Deepwater Horizon
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, Dylan O'Brien, Kate Hudson, James DuMont, Joe Chrest, Brad Leland, David Maldonado, Ethan Suplee
Directed by: Peter Berg
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
2016
Times Seen:
Tim: 1
Summary: The offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon suffers an explosion, resulting in the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
Review:
Tim: Three years after the shockingly good Lone Survivor, director Peter Berg and star Mark Wahlberg re-team for another based-on-a-true story action movie. This time, the subject is the 2010 explosion onboard Deepwater Horizon. This was actually a good subject for a movie- it was a big enough event for audiences to remember it, but most people probably didn't know the whole story nor the details of what happened. While this is a dramatization, it obviously offers glimpses into the real events. I found this movie informative, exciting, and entertaining. While it might not reach the heights of their previous collaboration, this is still a very, very good movie.
In many ways, this event was ideal for a Hollywood movie. The location is unique- an isolated oil rig deep in the Gulf of Mexico. You have a number of people stranded dozens of miles from the nearest shore. You have fire, explosions, and gushing oil. It's visually an incredible disaster to see depicted on screen. It's fairly unique as well- you don't see a lot of oil rig explosion movies. Berg does a great job of taking the time to get the visuals right. This movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects (and Sound Editing as well). This is a great visual movie and it transports you onto that oil rig. It's so interesting to imagine what it must have been like for these guys. With all the media coverage of this event, we never saw the explosions, we never saw this vantage point. It sheds new light on how frightening and intense this experience must have been. I walked away from this movie with a new appreciation for the men and women who survived this disaster.
The cast is solid, although I do wish some of the supporting players had bigger roles. Mark Wahlberg is in the lead role here and I have to give him credit. He's perfected this blue collar persona and is relatable enough that you believe him in this role. He physically looks like he might work on an oil rig. While he might not truly be a great actor, he's spent so much time improving his craft that he just effortlessly slips into roles like this. You believe him in the role. I give him credit for that. I loved seeing Kurt Russell here. Russell really has talent and he works so well in this smaller supporting roles. I do wish he had more screen time, but he absolutely adds to the film. John Malkovich was a great addition to the cast and brings his exceptional acting to every scene he's in. Kate Hudson was almost totally wasted as "the wife". I do wish Berg would find more things for actresses in these roles to do. It was also nice seeing Ethan Suplee an Dylan O'Brien in smaller roles. Really, the cast as a whole was quite strong.
The movie feels tight and focused. It introduces its characters and setting and then propels forward. Berg doesn't waste any time, doesn't give his movie a chance to lose momentum. That creates this strong sense of momentum and excitement as the movie moves to its fiery conclusion. Berg is getting really good at trimming the fat from his movies to tell more focused, effective stories. This movie is a good example of that kind of well-made movie.
Deepwater Horizon is an interesting look at a terrible disaster. It has its villains and its heroes. It's the kind of movie that does tap into our patriotism, which isn't a bad thing. Berg and his crew highlight American heroes who survived a terrible event. The movie is entertaining and effective. While there's a lot to cover in under two hours, Berg does a good job keeping the film focused. This is certainly a movie worth seeing.
Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5
If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Lone Survivor, Patriots Day