Some directors set out to turn genres upside-down, to take a tried-and-true formula and give it a brand new visage. Not Jonathan Mostow. He seems to like his genre conventions just fine, thank you. However, Mostow is still a craftsman. He may not break any rules with his films, but Breakdown and U-571 suggest that the man knows what works and he knows how to produce streamlined, tense action movies that keep the audience on the edge of their seats, but don't put too much pressure on them. Mostow's next assignment, the third Terminator film, suggests that his career direction isn't deviating — the man wants to please the crowd. Anything else is gravy.

U-571 tells the fictional story of a group of American submariners who captured the Engima encoding device, thereby allowing the Allies to win the Western Front. Historians (and the British) would assure you that it was an English ship that actually secured the Enigma device. But no matter. U-571 is a ride, not a history lesson. Matthew McConaughey is LT. Tyler, passed over for a promotion when the film begins. Wouldn't you know that the film would require him to prove his mettle and earn the respect of his crew? And that's pretty much the plot. Will Tyler and his crew survive to bring home the Engima?

And if you've seen a submarine movie or two in your time, you can probably imagine the various plot twists and tension-filled moments that are going to ensue. It's all from the same basic script as classics like Destination: Tokyo or Das Boot. The torpedo loaders will probably jam. The captain will probably take the sub deeper than it physically should go, causing rivets to come popping out. The bad guys will use depth charges rattling everybody on board. What's nice is that all of these common elements are well handled. No, U-571 isn't as good a film as Wolfgang Peterson's Das Boot and it isn't ask technically fresh, but Mostow knows how to use the inevitable tracking shots through the hall-ways and in moments of great suspense, he knows how to push-in for close-ups of the dirty-faced sailors. DP Oliver Wood does a nice job shooting the inside of the sub and keeping the setting claustrophobic, but fresh and Wayne Wahrman's editing is top-notch. And as always with a sub movie, the sound effects are central to its ability to succeed and this film passes with flying colors.

For whatever reason, though, Mostow and his two co-writers have very little interest in their supporting characters. The conventions of the war movie mandate that every boat or plane or bunker be a microcosm of America — a melting pot of diverse characters who must band together to fight a common enemy. In this film, though, the enlisted men are entirely anonymous. The film presents a slightly integrated (a mention is made early-on to the invisiblity of the black sailors, but it never becomes an issue again) cast of virtually identical underlings. This makes it tough to care whenever a sailor is killed or dies heroically. The audience never is able to make any emotional connections. Even the leads are minally sketched out. McConaughey is fine, but his character's arc is fairly simple, especially since his commanding officer (played by Bill Paxton) literally spells out the steps that will be necessary for McConaughey to become a true leader. Various slightly recognizable actors pop up in supporting roles and make no impression and the bigger names like Paxton, Harvey Keitel, and Jon Bon Jovi have to struggle (with little success) to be noticed.

U-571 builds to a fairly satisfying, if entirely obvious, conclusion. The film is fun to watch in the moment and finally largely forgettable. The absence of real characters lets the movie skip exposition and development to cut straight to the action, but it also dulls the film's possible impact.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older