Greyhound

A more likeable and restrained alternative to Emmerich's Midway. With a shorter runtime, better structure and formal stylisation, and more straightforward. Hanks takes this on with (un)surprising aplomb as the Captain of a destroyer. The paradox is that, although this is a war film, what is more interesting than the sometimes highly digital combat sequences is the meticulously detailed depiction of the workings of the crew and the procedures and tasks they perform as part of their routine. Nothing groundbreaking, but at least it doesn’t want to be a megalomaniac war flick. (07/13/2020)

Set aboard a ship in the Atlantic, this medium-length war movie is kept afloat by Hanks’s personality. There is practically no development of the characters and the war situations and maneuvers carried out within them are not exactly clear, but the movie still manages to keep up the suspense and reminds you how hellish it must have been to there – no sleeping, no eating and making decisions very quickly and intuitively. That’s what Greyhound is all about. Pathos, yes, but subtle pathos. The film’s runtime and content are insufficient for the cinema, but a VOD release is ideal. (07/29/2020)

Greyhound is a dynamically filmed adaptation of a book about escorting convoys of merchant ships across the Atlantic during the Second World War to territories that airplanes couldn't reach from the mainland. The sometimes nerve-racking maneuvers of giant steel ships are intensified by Neely’s background music with a spine-chilling whale motif. The mocking pack of Nazi wolves pitted against Christ – a real American – does not come across as ridiculously as you might think. Tom “Covid Survivor" Hanks again thoroughly relishes his role of a professional, logical captain, first doing what has to be done, then humbly leafing through the Bible, and then going to bed. Strong emphasis on detail, good length. The special effects were not consistently good. (07/14/2020)

A beautifully naive old school war epic about a soldier of Christ who resists the Germans in slippers. It’s a nice idea to turn a procedural perspective on its head and see the hunt for U-boats from the other side of the surface. If Hanks forgot about the completely necessary personal and religious mess and left it as 91 minutes of action zigzagging in front of submarines, it could have been downright catchy. This way, it’s catchy and funny, but I won't pretend that it’s worth watching throughout the footage. The perfect movie for Grandpa Simpson. And also for those who like U-571 and submarine movies in general. (07/12/2020)

Tom Hanks and his ship escort an Allied convoy across the Atlantic, but lurking beneath the surface are German U-boats. How many supply ships will eventually reach their destination? Hanks delivers honest man's film that has no room for talk, but no room for any substantial character psychology either. It's full on from more or less the beginning, with ships and submarines chasing each other for over an hour straight, shooting or torpedoing all the time, and even though the visual effects aren't particularly good and it might not have been a bad idea to slow down a bit sometimes and deal with things other than combat, it's a very fine watch. Also thanks to the short running time. (07/12/2020)