Memorable, crazy movie

Highly Overrated But Still Good

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

A disaster movie about a disaster that really happened. In his film "Deepwater Horizon", director Peter Berg adopts a documentary approach and takes his time getting to the big bang and the movie is all the better for it. This is a movie that never exploits either its subject or its characters while still ticking all the necessary boxes and benefits considerably from a first-rate cast, (Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, a terrific John Malkovitch, Kate Hudson etc), all at the top of their game; no mean feat when the real star of the picture is an exploding oil rig, (special effects, cinematography, editing, sound recording are all top notch). As disaster movies go, this is highly effective and in the end, very moving.

Amazing cool film with super graphics, I laughed, I cried and I cheered! Should have won oscars, I DEMAND A RECOUNT! Deffo see this! Has to be seen to be believed!

Don't be confused: above all else, Deepwater Horizon is a disaster film. Unsuspecting characters mingle harmlessly and provide exposition about themselves and their surroundings to allow a second-half non-stop action fest. There are movies that follow the formula conventionally and do a good job at it, others do a poor job at it, and even some others try putting a twist on the formula. This film-for the most part-is successful. For a clear disaster film, what works the most is actually the beginning. It takes awhile for the action to start happening, so this means we have to care about the characters so that we're worried about their fates when death closes in in the second half. The writing is solid and engaging, Wahlberg has chemistry with everyone, and Kurt Russell brings the soul and spirit into the film. John Malkovich plays a rather conventional white collar antagonist, but needless to say, the buildup for the inevitable is really well done. If you've been living under a rock for the past decade, I'll quickly explain the point of this film. In 2010 an offshore oil rig exploded and resulted in the worst oil spill in U.S. history. This is the story of the workers on-board when it happened, and how pressure from executives to meet deadlines and cut costs ultimately led to the explosions that tragically killed and injured too many. The set for the film is basically the biggest ever used in a film, and it certainly adds to the film. There are plenty of shots of ordinary workers doing their job when mud and oil rumbles and rumbles until it finally blows. And it's presented without holding back. This is a very strong PG-13 film as you watch workers blown back, saved by their helmets; they desperately try containing the oil that blocks their vision and slips them up. I'm simplifying the action and don't want to describe everything that goes on, but trust me when I say that this film is engaging from start to finish. The climax was predictable, and therefore lacked some tension, but your heart will race as you root for the characters you spent the first half of the film getting to know. The movie won't revolutionize anything, but that doesn't have to stop it from being a solid film. It's a disaster film you will enjoy watching, only amplified by the well-known fallout that took place afterward. It's a testament to tell the story of real people in an unbelievably traumatizing situation, and for executing it with confidence and poise, I applaud the filmmakers and their efforts. You can find this review and dozens of others at gillipediamoviereviews.blogspot.com

A movie that focuses on a single binary event- the Deepwater Horizon explosion. The film avoids delving into the political, social, or ecological ramifications of the disaster and its aftermath. This is a major disappointment for me. The directors could have made so much more of this movie. The film stars Mark Walhberg as a technician who works on the Deepwater Horizon. Wahlberg's character has no special skills that are apparent or ever explained. He has no interesting dialogue. He sits around surfing the web and chatting with his wife half of the movie. When things go south, he suddenly morphs into a super hero with super human skills who saves lives. But I digress. Wahlberg's role in Deepwater Horizon is virtually identical to "The Perfect Storm". He has a Suzy-homemaker wife played by Kate Hudson who sits at home watching soap operas all day worrying about him while Wahlberg is out at sea trying to earn a paycheck for his family. It was like they carbon-copied his character from "The Perfect Storm", but changed the scenery to an oil rig. Other stars include Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, and Gina Rodriguez. Russell is the good-guy rig supervisor who the workers love. He is at odds with Malkovich, a BP executive, who only cares about corporate profits at the expense of safety and the environment. The most passionate scene of the movie involves a heated exchange between Russell and Malkovich, but this exchange is done awkwardly. It is not classic Kurt Russell. Both Russell and Malkovich have bizarre accents that are difficult to understand. Russell tries to speak with a Southern accent and Malkovich uses a New Orleans Creole accept. Both work poorly. It is nearly impossible to understand what they are saying, but you get the gist of their dispute. Gina Rodriguez's character is also a tech of some sort. There's really not much else to say on her. She is boring like Wahlberg. The other characters in the movie are background props. They are cannon-fodder. The characters do all sorts of tests that are never explained to the audience. You have no idea what is going on and it is never explained what caused the failure. The action scenes as the disaster begins are well done. Lots of blood, shrapnel, etc. There is a scene that looks like it was stolen right out of the movie "Titanic" where a worker is blown off the side of the rig into the sea and hits a propeller of some sort before bouncing off to his death. Overall, the movie is an easy paycheck for Wahlberg and Russell. They are asked to do very little as the film focuses more on explosions. With a letter effort, the writers could have added some scenes in the beginning and the end about the politics and environmental consequences.