Though some of the inspiration for this film came from an actual missing submarine event in the Sixties, I couldn't help but notice a plot similarity to the Roger Moore/James Bond film, "The Spy Who Loved Me". In that one, an evil, diabolical genius (is there any other kind?) abducts both a British and a Russian nuclear submarine, intending to use their respective missiles to destroy New York City and Moscow. While the superpowers engage in wiping each other out in retaliation, he'll step in to remake the world according to his own twisted vision.
This movie was compelling up to a point. The build up to the confrontation between submarine commander Dimitri Zubov (Ed Harris) and KGB radical Bruni (David Duchovny) was well staged, and the cloaking device dubbed 'Phantom' was a twist in a story that pitted Zubov's crew against hidden subversives among his own men. The eventual altercation that erupts is made somewhat confusing because one isn't able to identify who's who among the fighting men until Zubov subdues Bruni. Once that occurs though, the movie is practically over; it's almost a jump cut in the picture that sees the nuclear situation resolved and Zubov's crew back on dry land. All rather an odd way to reach a conclusion, as you would expect additional action once the rogue (but diffused) missile was launched from the B-67 sub.
I don't think I've ever seen Ed Harris in a role I didn't like. Being this was a Russian sub with a Russian crew, you had to overlook the idea that well known American actors were providing the role play as Russian nationals. As much as I liked David Duchovny in the 'X-Files', his casting here didn't really seem to work that well. It was hard to picture him as a villain, even more so a violent member of OSNAZ, a name in the film that was used to identify a radical branch of the KGB, but if you try to look it up, you'll get mired in a discussion of obsolete terms regarding Russian special forces.
Of the handful of submarine type movies I've seen, this one doesn't stack up very well. "Das Boot" is hands down the best in a limited genre, and up to this point, out of the fourteen total films I've seen, this one comes in dead last using an IMDb scorecard. For all that, I wouldn't recommend not seeing it, but be advised that it may leave you wanting.
This movie was compelling up to a point. The build up to the confrontation between submarine commander Dimitri Zubov (Ed Harris) and KGB radical Bruni (David Duchovny) was well staged, and the cloaking device dubbed 'Phantom' was a twist in a story that pitted Zubov's crew against hidden subversives among his own men. The eventual altercation that erupts is made somewhat confusing because one isn't able to identify who's who among the fighting men until Zubov subdues Bruni. Once that occurs though, the movie is practically over; it's almost a jump cut in the picture that sees the nuclear situation resolved and Zubov's crew back on dry land. All rather an odd way to reach a conclusion, as you would expect additional action once the rogue (but diffused) missile was launched from the B-67 sub.
I don't think I've ever seen Ed Harris in a role I didn't like. Being this was a Russian sub with a Russian crew, you had to overlook the idea that well known American actors were providing the role play as Russian nationals. As much as I liked David Duchovny in the 'X-Files', his casting here didn't really seem to work that well. It was hard to picture him as a villain, even more so a violent member of OSNAZ, a name in the film that was used to identify a radical branch of the KGB, but if you try to look it up, you'll get mired in a discussion of obsolete terms regarding Russian special forces.
Of the handful of submarine type movies I've seen, this one doesn't stack up very well. "Das Boot" is hands down the best in a limited genre, and up to this point, out of the fourteen total films I've seen, this one comes in dead last using an IMDb scorecard. For all that, I wouldn't recommend not seeing it, but be advised that it may leave you wanting.