U-571 (DVD)

...all the arguing and flag-waving, U-571 emerges as an efficient, well-made action-adventure that should provide two hours of solid entertainment for all but the most dedicated of nationalists. The premise is a simple one, during the Battle of the Atlantic in 1942 an Enigma coding machine comes up for grabs when a German U-boat - the U-571 - with one of the devices on board is attacked and damaged by allied forces. When the stricken U-boat signals ...
...fan, for not only is U-571 low on power and short of weapons, all the controls are in German and the enemy forces have cottoned on to their game. From hereon in it's action-central as McConaughey & Co encounter torpedoes, depth-charges, enemy destroyers (well, one!) and a whole lotta leaks in their quest to return to American soil with their precious cargo intact. Not surprisingly, U-571 is packed to the portholes with cliches - pinging sonars, ...

Howiemon 15.03.2001 (14.02.2002) · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

The Film U-571 caused a rather large sensation when it originally was released. It is based in the Second World War at sea, though there is nothing hugely out of place with that. The film has been totally Americanized, though only just a bit. I mean a simple mistake really getting two countries confused, especially when they are on the same side. Changing a story of heroics, stealth, cunning and bravery with British as the main people involved to ...
...is set out to capture U-571 with Captain Mike Dahlgren (Bill Paxton) and Lieutenant Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) in charge of the crew. They find the stricken U-Boat ahead of the rescue ship sent from Germany to save the sub, all part of the plan to destroy the evidence to stop Germany knowing they have the Enigma. While aboard the German U-Boat another U-Boat sinks the Americas with all the crew on aboard, leaving just a few people left in ...

Chris_Padden 31.01.2002 · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

...of special features! U-571 has some superb special effects and the photography is truly remarkable, the sort of movie that has you jumping at the explosions and so on! As you would expect, given the subject matter, much of the movie is set inside both the US submarine and the German U boat. Careful editing and camera angles give a good impression of the cramped quarters submariners live in and the cheek by jowl crowded atmosphere has been caught ...
...during the Second World War, U-571 follows the story of the crew of a US submarine. The submarine crew are on a much needed 48 hour leave, when they are suddenly called together and given their orders for a mission. The crew are tasked with the job of seeking out a German Nazi U boat and capturing a top secret German Enigma encrypting device and it's code book from the boat. The German vessel is sunk and to be totally destroyed, the US submariners ...

brittle1906 07.10.2009 · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

Once again it is up to the British public to overcome any prejudices they may have as to the way “history has been re-written” by Hollywood to make the Americans look as heroic as possible. This has been done somewhat at the expense of the “Tommies”, who made by far the most valuable contributions to cracking the Enigma code machine (the central focus of this submarine scenario). “U-571” is much like “The ...
...see it actually enjoy it. This theory is strengthened by the fact that, at the time of writing this review, most of the top opinions in the “U-571” sub-category are positive. Indeed, I have heard by far the most scathing criticisms of this movie from those who have not even seen it. The bottom line is that “U-571” does not actually re-write history, as it is a work of pure historical fiction. It is unwarranted to expect American ...

Marechal_Grouchy 28.10.2001 · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

The premise for this film is good. They'd made some great factually based war films in the past. With modern effects and film making techniques this should be a winner...shouldn't it? With their 'unbreakable' codes, the German forces are winning the war - their navy rules the waves and their armies are battering Europe. When u-boat 571 is crippled in an attack, the US navy seizes it's opportunity to capture one of the prized Enigma cypher machines. ...
...seize the stricken sub but can do nothing when their own vessel is destroyed by the German's rescue team. Stranded in the north Atlantic in a damaged, enemy submarine, can the 9 plucky heroes make it home with their valuable cargo? The story is fundamentally good and the fable that ends up on screen is dynamic, exciting and great entertainment, so what's the problem? Fact is the simple answer. Once again the Hollywood history writers have been busy ...

TheNeil 12.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

...be able to approach the U-571 without arousing suspicion. They manage to locate the U-571 and even to capture it. But while Lt. Tyler and his special commando are waiting on the conquered U-571, another U-boat sinks their own submarine and almost the entire crew dies. Lt. Tyler, who’s in charge now after the death of Capt. Dahlgren, has to try to get the Enigma back, with his limited team and in a submarine they barely know. The critics ======== ...
...original German crew of the U-571 massacres an entire cutter of helpless refugees searching for help. The Americans on the other hand, save the only surviving member of the U-571! I will not spoil the rest, but I can assure you that this black/white view only got worse towards the end of the movie. This movie was so extremely patriotic and anti-German it disgusted me. If it had been made 60 years ago I’d say it’s pure war propaganda. ...

Bastien 19.08.2001 · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

This fictional story tells us how the US Navy stole the German Enigma machine. For those people who do have not heard about this piece of machinery, I will explain. The Enigma machine was a secret German encryption device used during WW2, which the allies found bloody difficult to crack, and as a result lost thousands of lives, until it was finally cracked. The film stars Bill Paxton, Harvey Kietel and Matthew Mc Conaughey, and the story swings ...
...in the Mid-Atlantic. The brave US Navy decide that they would like a lend of the Enigma device aboard and set off to see if the nasty Germans (no offence intended) will let them borrow it. The Yanks turn up in a very cleverly disguised submarine and storm the U-boat, capturing the Enigma. At this point in the film the poo really starts hitting the fan! Another U-boat turns up and sinks the US submarine just as they were about to board the sub, so ...

WILMA 09.04.2001 · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

...effort that was sunk into U-571 would have been better spent on something much more worthy and/or interesting, such as foodstuff for a guinea pig. G is for Get out of my house and do not darken my doorstep ever again, ye wasteful producers of PAP - why did you bother making such dross. H is for Harvey Keitel and one of the naffest ever of toothbrush moustaches, effectively making the said Keitel resemble nothing so much as an aged Adolf... Now, ...
...minutes as well, because, while U-571 is VERY realistic and serious looking it somehow never rises up to be much more than the sum of its very scant parts and its stereotyped cast. I had looked forward more than somewhat to seeing this film, because I'd heard an awful lot of very good things about it from a number of sources. However, from about five minutes in when we see the US Navy at play before getting their leave cancelled for a TOP SECRET ...

dave27 17.02.2002 · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

U-571 is the latest in a string of World War Two pictures out of Hollywood recently, but it is the first Naval movie in quite some time. It's also one of the best, putting a lot more teeth into its action than its recent counterparts. U-571 details a submarine XO (executive officer) who's been recently turned down for a command of his own. Told that he's not ready for command by his direct superior, he's a bit disgruntled but carries on, being career ...
...country. At first, I thought U-571 was going to be a reverse Hunt for Red October, with an enemy sub heading into friendly waters crewed by friendlies. But most of the film after the capture of U-571 revolves around combat with a Nazi destroyer. As unlikely as a submarine fighting a destroyer in single combat sounds, this submarine is severely damaged and crewed by a staff with only one German-speaker on board. U-571 is jam packed with action, though ...

Blacknarwhal 06.04.2001 · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

With the war effort hanging in the balance and the German navy controlling the Atlantic water ways the British and American armies need a breakthrough. So when a German Submarine is hit and left stranded on the American side of the Atlantic dividing line the opportunity to recover an enigma code machine is a must. The American's send a team in to recover the machine but they end up stuck on the German Sub in a race to friendly territory as the German ...
...to stop the American's and the stolen German submarine. I've always been a fan of Submarine movies and it was for that very reason that I sat down to watch U-571. I'd seen a lot of adverts for it prior to seeing it and the appeal of a Submarine movie was too much to put off seeing it. The resulting film, while disappointing for one reason I'll get into shortly was actually a pretty decent fictional piece of work. The movie was entertaining and for ...

Andy.mack 07.05.2003 (24.06.2008) · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

...Hirsch & Co. can board U-571 and capture its Enigma decoder. Tyler, although barely less of a cipher than the other personnel in Mostow's story grid (Harvey Keitel as your generic Chief, T.C. Carson as a black mess-steward, Erik Palladino as an Italian-American wisecracker), will hope to be mistaken for a complex-enough character to undergo metamorphosis and become an officer worthy of a command assignment. Because, of course, he effectively gets ...
...around the world embraced it. U-571 feels more like a 1943 war movie without the war to propagandise about (but with a shamelessly gung-ho martial music score). There's barely a line of dialogue that doesn't plant motivation, supply technical exposition, or elliptically hint at a species of crisis that we can be damn sure will arise before the film is over. That may sound like praise, and on a sheer housekeeping level it is. But in terms of viewer ...

Mohammed 10.07.2000 · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

Firstly, I'd just like to say that this is my first review, and that advice is very welcome. I'll assume that anyone reading this review is aware of the debate that has sparked up over the "historical accuracy" of U-571. However, if I can put aside those arguements for just a moment to look at the film itself. The film is based on a fictional account of a raid by American Submariners to capture the top secret German Enigma coding machine. Facing ...
...every turn, the crew navigate the eponymous submarine through the North Atlantic to bring the Enigma Machine to allied territory. The special effects are spectacular, the acting good, and, while it's no Das Boot, the film presents a genuinely tense atmosphere suitable for a submarine in the battle of the Atlantic. The depth charging sequence is particularly exciting (is a little cliched), and the film even manages to provoke an emotional response ...

Pborowiec 04.10.2001 (09.10.2001) · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

...of the last few years, U-571 is pitched as a tribute to all the Allied troops who acted so bravely during World War 2 to recover secret communications equipment from the Nazi threat. The film was heavily criticised from the outset, in that the American production team had paid scant attention to historic detail - instead opting for a story geared towards the glory of the American Navy. Many war veterans were outraged at the lack of historic detail, ...
...are forced to board the U-571 and attempt to escape in the enemy craft. The film suffers from a relatively uninspiring cast. Matthew McConaughey takes the lead as the Executive Office - Tyler, who is bitterly disappointed to have his application for commander declined shortly before the mission. McConaughey plays the part with the enthusiasm of a sulky child, and seldom inspires any confidence or affection in his character. The film is portrayed ...

LostWitness 23.01.2001 · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

Since this is my opinion on the Region 2 DVD of U-571, I won’t go into any great detail over the plot of the movie, since, if you’re anything like me, you have probably seen it at the cinema, before deciding to add it to your DVD collection. For those who have money to burn on taking a chance, here is a (very) quick run-down of the story. U-571, (WW2 German sub) is crippled and drifting after mixing it with the Royal Navy, mid-Atlantic. ...
...work up a team in a (thinly) disguised USN sub to board her, pretending to be the rescue mission, and steal the Enigma code machine. The plan gets torpedoed (literally), and the German sub is the last man standing with only a plucky USN skeleton crew on board, learning German by trial and error! For extra effect, there is one token German prisoner who turns out to be a pain in the Sonars. Sub attempts to limp to England. Plucky crew abandon ship, ...

BNibbles 30.01.2001 · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)

...Anyway a U-boat named U-571 has a run in with a British frigate and is left adrift. In the Atlantic. This U-boat is carrying the top secret Nazi coding device Enigma. The Americans the steal the Enigma so they can listen in to the Nazi plans. They must complete the mission without the Nazi knowing or the codes will be changed and it is back to square one. The plot is excellent and that is probably because it is true, well not the American bit. ...
...the sense of tension and fear the sailors experience when under the sea in leaky old subs. The cast is superb and includes Mathew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel and Jon Bon Jovi. They all do a great job and almost make you believe it was the Americans who did it. There is also enough action and suspense to keep action fans entertained. It ranges from storming the U-boat, watching a submarine sink spectacularly and lots and lots of ground ...

elspeth334 23.01.2001 · Read full review
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Review of U-571 (DVD)