Against the Sun (2014)

I do like most stories of the sea, and this kept me entertained and was a good enough story. The fake sharks were not great, but I didn't really have a problem with anything else. Before I watched this I was wondering how they would tell this "trapped in a life raft at sea" story any differently. It is a true story, which I hope was told fairly truthfully, so it didn't have to be believable; because it actually happened. If it hadn't been a true story you might have wondered about their luck sometimes.On the whole worth watching if you like this sort of thing, and the acting was fairly good.

The story of 3 men in a raft lost at sea sounds predictable & boring, but somehow this one wasn't. Not the usual war movie either. It definitely kept my interest. I am not a CG pro, but it all felt real enough to me. A few scenes jump out as well done: the emotion of the pilot when he admits his error, the catching of the shark, the storms they encounter. I only wish there was more detail to the ending. What actually happened when they made landfall? Definitely worth your time if you are in the mood for a real-life story, (unless you need sex & horror which seems to be the case nowadays). I will say that you might feel more appreciative when you turn on your faucet for a drink of water.

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.

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.