Against the Sun

Don't except a lot to see except a lifeboat, water and three guys trying to survive. But to me that was enough because you live the whole movie like it was you that was trapped on the Pacific Ocean. The problems they have to get drinking water and food make you realize in what kind of hell they had to live during so long alone on the ocean. And when you know it's based on a true story then it makes it always a bit more special when you watch a movie like this one. I thought the actors did a good job. The conversations they had during all that time seems all plausible to me. What else would you do if you were surrounded by water without any land in sight? My wife and I certainly did enjoy this movie.

Just came from seeing this movie at the WW2 museum in New Orleans at an advance screening I had the pleasure of attending. I met the producer/script writer Brian Falk. Very nice guy. I'll start my brief review by saying the movie was admittedly made on a low budget which limits things, but that being said, what they did do, they did well. The re-creation of the plane, a TBD-1 Devastator, was great. (No surviving plane exists anywhere.) As to the story and the production, the movie succeeds because it tells the tale of these 3 men and their journey on a raft in the Pacific Ocean. You see the interactions of three guys who basically did not know each other when the plane took off. Keep in mind in those days, officers, as pilots almost always were, and enlisted crew members did not associate on the carriers much if at all. That dynamic plays out to a certain degree in the film. The elements you'd think would come though in a film such as this, are played well: despair, survival, hunger, thirst, hope, fear, and blame... and many more. Theirs is story that needed to be told. I am glad it was.

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.

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.

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