User reviews

This was a pretty solid supposed true story of a Russian submarine and its captains during the early 1960s. It's memorable, story-wise, for the radiation victims among the crew members. There are some really dramatic scenes involving that horrific event. Otherwise, it's a story of the sub's problems and the conflict between two captains.

The story starts slowly so you have to stick with it as it gets better and better as it goes on and rewarding enough to make you glad you hung in there for the whole 137 minutes.

Profanity is minor and the Russian accents are handled well by the lead actors, led by Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson and Peter Sarsgaard.

It's not a great film, but it's good and interesting enough to recommend a rental, but not something I'd watch numerous times. Those radiation scenes would be a little too grim to watch numerous times.

Forget the critics, forget about the whiney Russian sailors: this film is worth watching. This just goes to show how idiotic the general viewing public has become. Critics have become nothing but a bunch of "good review" whores who work for commission and free gifts. It just goes to show idiotic they are, embracing schlock like Spider-man but putting down audacity like this film. For shame. With a good cast, excellent tension and Harrison Ford, they still want more action and silly exposition.

Maybe it is the subject matter, or maybe it's the fact Harrison Ford isn't killing anyone and trying to act sexy, but I cannot understand why anyone would put this film down. I don't think this film is detrimental to the reputations to the Russian sailors, who were portrayed with gusto and bravado not exhibited in most submarine films. Also, the claustrophobic nature of the film must have been difficult to film, considering the close quarters the characters had to work with. Overall, the film probably could have used some fine tuning, but the way it is, it is still quite a film to watch. 7.2/10

There is a scene early on in this film that pretty much sums up the risk that the crew of the new submarine of record will be taking. The officers are sitting around enjoying some vodka and one of them brings up the cosmonaut hero Yuri Gagarin. He offers the rumor that Gagarin was not in fact the first man sent into space. He was simply the first guy who made it back alive. And the crew of this brand new nuclear sub will face similar danger as their hastily prepared vessel will be pushed to the limit in order to impress both the politburo, and make the Americans take note of its existence. The boat has not even left the dock before it has claimed a handful of lives, most notably the ship's doctor who is hit by a truck just before departure. The top nuclear engineer on board is also hastily replaced when he is discovered drunk on duty. And of course, the champagne bottle doesn't break during the dedication ceremony on the first hit. This is a uniformly bad omen in anyone's navy! K-19 stars two wonderful actors in Harrison Ford, and Liam Neeson. Neeson plays the boat's original captain who strongly objects to how hastily the new vessel was thrown together. Ford, who has higher political connections is put in charge of the K-19 with Neeson being demoted to executive officer. Both men are stubborn, be generally respectful to one another. Trouble is, as the film later points out, a ship can only have ONE captain. One man that the crew looks to and respects. Two such men only create tension. Once the boat leaves port, things generally go pretty well. Despite a leak or two, the boat initially holds together. Ford orders a very deep descent, and of course we are treated to one of those scenes which every submarine movie has where the entire crew looks on nervously as the boat may or may not implode under pressure. Anyway, it holds up. The K-19 then breaks through a patch of ice and has a successful test firing of a missile. Everything looks like it is going great. The crew even stops to pose for a happy picture atop the ice after a game of soccer. Of course, things begin to fall apart from there on.

First off, the nuclear reactor pretty much goes kaput. Radiation levels rise rapidly, and for a while it looks like the whole sub might explode. Making things even more drastic is the presence of an American destroyer ship that would theoretically be taken out if the sub went nuclear. Tensions between the two nations were never really much higher than they were back then, so this may have been a real possibility. Once things start going badly, the tensions between Ford and Neeson begin to magnify. A mutiny is even attempted by those loyal to Neeson. Worst of all, the attempt to fix the reactor takes the lives of a handful of the crew in a particularly gruesome fashion. The film becomes more tense as things keep getting more and more dangerous for all involved. The conclusion is somewhat logical, but it might seem a little contrived. The entire movie is loosely based on real events, but the film has too many clichés for it to really be taken too seriously. Since there is no outright warfare going on here, the script has to pretty much recycle just about every tense moment from every other submarine movie not actually involving live combat.

The acting is good, but Harrison Ford is a bit tough to swallow as a Russian. His accent needs a little work, but other than that his performance was as good as he could have done for such a part. Neeson is terrific as usual. Peter Sarsgaard also shows great promise in this early effort of his. Hats off to director Kathryn Bigelow for using the claustrophobic environment of the submarine to her advantage. It must have been a difficult shoot, but she makes it work as well as you could hope. The film lost a small fortune at the box office for whatever reason. Maybe the absence of an American lead character was too much to overcome. Anyway, it is a shame that more people have yet to see this very good film. 7 of 10 stars.

The Hound.

I rented this DVD for a little diversion, in spite of the bad buzz and the word "flop" attached. I thought it was a very good movie, very suspenseful and interesting. I don't nitpick about things like accents with films, just try to enjoy them. I agree with the majority of posters here, it is well worth your time.

Most submarine films are boring, in which a clichéd script includes everything and anything that can happen on a sub are trotted out.

However, this is an above average film and is more or less based on fact and is well worth watching, despite it not doing so well at the box office.

Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson are on top form and play well off each other.

Slightly sad to see that some of our American and Brit contributors take cheap shots at the former Soviet Union. They probably think they really were the goodies defending the "free world" against the Soviet "baddies". Grow up!

Forget about the accents that the actors use in this film. They don't convince anyone that they're Russian. But the story of a nuclear submarine that suffers a leak in the cooling system is fairly interesting. The sacrifices that these men had to do is pretty riveting and some of the decisions made here are ones that a normal person could not even consider! Harrison Ford seems to be having a good time playing a different type of character for a change. And Liam Neeson is actually not to bad as the captain that Ford replaces.Watching the men volunteer to try and fix the leak while exposing themselves to radiation is pretty horrific stuff and its these scenes that make the film worth while.

The movie concerns a Russian atomic sub and the complications caused for a nuclear scape, as many sailors will have to sacrifice themselves to save life of crew members.

Film runtime is overlong , the flick is slow-moving and a little bit boring . Some minutes are superfluous , it has half hour of excess, however the movie is enough decent and agreeable.

The yarn is interesting and allegedly based on real deeds. There is suspense , thriller and action, though the scenario is completely set into the claustrophobic submarine.

Harrison Ford performance as a sub commander is excellent, he hands perfectly the role , Ford has gotten the best character as film producer . Liam Neeson acting as the contender official is first-rate. Facing off between two commanders is likeness to Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin in the film ¨The hunt for Red October¨.

Kathryn Bigelow direction is good and cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth is atmospheric . Klaus Badelt music is spectacular and adjusted to a thrilling film.

The movie will appeal to emotions enthusiastic and action lovers. Rating 6,5/10, above average

Come on, Liam Neeson and Harrison Ford in one movie. And it doesn't disappoint. OK, the accents are a bit corny at times but then, Russian accents can be, even in real life :)

This is a great film and the unusual setting, a Soviet sub, makes it even more interesting. It's up there with Crimson Tide and Hunt for Red October. Comparing it to the best sub movie, Das Boot though, one can see why this one is great: It shares the sense of "There might be politics at the surface (both metaphorically and physically) but when it comes down to it, we are alone down here, with the problems, the danger and the decisions".

Got an 8/10 from me mainly for the exceptional atmosphere.

Lots have been said about Ford's accent, but it's certainly no worse than many others (Costner's in Robin Hood!?!?)even if it's not Meryl Streep. This is a good movie, often overlooked because of some early negative reviews. It is a little too long, but never boring. In fact the middle section of the film is riveting. Perhaps with some sharper editing and a better title, this film could have been a success.

I like this movie a lot, and not just because Harrison Ford is my favorite actor of all time. Well, maybe that has a LITTLE something to do with it. But if so, it's only the fact that it marks quite a change from the types of roles he usually chooses. We expect to see him as the self-assured, never-wrong All-American Hero and here we see him as the cocky, overbearing commander of a RUSSIAN nuclear submarine. What's crazy is that he pulls it off. The accent may not be the most believable in the world, but it's not embarrassing, either. And the performance is one of his best, I think. The torment behind the eyes ... wow. He really gets across that this guy is torn between doing his duty and doing what's best for his men. Liam Neeson lends fabulous support as his second-in-command, and for the most part the entire cast does an excellent job. I guess this is having a hard time finding its niche in the marketplace, because it's not a mindless summer action film. It's still worth a look, though.

K-19 is a unique entry with a poignant portrayal of the other side of the Iron Curtain, showing the rest of the world the courage and the honour of the Russians to their mother land. Those who think of Russians, usually think of blood thirsty killing beasts who drink Vodka all day, but clearly this is just propaganda. I have Russian background and I have grown up around ethnics, and Russians are no different than the general public. It is American propaganda that has taken the rest of the world from understanding the Russian people. In K-19, the Russians are finally portrayed as human beings in the most harshest of all circumstances. This is not an action movie and it was not intended to be one. Most of the American comments shown here on Imdb are ridiculous. They clearly show the American expectations in a movie: It has to be a blow up, explosion filled, guns and bullets, kill your enemy blockbuster to make it into their best films ever list. K-19 however did not want to impress the Americans with special effects (it seems to the general American public that special effects are all that make quality movies these days) but instead wanted to show the world that Russian soldiers were not cold blooded murderers and were not war thirsty, but were soldiers under extreme circumstances - to show the struggle on the other side and to show the fear of death and the courage and heroics in preventing nuclear war, subsequently sparking World War III.

I was really impressed that at least some of the American comments were realistic, for anybody who understands cinema would classify this as a "masterpiece". I have come across many hilariously stupid and ridiculous American comments where they think they know what they are talking about and the thing is, they don't. Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson pulled off a brilliant realistic performance. In my opinion, their accents were very well done (I am Russian, so I would know) and the direction was splendid (a benchmark in sub film history with its claustrophobic sense and close direction). I felt really sorry for the characters, especially for the Nuclear Reactor Officer. The Kirov Orchestra pulled off one of the greatest soundtracks that I have ever heard (really powerful and striking pieces) and the general Russian feel throughout the film was "Authentic".

I was truly struck by this film. It sent shivers down my spine. The settings, the story telling, the performances, the direction, the music, the tension, the interaction and chemistry between the characters, the authenticity and best of all the cast truly made this film a "masterpiece". Thank you to one great "American" film director (Kathryn Bigelow) for waking up and seeing the Russians in a different light.

This movies is certainly a 10/10.

The first 30 minutes of "K19: The Widowmaker" are spent introducing the characters and setting up the story. The next 30 minutes are spent with an uneventful sub shakedown. The film doesn't even begin to get into what it's all about, the China Syndrome nuke problem, until the 100 minute mark. Given the slow start, obvious filler, and the fact that we all know how this not-so-thrilling thriller turns out, the film boils down to just so much busy-work, sub talk, scurrying around, watching gauges, etc. With the absence characters we're given to care about, there's little reason to recommend this white elephant. (C+)

I served in the US Navy as a submariner. No one can convince me that the Soviet navy is as inept as they're portrayed here. Ex-captain has an almost fatherly regard for his men (implying that they've served together for a long time)yet in every drill and real disaster, men collide head-on, cut their hands on a chain-fall, spill fuel on the deck (conveniently forget to dispose of it which sparks a conflagration later, and largely act like oversized teenagers at sea for their first trip. The cook is always caught juggling plates of spilling food. The doctor repeatedly, comically, drops the same medicine again and again.I could go on. The captain never would have left the control room to hide in his cabin to have a hissy-fit. Their individual bravery was probably the most accurate part. Unrealistic, appalling, unbelievable, insulting to all submariners.

In an attempt to break from his usual sympathetic every man bit, Ford plays a blunt, powerful, hard working Russian Naval officer who is given command of a nuclear powered sub from its well liked, almost fatherly captain played by Liam Neeson. Harrison and Liam clash as only two strong willed alpha males can when they take the sub out for a spin and fight to keep it from blowing up and causing a world wide tragedy.

Based on a true story.

Ford and Neeson give solid performances to this long, murky, cold, and ultimately detached action drama that proved to be one of 2002's lesser box office endeavors. As stated before, the film suffers from a feeling of disconnection, even as numbers of brave men are sent into the nuclear reactor with improper protection ("They might as well be wearing rain coats!")

Could have been better, and it could have been a lot worse. Rent and judge for yourself. Probably mostly for fans of Ford and Neeson.

I was not supposed to like this film at all. I am not a fan of 'heroic' movies, and Tom Clancy books and films belong for me to the popular science shelves. However, I found 'K-19' to be a more interesting and in some ways better than expected movie. The film is based on the true story of a Soviet atomic submarine, going through an emergency situation in the early 60s. The subject is a good opportunity of asking some questions about the futility of the fate of very young people sent to serve in the Army (whatever Army), about characters reaching the hysteria of heroism, about the fight between discipline and common sense in a military environment. In the 'good Hollywood tradition', it does it but it goes only half way from an artistic point of view. Director Kathryn Bigelow is good in rendering the claustrophobia of the submarine life, and avoids to the possible extent the stereotypes in directing her actors. Peter Sarsgaard has a fantastic scene when doing a young officer terrorized to sacrifice his life to save other's. Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson are as good as you can expect. The problem is in the total absolution the film gives to Harrison Ford's character, and indirectly to the cause the characters were sent to fight for. Yes, they were heroes. Yes, they did their best for what they perceived as a just cause. Does this turn them into models in today's world? The Hollywood treatment for these Soviet era heroes does not help in answering any of these obsessive questions. 7/10 on my personal scale.

First of all, I'm surprised that Americans succeeded at making such a good movie about Russians. I believe that this is the best American movie that was made about non-Americans. Thank you all the cast and the crew. However Americans will always stay Americans, and even when there's a small group of bright American people (Cast and Crew of K-19) the rest of them are still stupid sheep. How is it possible to give a movie like that, credits like "boring, stupid, SUCKS, not entertaining"? How is it possible for professional movie reviewers to disrespect a movie like that? How can people see only the bad Russian accent? I am shocked! Russians! The next time you watch a Mikhail Zadornov performance, think twice. It's all true!

Well, that's just my opinion. :D "K-19" was a pretty good movie over all. The acting and directing is above average, but it tends to get a little boring. Liam and Harrison lost their Russian accents somewhere around the movie. I'm pretty sure there were "missing & award" posters all over the place. LOL. The supporting cast also adds to the movie as well. I felt like I was there with them on the boat and felt the same pressure they were under. Historically, I have not studied Russian history in depth, so I do not know much about K-19. So, I cannot judge on that level. Over all, it's a good movie, a little too long at times, but you get into it. I would recommend it for a watch on a Saturday.

7/10

This film reminded me more of "Glory" than of "Hunt for Red October" or "Das Boot." The men sacrificed themselves not for The State or some ideology, but for each other, their fellow men & their leader. You know, most of us can't change the world. In a million years, whatever we do won't make a bit of difference anyway. It's the small things--one person, one moment, one action--that really count. That's what this story said to me. Besides it's more exciting than all the shooting, car crashing, exploding movies out there.

At first - for some reason - I wasn't sure about Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson playing Soviet submarine captains. The roles didn't really seem to suit them for some reason. However, both pulled off good performances here, in a movie that seemed to offer a realistic portrayal of life on a Soviet sub in the midst of the Cold War (1961 to be precise.) Purportedly based on a real incident that came to light only after the fall of communism in Russia, the movie combines the rivalry between the two captains with the story of a nuclear reactor out of control and about to explode (and also manages to include an interesting look at Soviet perceptions of the United States - a perspective often lacking from most American movies.)

Perhaps the sheer realism of sub life accounts for what I thought was a general lack of tension for the first 90-100 minutes or so. It must be sheer drudgery for sub crews to go through drill after drill after drill; it's even worse to have to watch them going through drill after drill after drill. At times, the story actually became quite tedious. However, the drama in the last 30 or 40 minutes definitely helped make up for that, and surely - the tedium notwithstanding - the sheer realism of the movie earns it some points.

This is a good movie. Not the best ever made, certainly, and not even the best submarine movie I've ever seen (I'd rank "U-571" and "Run Silent Run Deep" ahead of it) but still it was worth watching.

Overall, I'd rank it as a 7/10.

K-19 has a massive cast, especially in the two lead characters of Mikhail Polenin (Liam Neeson) and Alexei Vostrikov (Harrison Ford). My understanding is that Ford wanted to take on a role different than ones he had taken in the past to prevent type-casting, and while he does a good job in his role (as does just about everyone involved), the movie does slip up a little bit by having an almost nonexistent Russian presence in what is supposed to be the story of a Russian submarine.

Comparisons to the far superior Hunt for Red October are inevitable, and it is interesting to note that that movie was also about a Russian submarine but was presented all in English, but it doesn't lose credibility the way K-19 does, probably because it at least maintained a Russian accent, while Ford is speaking an unmistakable American accent and Neeson, well, Neeson is just Neeson and that's always good. He makes a great German but is less convincing as a Russian. I don't know why.

Nevertheless, as a story about an extremely important submarine mission rife with problems the movie succeeds brilliantly. K-19 is basically Russia's protection again nuclear war, which they fear the Americans might start at any moment. They hope to deter attack by showing evidence that they can issue destruction in return, and it is because of this that the sub is commissioned and sent on a mission to the polar ice caps to launch a test missile. There is a great scene where all of the crew and many other people are witnessing the launch of the submarine, and a woman swings a bottle of champagne on a rope to smash against the hull, but it bounces off unbroken. "We're cursed," one of the dismayed crewmen says. That woman must have felt terrible.

There is an immediate rivalry between Polenin, who understands the ship's limitations and wants them corrected before beginning the mission, and Vostrikov, who also understands the ship's limitations but also understands how important the mission is and so outranks Polenin's protests. One of the best things about the movie is that the dramatic action is pushed along by genuine concerns. The movie would have suffered terribly if they were ignoring such important problems with the submarine without good reason.

One of the best things about the movie is that it is able to create so much dramatic tension, even though it takes place during peacetime. There was a huge amount of political tension in the air, but there wasn't a war going on. This is why there is not a lot of concern shown when an American destroyer is sighted near the submarine, because one of the goals of the mission is for the Americans to see what they're doing.

Instead, a small leak aboard the nuclear sub becomes a problem big enough to potentially start a war. Incidentally, one of the crewmen noticed something wrong with one of the dials at least twice before the leak was discovered (once before the ship left port). Had he reported that problem when he first noticed it, he could have saved the lives of everyone who died because of the radiation and prevented the entire thing. At any rate, once the leak is discovered, the options are to abandon ship and surrender the crucial technology to the Americans (a single concession which could dramatically alter the futures of the two nations, and thus rendering it unacceptable), try to repair the reactor without sufficient protection against the radiation, or scuttle the ship (also unacceptable because of the boat's importance).

There is a tense scene where Vostikov orders the ship to dive to almost crush depth, one of the obligatory scenes in submarine movies where the hull creaks and groans and everyone stares at the ceiling, like there's something to see there, and then he orders the ship to ascend at breakneck speed, surfacing through a layer of ice. Vostrikov intends to push the boat and the men to the limit so that they all know what the limit is, but unfortunately it culminates in a hugely disappointing display of digital effects as the ship breaks through the ice in something that looks more like it belongs in a cartoon than a serious film like this (I was reminded of the unfortunate Scrat's efforts to save an acorn from a splitting glacier in Ice Age).

The film requires an extra bit of suspension of disbelief to accept a story about a Russian submarine but without any Russian actors. I'm curious to know how it was received in Russia. I imagine it was a hit, despite the lack of Russian presence in the film, because it illustrates their courage and dedication to their country in the most difficult of times. But nonetheless, it is hugely effective and never lets up once it gets going. The ending strikes me as the part where the most creative liberties were taken with the original true story, leaving you with the feeling of a Hollywood ending imposed on a true story from Russian and American history. But if nothing else, the movie is a fascinating look at how close we came to widespread destruction during one of the most tense times in modern history.

Okay, everyone, let's say it together and hopefully a cliché cold war plot line can be finally put to rest:

Nuclear weapons do not go off accidentally!

Nuclear weapons do not go off accidentally!

Nuclear weapons do not go off accidentally!

During the cold war the Soviets lost 8 nuclear submarines, all armed with nuclear weapons. They had fires, explosions, collisions and all sorts of accidents. How many accidental nuclear explosions were there? NONE! The US lost submarines and crashed several bombers loaded with nuclear weapons. Once, an American nuclear missile exploded in its silo, blasting the hardened lid off the silo and sending the charred warhead crashing to the ground several hundred yards away. There wasn't even a radiation leak. The US actually put nuclear weapon prototypes on rocket sleds and in fires to ensure their safety. I'm sure the Russians did the same. Movies like K19 continue to rely on the myth that a fire or other accident might set off the nuclear weapons, thus triggering World War III. In reality, K19 might have caused an environmental disaster, but it would not have destroyed a NATO ship and base due to the fire or the radiation. Nuclear weapons are complex devices that require a specific set of actions to detonate them. Were it possible to set one off by accident, it would have happened by now.

Before you see this movie, be sure to check out the comments of the actual crew of K19, who all condemn the movie as stupid, inaccurate, and insulting. As an example, they never called the K19 "The Widowmaker". After all, the average crew member was 20 years old and for all who died only one widow was left behind. Why make a "historical" film if it's all fiction?