Greyhound (2020)
3.3 of 5 from 96 ratings
1h 31min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- In a thrilling WWII story inspired by actual events, Captain Ernest Krause (Tom Hanks) leads an international convoy of 37 ships on a treacherous mission across the Atlantic to deliver thousands of soldiers and much-needed supplies to Allied forces.
- Actors:
- Tom Hanks, Elisabeth Shue, Stephen Graham, Matt Helm, Craig Tate, Rob Morgan, Travis Quentin, Jeff Burkes, Matthew Zuk, Joseph Poliquin, Casey Bond, Josh Wiggins, Michael Benz, Grayson Russell, Ian James Corlett, Maximilian Osinski, Dominic Keating, Dave Randolph-Mayhem Davis, Tom Brittney, Parker Wierling
- Directors:
- Aaron Schneider
- Producers:
- Gary Goetzman
- Voiced By:
- Ian James Corlett, Maximilian Osinski, Dominic Keating, Thomas Kretschmann
- Writers:
- Tom Hanks, C.S. Forester
- Others:
- Michael Minkler, Beau Borders, David Wyman, Christian P. Minkler, Warren Shaw
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Drama
- Collections:
- Drama Films & TV, Getting to Know :Tom Hanks, WWII Films: Beaches, Oceans and Camps
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Reviews (1) of Greyhound
Good, Solid War Drama - Greyhound review by GI
Greyhound is a traditionally styled war drama about one small US Navy destroyer as it takes up escort duties to a merchant convoy during the Battle of The Atlantic in 1942. Tom Hanks, who also wrote the screenplay, is the relatively inexperienced and religiously devout Captain who is tested throughout the cat and mouse drama as the Greyhound hunts for the attacking U Boats who in turn attempt to sink it. There are some genuinely tense moments and the film expertly conveys the claustrophobic world of the ships bridge where split second decisions are made to avoid torpedoes and to make the correct manoeuvres. Hanks plays the role as a flawed man trying his best and he's seen making mistakes as the battle rages. There are also some small intimate moments that are dealt with in a subtle way to show that such moments occur in the extremes of battle but the film is clever enough not to overly dwell on them spoiling the nature of the action. This is really a good old fashioned war yarn with Hanks in a role that he seems made for ably assisted by Stephen Graham as his second in command. Enjoyable film, well directed and very entertaining.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
Greyhound review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso
Greyhound is best recommended as one of those tactile war films. It doesn’t carry some greater contemplation about the nature of war or how inhuman it is as an act of extinguishing life. It doesn’t harbor a specific political message of demonizing the Germans in the ramp-up to World War II’s conclusion. It also doesn’t transform the conflict into a video game. That being said, this is the type of film that would probably benefit from immersion considering where its strengths lie.
The story takes place in 1942 during the Battle of the Atlantic. The United States has just entered the war and its NAVY is working on escorting allies across the waves. Taking command of this operation is the Fletcher-class destroyer USS Keeling DD-548, call sign Greyhound, being commanded by Commander Ernest Krause (Tom Hanks). He’s a firm yet calculative commander that takes great care of his accompanying vessels; a British Tribal-class destroyer HMS James F80 and Polish Grom-class destroyer ORP Viktor H34. What point is there in listing off these ships? Well, you’re going to be seeing a whole lot of them as the film has plenty of money shots of these vessels.
This mission is Krause’s first during the war, making it an extra nerve-wracking experience. It’s an especially dangerous mission once his escort fleet reaches the Mid-Atlantic gap without protection, referred to as the Black Pit. The fleet soon intercepts German transmissions and it’s looking like they’re going to be heading into combat with a U-boat. Trying to outsmart a vessel that can proceed underwater is going to take some expert captaining and resorting to dangerous maneuvers. Torpedoes are fired, ships sink, waves crash, and the clock is ticking to see how long the fleet will last before they can receive British air support.
This is one of those films where it feels you can really only talk about it on a technical level for its action and staging. To that degree, Greyhound mostly delivers on what it promises. It has some tense moments of ships being attacked amid a dark situation of grey skies and murky waters. The ships all look great, rarely appearing like cheap CGI in the staging of U-boats and destroyers. There’s never an amazing shot that makes the film stick out rarely a moment when you’re not engaged.
Greyhound could probably be classified under the mid-tier list of dad-core movies. It’s suitable enough for the aged dad lusting for some WWII action but would prefer to think more about military tactics than any greater meaning of war or its atrocities. It’s for the curmudgeon who appreciates seeing Tom Hanks but more for looking cool in a military uniform than showing any sort of emotion besides quiet worry as he stares out at the endless waters. It’s a simple film of simple pleasures. And while it’s sure to get lost in a slew of other NAVY movies that all look muddy with ambitions more placed in effects than storytelling, it floats well enough for a decent afternoon of rigid military action.