Harrison Ford's 'K-19' worthy successor to 'Das Boot'

By Jack Garner
Gannett News Service

K-19: THE WIDOWMAKER (Rated PG-13 with violence) Three-and-a-Half Stars (Good-to-Excellent) A taut new historical thriller in the tradition of "Das Boot," based on the true story of Soviet submarine that threatens to go into nuclear meltdown. Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson co-star for director Kathryn Bigelow. Paramount, 138 mins.

The dismal "donk" of that nonbreaking bad-luck bottle was one of several indications the K-19 was cursed.

But who would have suspected a curse could extend to a nuclear meltdown?

The story of that Cold War submarine — and the heroics of the crew in the face of the disaster — are recounted in "K-19: The Widowmaker" a taut new historical thriller in the tradition of "Das Boot."

Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson give performances of strength and conviction as the sub's captain and executive officer, respectively.

The K-19 sub was rushed into production at the height of the Cold War, and was designed to be the Soviet answer to America's Polaris missile subs.

But as the film opens, K-19 is far from ready to sail. It suffers from bad wiring, troublesome leaks, and a history of construction fatalities. Its skeptical and under-trained crew call their ship "the Widowmaker."

The captain, Mikhail Polenin (Neeson), is a capable, loyal officer, much loved by his men. But perhaps that's a problem.

The impatient Soviet leadership replace him with a tougher commander — Alexei Vostrikov (Ford).

However, Vostrikov keeps Polenin as his Number Two, because he knows the ship and the men.

Despite the sailors' repeated pleas for more prep time, the Soviet bureaucracy is determined: K-19 sets sail for the Atlantic in June 1961.

A series of harrowing drills go surprisingly well, but then a nuclear accident threatens to trigger a disastrous meltdown.

At the least, the entire 139-member crew would be killed. At worse, nuclear missiles might be accidentally fired, possibly launching World War III.

Several crewmembers have to make a daring decision to work within the reactor — a brave option that will probably kill them.

And Vostrikov and Polenin must put aside their feud to inspire courage and resourcefulness among the men.

As directed by Kathryn Bigelow, "K-19" is taut, realistically detailed and exciting, with a narrative heightened by its historic basis. Though "Das Boot" remains the template for first-rate submarine action, "K-19" is a worthy successor.

As the commander, Ford is tough and intelligent, and both compassionate and practical. With cropped, salt-and-pepper hair and a modest Russian accent, he's at least as plausible as a Soviet sub commander as Sean Connery was in "The Hunt for Red October."

Even better is Neeson, a powerhouse performer when outsized emotions are in order.

Neeson disguises his Celtic roots behind an equally plausible Russian accent, and finds the core of a tricky character. Polenin is often caught between his loyalty to his men and his even stronger loyalty to his country and its navy.

Beyond its quality as a true-life submarine thriller, "K-19" is also noteworthy for three "firsts":

— Budgeted at $80 million, it's the most expensive film yet directed by a woman.

— The lavish Klaus Badelt score — a blend of typically Russian martial and choral music — is performed by Russia's Kirov Orchestra, marking the organization's first performance of a film soundtrack.

And lastly, "K-19" is the debut movie for a new feature film division of National Geographic. After decades of television and documentary production, National Geographic is expanding into the movie business.

Rated PG-13, with violence.