Against the Sun

No spoilers. Just general information about the film. This is not the greatest film ever made but compared to a movie that I saw with Robert Redford some time ago -also a survival story at sea it kept my interest. I rented it from Itunes the first ever film I have rented in this way. It also recalled the survival scenes of Mutiny on the Bounty as well (1935). I gave the Redford film two stars and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) four stars. It also recalled THE OLD MAN IN THE SEA in that it had a few brief flashbacks and dream sequences. OLD MAN IN THE SEA is a near classic 3 1/2 stars. It also seemed to recall the OPEN BOAT a story by Stephen Crane. This is a solid workman like film. I give it high marks for historical accuracy. I could not notice any anachronisms in the gear or script. It was, in a very real sense, a tribute to the stoic courage of the "greatest generation." I found the film very well acted and I enjoyed the way they framed it with pictures of the era and the real-life characters. Definitely worth seeing. A good WWII survival film. I would give it 3 to 3 1/2 stars. Definitely above average. Music not overdone. And though it was predictable in some places there were some thrills. I can't understand people who gave this a zero. They could not have seen the film. Very good performances by the actors and solid directing. If you like WWII films you will like this one.

I'm not going to concentrate my review on one scene involving a CGI shark. I will say it looked obscenely fake and did somewhat detach you from that scene as you were too busy preoccupied with the leftover Sharknado prop. Otherwise the film was pretty good. Felton, Delahunt and Abel were all very solid and really evoked the feelings of desperation and humanity relating to the subject of the film. Their performances were enough for me to actually care about the characters and given its also a true story, I found myself more than adequately emotionally invested in the film. There's definitely issues with the film. The score is very hit and miss. Especially the second rate Jaws music in some of the scenes. I've watched hundreds of films worse than this in the last year or so. Did more than enough to keep me watching for 1hr 40mins.

I have to say I was not expecting much when I watched this movie so I was glad that I more than wrong. Just a great movie all around, really well acted and a great pace that had me enthralled from the get go. Felton really proved his acting chops and should hopefully open some more doors for him. I thought Aldrich was great as well and Dillahunt as well.

Obviously not a big budget blockbuster and further proof that a good story and solid acting can go along way. The ordeals that these men faced was really something and it was portrayed magnificently by the director. I would love to see the real back story of these men and hopefully if they ever get a chance to add it in a package with extras I would purchase it. Again I highly recommend this little gem

It's a tale on 3 USN aviators stuck on a raft, proverbially in the middle of nowhere somewhere in the S Pacific after their plane ran out of fuel while flying a patrol mission. It's a movie I've waited 50 years to see, having read the book it is based on "The Raft" when I was a kid. My dad didn't read too many books, he simply didn't have the time, but having served on PBY patrol planes in the USN in WW2 that flew in the S Pacific and the Caribbean he was no doubt fascinated by the subject. I'm sure it was the worst nightmare that an aviator or sailor could imagine, being stuck on a raft without water or food, virtually no hope of being spotted by a rescue plane and I'm sure that these young men speculated during the endlessly boring patrols they flew, on the complete futility of such a situation.

And that's what "Against the Sun" is about. 3 actors on a raft and if you have no interest in this type of story, you will be bored to tears. At 100 minutes it comes in at about an appropriate running length although .10-15 minutes could have easily been cut. Then again the director could have unnecessarily added about .15-20 minutes with back story or scenes involving the crew from the carrier "Enterprise" (which the flew from) or with their families back in the States after they've been advised that they are missing at sea. Works fine at it is. Good performances by the 3 actors involved, probably not easy to do. I hope all of the 3 real life aviators had good lives, they earned it. I'm sure they appreciated every day life gave them.

The Pacific Ocean is 63 million square miles in size. Larger than every single square inch of dry land on the entire planet.

In January 1942, just over a month after the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and the United States entry into WWII, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise was on patrol west of Hawaii.

Enterprise was one of only four remaining US carriers in the Pacific. Constant reconnaissance was crucial to detect Japanese ships and aircraft. Lingering in one place was a recipe for potential disaster - but pinpointing a moving ship roughly 800ft long and 100 ft wide, a minuscule speck in such a vast ocean, was a much greater challenge for pilots. Unfortunately that made life difficult for friendly as well as hostile fliers.

On the 16 January 1942 a Douglas Devastator torpedo bomber ran out of fuel without sighting the Enterprise. Pilot Harold Dixon, radioman Gene Aldrich and bombardier Tony Pastula managed to survive ditching in the sea.

This film tells the story of what happened next. Dixon, Aldrich and Pastula had few resources and faced great dangers - trying to survive on a raft measuring only 8ft x 4ft.

Such a small intimate setting is a challenge to put on screen, and this film succeeds in being engaging and enjoyable because of the well written script brought to life by a talented cast.

Tom Felton as Tony Pastula may be familiar as Draco Malfoy from the 'Harry Potter' films, Jake Abel from 'Percy Jackson: The Lightening Thief' and TV's 'Supernatural' and Garret Dillahunt from 'Justified', 'CSI' and 'Deadwood' on the small screen as well films such as '12 Years A Slave' and 'No Country For Old Men'.

All three are excellent in their respective roles, and their collective experience and ability hold and entertain the viewer.

The film remains as faithful as possible to the actual story and the real history - and amid all the seemingly endless sea and limitless sky, an imposing vastness visually conveyed powerfully from the first opening scenes, is never in any danger of coming adrift.

Very enjoyable and well worth watching.