Everybody's a critic - 'K-19 -the Widowmaker'

HH

Those seeking a film with pulse-pounding excitement and intense battle scenes had best wait in line for the next James Bond installment. K-19, receives its nickname "The Widowmaker" from the crewmen who are witness to 10 deaths before it ever sets out on its maiden voyage.

Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson co-star as two opposing captains aboard the jinxed vessel. The story, based on actual events, is set in 1961 when the Cold War between Russia and the United States is in full swing. Desperate to outshine the U.S. in the military advancement of nuclear technology and weaponry, the Russians construct (and rather shabbily) a new submarine. The film escalates when the nuclear reactor malfunctions and the crew becomes exposed to the deadly radiation.

It may sound intriguing, but the story drags and only makes the audience suffer along with the crewmen. I give this film two stars for graphic scenes and the countless practice drills inflicted on the crew (and us) throughout the first half of the movie.

-- Barbara Hanscom, data entry clerk