So disclaimer before I proceed with this post. I don't claim to be a movie critic and while I am in the Navy I can't possibly understand all of the facets of special warfare and why they do the things that they do. I also can't be certain of how much of the story is Hollywood. But I am going to give my opinion on the movie "Captain Phillips".
I've never been so moved by a movie that I felt inclined to write a blog about it so I guess this is a big deal. If you don't know already, I am a huge navy nerd and take great pride in my organization. I am patriotic. Extremely patriotic and damn if I don't love a good story about the US military handling business. It's rare that you get to see the Navy doing what we do.
Phillips leadership style was exemplary. He stayed calm no matter what and I feel like most of the time he made the right call. I was a little taken aback by one of the crew members' bitching about how he doesn't get paid to deal with pirate situations and commented on how he wasn't in the Navy. Damn. They weren't. Just a bunch of civilians scared shitless. I imagined myself in the situation and how differently I would have reacted. LOL!!! With "honor, courage and commitment" probably. You guys think those are just empty words? No. Ask anyone who has truly served their country and not some f*ckface who "served" in the airforce or never deployed.
There was nobody there to give a motivational speech about honor and how scary shit like what was occurring is our livelihood. I was really surprised in the scene immediately after the pirates board the ship and take over the bridge. I can't believe they didn't kill at least one of the crew members up there I mean that is just crazy.
The story really started when the Captain gives himself over to the pirates to save his crew. That is what I am talkin' about. I mean I have since heard that it was involuntary, etc etc. Anyway, Tom Hanks made me proud :P
I really enjoyed this movie as it's pretty realistic. Typically in Navy movies they are all walking around in dress uniforms jacked up beyond all recognition, all saluting and Sir'ing each other acting super patriotic, the way civilians would imagine it. Freakin' actors.
I didn't know when I first viewed the movie but it makes a lot more sense now. The crew of the command ship in the situation, the Bainbridge were not actors but real Sailors.
The skipper was in coveralls, not dress whites. He went to CIC and was like, hey we called the SEALS but we're going to try to resolve this. He used his resources, sent out the RHIB but didn't do anything foolish. When the pirates wouldn't comply he stood the f*ck down just as he should have.
So about Captain Phillips in all of this. I feel like when the goddamned SEALS tell you to stay in seat 15 maybe you shouldn't hop out of the back of the life boat. I mean yeah he is a civilian but come on, that is just stupidity.
The theatre was insanely tense as they waited for the SEALS to take out the pirates. It seemed like hours for them to get the triple green.
Tom Hanks man, he is... so unbelievably talented. They took him aboard Bainbridge and..... really quick.... Bainbridge medical had no idea when they went to work that morning that they would be in the film. Somebody was like, hey maybe instead of showing him all fixed and better we should show him as he was being initially cared for. So all in the same day, they asked Bainbridge medical for a doctor to be the initial point of care for the Captain in the movie.
Of course on a ship, especially on a small boy you're not going to see a doctor. You're going to see a Corpsman. The scene was so realistic, so moving. I swear having watched it, Tom Hanks was in shock. I read that Bainbridge treated it like a drill. I guess that is what it is all about, being ready for anything.
Anyway as a Sailor I truly appreciated this movie. Typically watching civilians screw everything up irks me but this one had a lot of Sailors in it. Bravo Zulu, Hollywood.
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