Touches You

Good concept, poorly executed.

A Masterpiece!

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

PHANTOM is a Cold War submarine thriller with a B-movie feel. I found it a worthwhile watch despite some deficiencies in terms of scripting and the like; the efforts of a stalwart cast help to make this an engaging and occasionally suspenseful viewing experience. Ed Harris, ever excellent, plays the captain of a Russian submarine who finds himself at odds with the strange orders he receives from the secret service men on board. David Duchovny relishes the opportunity to play a sinister character while the likes of William Fichtner and Lance Henriksen bring solid support. The film keeps you guessing at times and has the right kind of claustrophobic atmosphere you expect from a submarine flick; at times, it's also unexpectedly moving.

Overall, this was a good movie. The only real problem I had was that this was a Russian submarine with dozens of Russian crew members and not one of them had a Russian accent. For me, that took away a substantial amount of credibility in the movie. I found myself frequently wondering what was going on here. Were these Americans that hi- jacked a Russian sub? But, no, they were supposed to be Russian's. Took a lot of the believability out of the movie.

...but enjoyable.A reasonably well put together script makes for a strong watch that is made even stronger by a great cast. Harris and Fichtner put in excellent performances and Duchovny is strong as well.The story itself is engaging and ultimately would have worked well without the whole "true events" thing...in fact definitely works better without it. Not especially accurate historically and honestly could have done without a couple of the blatant plot devices they threw in.Cinematography was decent, as were the limited special effects.Directing was sound.Overall a gem on Netflix and a good way to spend a couple hours.

Found this title on Netflix and to my surprise it was a good choice. It's a very entertaining movie with a great cast. It's an interesting story that manages to create a lot of tension. Ed Harris is great as the captain. Overall, a very good choice that should keep your attention throughout.