determined Pirate
However, Captain Phillips and his crew were not counting on the headstrong pirate, Muse who was going to complete this hijacking no matter what. Muse is played by Barkhad Abdi and it is crazy to think that this was his first role. While the movie is called Captain Phillips, Muse going off the deep end and not being willing to change his mind is a huge part of this movie and I would say he is just as important as Rich is to the story.
Thrills and Realism
I would say that thriller is the best way to describe this movie. It could have so easily just turned into an action movie where our heroes fight off the pirates and save the day. That is not really the case though, Rich Phillips is certainly a hero and brave for what he does. Yet, he does not all of a sudden turn into The Rock and start fighting off these pirates. Again, I was unfamiliar with the real story of this so the way it kept it all so real was something that I enjoyed.
Intense Second Half
The first part of the movie has the pirates hijacking the ship and taking Captain Phillips. However, it was the second half of the movie when the pirates realized what a terrible and near impossible situation, they had created for themselves that I thought was the best. I had no idea if Captain Phillips was going to make it out of this alive. Granted, if you knew the story, you knew the outcome, but for me, this was such great storytelling.
A Must-Watch Thriller
I caught this on streaming, but I enjoyed it so much that I am going to pick this up on 4K. This was such an engaging and thrilling story from start to end. Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi are incredible in their roles here and make you believe that what you are seeing is real! If you have not yet got around to watching this, I highly recommend you check it out.
