The 1955 Novel By C.S. Forester Turned Into A Hollywood Blockbuster
Greyhound (2020) tells the story of first time captain Ernest Krause who leads a convoy of allied and supply ships across the "Black Pit" of the treacherous waters of the Atlantic whilst under fire from enemy German U-Boats with no air cover for five days.
Written By Tom Hanks & C.S. Forester and Directed By Aaron Schneider, the movie did not disappoint with constant navel battles that will keep your heart pounding throughout and keep you on the edge of your seat. This will greatly appeal to grandparents and fathers everywhere, that's for sure.
The Film....
When I first heard about this film I was intrigued as I do love my war movies but was a little skeptical about this, mostly because navel war movies can be hit and miss, like a torpedo, and aren't always executed in the way the director wanted. In the instance of Greyhound (2020) however, it was executed just right, sure there is room for improvements which I'll get on to in a short while but for the most part it was fun, engaging and heart pounding. When the global pandemic hit the world however the films release was put on hold for obvious reasons and now the cinemas are slowly re-opening it seems baffling to me why the studio behind Greyhound would last minute pull it from its cinematic release and instead release it on Apple TV+. Even Tom Hanks himself has expressed his feelings towards this decision as "disappointing" and its understandable to see why, this film really does deserve somewhat of a theatrical release as it would be a really immersive experience for all to enjoy after what has been a tough three months for us all.
From the opening moments to the films finale, not once do we break away from the cruel mistress that is the ocean and that of The Battle Of The Atlantic. The film does a good job of establishing the tones and settings for the viewer and what we should expect from its one hour and thirty minute runtime. One of the films most impressive points is the incredible work that went into its sound design, it really makes the viewer feel as if they too are onboard the Greyhound and feeling every wave, passing bullet and harsh winds that the crew onboard experience. Going back to the disappoint Hanks felt when the studio decided to release this on Apple TV+, I can understand why as on a IMAX screen with the visceral sounds of the harsh winds and the ear defining canons firing would be such a magnificent experience for all, young and old.
The only downsides I can pick out from the movie however is the bleak script and its complex character development. The characters could have been explored more to make us feel more for them as I didn't really care for the majority of them except for the odd one or two. The script itself runs a little dry in places and could have done with some more engaging conversations between the characters to make it just that extra bit more exciting and maybe on a bigger screen with a proper sound system in place this may not have been a problem but I guess we shall never know.
The Cast....
Greyhound (2020) is based on the 1955 novel by C.S. Forester called "The Good Shepard", so when it comes to casting you could have anyone. Thankfully the casting team were on the ball with this film as they pull in some quite impressive names and who better to play the forefront of the movie and Commander Ernest Krause himself than Hollywood legend Tom Hanks (Toy Story, Bridge Of Spies). Playing his very brief on-screen wife Eva Krause is Elisabeth Shue (Back To The Future, The Karate Kid) and playing his right hand man in command Charlie Cole is Stephen Graham, for me personally Britain's most underrated actor and fellow scouser.
Hanks brings an almost exhausted and poignant performance as Commander Ernest Krause and I do wonder wether the Academy will give him a nomination next year as he does do a splendid enough job for a nomination at the very least. For me personally however I did want to see more of Stephen Graham as I feel his talent was almost lost in this movie, Stephen has do some super impressive movies in the past but never gets enough screen time to full show the viewers what he is capable of and this movie is no exception. Hopefully the next time I see Stephen on the big screen he gets the screen time he deserves.
To Conclude....
Greyhound (2020) is a navel thrill ride from the start till the very end and doesn't give the viewer much time to recover from each U-Boat encounter but with a lacking script and character development the movie just about keeps you afloat thanks to its magnificent sound design and navel warfare.
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Greyhound (2020) is now streaming worldwide on Apple TV+.