Pirates attack Tom Hanks in these intense clips from Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is exactly what a movie should be like that is based on a true story. Many knew of the events that occurred when Richard Phillips’ ship was boarded by Somali pirates in 2009. As the story was international news, it almost seems hard to make a compelling film. But, Paul Greengrass has done here the same thing he did with UNITED 93 and made a film that almost feels like a documentary. I was lucky enough to see an early screening of the movie and I can tell you it is one of the best performances of Tom Hanks‘ career.

With the film about to be released, we have two new clips from the hijacking sequence at the beginning of the movie. So far, the trailers have focused on the hijacking which leaves the rest of the movie an entertaining surprise for those unfamiliar with the story. But, I can tell you that these two clips barely scratch the surface of the tension Paul Greengrass packs into the full film.

Check them out:

Captain Phillips is a multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. It is — through director Paul Greengrass’s distinctive lens — simultaneously a pulse-pounding thriller, and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization. The film focuses on the relationship between the Alabama’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (two time Academy Award®-winner Tom Hanks), and the Somali pirate captain, Muse (Barkhad Abdi), who takes him hostage. Phillips and Muse are set on an unstoppable collision course when Muse and his crew target Phillips’ unarmed ship; in the ensuing standoff, 145 miles off the Somali coast, both men will find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control.

If you liked ZERO DARK THIRTY, you will like CAPTAIN PHILLIPS. The actions of Seal Team Six at the end of the film were some of the most thrilling since Kathryn Bigelow‘s film. Tom Hanks has certainly gotten himself an Oscar nomination for his role here.

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS opens everywhere on October 11th.