Going into K-19, I wasn't terribly excited. Harrison Ford's track record hasn't been too impressive as of late and the trailer didn't suggest that this picture had anything new to offer to the submarine thriller. After all, Das Boot, Hunt For Red October, Crimson Tide and U571 have taken this genre nearly as far as it can go. On the other hand, I have admired some of director Kathryn Bigelow's work (Near Dark, Strange Days) and I will always be a huge supporter of Ford no matter how many mediocre movies he might appear in. Thankfully, K19 wasn't the disaster I feared it might be.

In this Cold War thriller, Ford plays Alexi Vostrikov, the captain of a Russian submarine called K-19, who is sent to the deep sea to perform a missile launch test. Before long, the unthinkable takes place when a nuclear meltdown causes a major radiation leak in the sub. To make matters worse, Ford finds himself at odds with his second in command, played by Liam Neeson, a committed officer who felt he should have been first in command.

K-19 gets off to a sluggish start, but slowly builds steam adding up to a marginally enjoyable thriller. The dramatic tension is heightened simply because this film is based on true events, however, much of this picture is
far too melodramatic to be completely effective.

Ford is solid (if you can get passed that sub-par accent) and he brings an interesting dynamic to this character. Should we hate him or love him? The answer is clearly both, and Ford is able to pull it off. Neeson is also effective, and the chemistry between he an Ford really works.

The screenplay by Christopher Kyle, doesn't always work. While K-19 does avoid some cliches (including a mutiny type scenario), it suffers from a tedious first half and some underdeveloped moments (I don't know if I completely bought Neeson's transformation towards the film's end).

Bigelow usually seems up to the challenge, and uses the claustrophobic surroundings to full effect. The camera zips along through the confined and narrow corridors of the submarine, adding tension and an underlining sense of doom. Still, I'd rank this at the bottom of the list of recent submarine thrillers. It lacks the sheer intensity and strong characterizations of Das Boot and can't match the tight pacing of Crimson Tide, Hunt For Red October and U571.

K-19 offers up similar themes seen in movies like Saving Private Ryan. And while this film is based in truth, the movie doesn't always provide the emotional punch it's striving for. That's sad because there is major talent involved in this picture. Of course things certainly could have been worse. All things considered, K-19: The Widowmaker was a pretty good movie.