The 33

This film tells the story of 33 miners in Chile, who are trapped in a caved mine seven hundred metres deep. They have only three days of food in the safety chamber, and no way of contacting the outside world. Fortunately, the persistent minister of mining refuses to give up hope of getting them out alive.

It is very rare that a film makes me cry so much and for so long. Halfway into the film, I'm already in tears because of the miners' despair and desolation. The scene involving a ladder is very affecting. There seems to be no hope, and everything seems to be lost. Their will to survive is remarkable. The herculean rescue effort deserves much praise, while the family members clinging onto the slightest glimpse hope is very touching. Actually, the whole film is very touching. I feel so sorry for the miners, and miners in general because they risk their lives for little in return. Having the surviving miners appearing in the film is an excellent touch, reminding people that this is a true story that happened to these individuals.

With its empowering story, visuals and acting, this film brings another true survival story to life. A group of thirty three gold miners go to work in the underlying mountains of Chile when their lives quickly turn upside down. Stranded by the collapse of the rocks, the men are forced to work together, struggle for food, stay optimistic despite their life threatening condition. With every second so crucial, the intensity of the film leaves the audience on the edge of their seats.

Watching this film made me feel the pain of the miners, the anxiety of the families and the stress of the rescue team. I could personally feel the struggle from every side of the story. This is an amazing aspect of the film, especially because it is based on a true story. What better way to gain awareness than to make individuals feel the experience for themselves. I felt like throwing up throughout the whole movie and that just shows how amazingly the filmmakers depicted this horrifyingly true story of the innocent men who were stranded and their struggle to survive.

The filmmakers have created a film that makes the audience feel as though they are experiencing the struggle rather than just watching it. I felt as if I was starving and becoming dehydrated just by watching. It's what makes the movie feel so real.

The persuasive acting contributes to the empowering movie, especially Antonio Banderas whose performance as the leader, Mario was so believable. It's a role completely different from what he usually plays and he made me believe he was a Chilean miner. Usually films based on tragic events feel depressing but this film feels empowering and comedic in certain scenes. I enjoyed that.

The film didn't make the best impression at first but, it became very engaging and strong towards the end. I give a lot of credit to its great ending because, in my opinion, an ending can really make or break a movie.

I give the movie four out of five stars and recommend it for people between the ages of 13 and 18. Adults will enjoy it as well.

Reviewed by Harmony M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

We all remember five years ago when the story of 33 miners trapped 700 meters underground caught the world by storm. Everyone was asking: Are they alive? How are they going to make it out of there?. I think there's no need to say how it ended. Since then we've gotten tons of news announcing a big budget film about San José's rescue. The thing everyone's asking right know is: Is it any good?

First things first: Patricia Riggen. Her direction is absolutely brilliant, managing to alternate between tense and emotional scenes almost perfectly. The acting as well is outstanding, with Antonio Banderas (Mario Sepúlveda) and Rodrigo Santoro (Laurence Golborne) being the most notable. Also, Cote De Pablo (Jessica Salgado) brings a big emotional push into the movie with a beautiful interpretation of "Gracias a la Vida" by Violeta Parra. Juliette Binoche (María Segovia) was also very good. In general, every actor and actress in this movie gave a solid performance. The screenplay is very well written, giving the characters a lot of development and personality. The soundtrack (Composed by James Horner) is also very good, mixing chilean instruments with big orchestra compositions that fit the movie perfectly. The CGI is OK, nothing groundbreaking, but it gets the job done.

It's not a faultless film though, it has it's flaws. The are times when the movie loses it's pace and gets slow. Also, the editing, being mostly very good, it's evident that there where scenes in the movie that were cut from the final product, an issue that can leave some viewers confused. There's a little bit of shaky cam as well, not a big complain, but it can get very disorienting at times.

Overall, even if it's not perfect, it's still a great movie that succeeds at telling the story of the 33 miners. Hopeful and inspiring, it's worth watching at least once.

8.4/10

I enjoyed watching this true story about 33 Chilean miners trapped in a mine. It was a good story about resilience, the human spirit, and working together. I also loved the Elvis impersonator. Even though I knew they were going to be rescued, the story still kept me on the edge of my seat. The cast worked well together, and everything about this movie was well done. The mine scenes were riveting.

*** out of ****.

Based on the true story of 33 miners who go into a mine in Chile to have a big rock get in-between them and the surface, and they have to survive long enough to be rescued.

I thought the movie was very detailed and complete about what the miners and their families went through during this ordeal. I never felt I missed any part of it.

It was never boring, always interesting, which I did not expect, but a lot went on in those three mouths and it was captured wonderfully on the screen.

Antonio Banderas was great as Mario, who kept the men together long enough to survive.

And even though I knew the outcome, the 33 makes you feel for each character, which allows suspense.

Well done and heartwarming, hitting on the rights spots and leaving me all filled up inside.