Captain Phillips Movie Review (2013)

Running Time: 134 minutes

Captain Phillips Movie Review

When Richard Phillips (played by Tom Hanks) took on captaincy of the US freight ship Maersk Alabama in 2009, an amazing story was about to unfold. This is the dramatisation of the true story of Captain Phillips and his harrowing experiences on the voyage from Oman’s Port of Salah via the Horn of Africa – Somalian pirate territory.

Captain Phillips is superbly acted, with Hanks and his co-star Barkhad Abdi (who plays pirate Abduwali Muse) being nominated for several awards. The movie itself was also nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

The story begins with Captain Phillips taking command of the Maersk Alabama. Phillips takes the crew through a safety drill, conscious of the potential for pirate activity in the region.During the drill, two speedboats are spotted approaching the Alabama and Captain Phillips gets nervous. These are indeed Somali pirates looking to catch a big ship. Without giving the entire movie plot away, Captain Phillips is a very realistic account of an incredible true story which is one amazing thrill ride.