Director: Peter Berg
Writers: Matthew Michael Carnahan (screenplay by), Matthew Sand (screenplay by)
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Douglas M. Griffin
Plot: A dramatisation of the disaster back in April 2010, when the offshore drilling rig called the Deepwater Horizon created a giant explosion, which created the worst oil spill in American history.
Running Time: 1 hour 47 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics 83% Audience: 82%
Why I watched it: Very interested in the true live story and of course I’m a huge lifelong fan of Kurt Russell.
Thoughts: Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg have been on a run the last couple of years and all three of their films have gotten very good reviews. Also a little note Peter Berg does make a cameo in this one. Plus a little more trivia I do think this is the fist film Hudson and Russell have been in together but they’re only on screen together for one scene.
What I liked: This is a very well made and well directed film. The thing I like the most is how they keep the pace up, most directors would have made this a 2 hour plus movie but Berg streamlined it and it really helps with the tension and the sheer fear of the situation. This easily could have been a disaster movie and in a way it is but it’s grounded with the characters and most of them are pretty well fleshed out, they’re not walking cliches except for the evil rich business men of course.
The acting is very good here, I’m not the biggest Marky Mark fan but he’s solid here, he cares he’s not sleep walking.
Kurt Russell is the standout, he brings such presence and of course experience. I also liked Dylan O’Brien in this, he’s someone to watch for he does nice character work here, this character could have been very slight but he brings him to live, he’s not a plot point he’s a real character.
The set pieces, the effects for the most part are very good, you fell the danger and the CGI does not take you out of the film, not one time. The technology stuff is very well down, the sound is very good.
What I didn’t like: The Wahlberg family stuff wasn’t really need, they cut to his wife during these intense scenes and it really slowed down the momentum, wasn’t need we didn’t need to see her calling to see what was going on, it added nothing. This film also did a couple of very sappy and cliched things that they should have avoided. Near the end it was getting close to the Life Channel movies, it was very good for the most part but it did get a little sappy and self righteous. Even though it’s based on a true story it’s always too bad that life was taken because business men were greedy, it’s a cliche but also very true sadly.
Final Thoughts: Very good film, I enjoyed it for the most part and it’s worth a watch.
Rating: 7/10
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