User reviews

"I know a way to not be like this. I know a way to get money." Captain Robinson (Law) is a submarine captain who has just been told he is no longer needed. When he tells his crew about this they are wondering what the next step in their lives will be. The idea comes up about trying to salvage a sunken sub full of Nazi gold and they agree to look for it. What starts off as a way to make money becomes something so much more. This is a movie that I can not do justice to in a review. The movie is nothing amazing and is not a classic but this is one of the biggest surprises I have seen in a while. I was sucked in right away and was interested and intrigued all the way until the end, which seemed to come almost too soon. This movie takes all the great aspects of a heist movie and moves the setting to a claustrophobic submarine. I could go on about how much I liked this movie but I will just say this is one you have to see to understand. I recommend this. Overall, nothing that will win awards or become a classic, but it was entertaining and very much worth your time. I really enjoyed this. I give it a B+.

Greetings again from the darkness. One of my first favorite TV shows as a little kid was "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea". Each week I sat wide-eyed in front of the tube (yes, it was actually a cathode ray tube back then) anxiously awaiting underwater adventure. It wasn't until later that I discovered Irwin Allen's 1961 movie of the same name, and more importantly, Jules Verne's novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", which featured the wild exploits of Captain Nemo and the Nautilus. Since then, count me in for just about any movie based aboard a submarine (Down Periscope being a rare exception).

Director Kevin MacDonald is best known for his excellent 2006 film The Last King of Scotland (with Forest Whitaker's Oscar winning performance as Idi Amin). This time he works with a script from playwright Dennis Kelly to deliver a gritty, tense thriller that is lacking any traditional Hollywood fluff … it's a down and dirty look at greed, desperation and the survival instinct.

Inherent to a story based aboard a submarine is the immediate and constant threat of claustrophobia and death. This one adds another element of danger by blending a crew of Russians and Brits with the goal of bringing back millions of dollars in gold locked away on a sunken German U-Boat in the Black Sea waters. Lest you think the Russians are just another group of southern California actors faking the accent, director MacDonald confirmed that he cast actual Russian actors – including Grigoriy Dobrygin (A Most Wanted Man), Konstantin Khabenskiy (one of the most popular actors in Russia), and three others named Sergey, which MacDonald acknowledged contributed to on-set confusion. This decision elevates the onboard tension between adversarial characters to an armrest-gripping level. Yet another slightly psychotic Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom) role doesn't hurt, either.

Jude Law continues the second phase of his career – far removed from his pretty boy early films – as a tough, revenge-seeking sub captain fired by his long-time employer. Should you doubt Law's acting range, I would recommend not just this film, but also last year's Dom Hemingway (a wild ride). Law's performance here is very strong as he transforms from a p.o.'d former employee to an eye-on-the-prize, win-at-all-cost treasure seeker. The onboard tension mounts every time there is interaction between the Russians and Brits, and Law's character attempts to mediate. The progression of this three-way dynamic is fascinating to watch as it unfolds.

To provide that true underwater feeling, MacDonald filmed some scenes onboard an old Soviet submarine that is moored in the River Medway in Kent (UK). We never have that feeling of Hollywood soundstage; instead we as viewers share in the tight space and constant dread. This combination of characters, setting and mission deliver an intense thriller that is sure to please, and feels uncommonly welcome this early in the year.

The pinnacle of submarine movies is Das Boot (1981), a must-see for any movie lover. Other popular sub films include Crimson Tide (1995), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), and for those of us who are fascinated by life (and possible death) under the sea, we gladly welcome a new entry to the sub-genre, especially one as well made and tension-packed as Black Sea.

All of the classic drama/suspense elements are there; intrigue, plotting, betrayal, redemption, class conflict, heroes, bad guys, the mandatory weasel...and a pretty darned cool submarine.

They really didn't break any new ground but there is certainly room for another, 'Holy crap...we're really deep underwater in a tin can' movie.

Unlike 'The Hunt for Red October', this movie was mostly dark with intermittent moments of hope but little humour...which is OK since as a pure drama, things moved along nicely. Good acting, dialogue and direction gave this film a finished and crafted look and feel.

Jude Law gave a truly gritty performance, which I really doubted he had in him. I expected some of the more typical smart mouthed, foppy behaviour we've come to expect from Jude, but he fit right in with the other rough and tumble members of the crew.

It's well worth seeing on the big screen but you better hurry...tonight I was completely alone in the theatre...which means a lot of people are missing out on some fine entertainment, and it probably won't be around much longer.

Robinson (Jude Law) has been a submariner for 30 years. He's obsolete and gets fired after 11 years with the company. He is recruited for an outlandish treasure hunt. Back in 1941, Stalin acquiesce to Hitler and sends tons of gold to Germany. The U-boat transporting the gold sunk to the bottom of the Black Sea. An investor has a plan to recover the gold while the Russians are fighting Georgia on the surface. His representative Daniels (Scoot McNairy) joins him along with diver Fraser (Ben Mendelsohn) and youngster Tobin. The crew calls Tobin a virgin and therefore bad luck. Robinson insists on equal shares for everyone and Fraser riles up the crew arguing against the Russians getting the same share.

Director Kevin Macdonald does well to infuse the movie with tension. Jude Law is good and Ben Mendelsohn is great. The main thing holding this back is the plot. There is a few too many exact coincidences. For example, they need exactly nine people to drive the boat but eight people would mean they can only surface. It's way too exact and leads to obvious conflict. I understand the need to raise the danger level but the plot takes a few too many twists and 15 minutes too long.

Robinson (Jude Law) is laid off from his salvage company, but learns about a German sub deep in the Black Sea that is loaded with gold from WWII. Robinson gets the funding, an old Russian sub and a crew of 12 consisting of Russians and English to go after the gold.

All of the above sounds really good, but here's the thing: the crew members don't like or trust each other and tensions rise. Here is what I didn't understand: most were out of work and readily available to search for the gold. Yet, they acted like this was business as usual and would have liked it if some members were killed off and that would mean more money for them. Did someone say "greed." Robinson did say that all members would receive an equal share and this message was good and understood, by all, for about 20-seconds.

The Russians spoke Russian and Robinson needed translations. Why not let the Russians speak English as we sometimes hear in movies? I mean if the translations were deceptive, then I could understand their speaking Russian, but there were no deceptions. See?

One more thing: they hit something that breaks their drive shaft and they see the German sub and need to get that drive shaft to be able to move. Three go out with limited air supply in their tanks to retrieve the drive shaft and once inside the German sub, they discover the gold. Now here's the thing: a winch materializes out of nowhere to move the gold and the drive shaft. There is no talk of limited air supply and all work together to get the winch to move the gold and the drive shaft in the sea bed mud. Limited air supply indeed !

Then comes the big twist. I truly forgot there would be a twist. Hey, it happens. And it happened because I was so engaged in this tension-filled story, but there it was. Bummer.

The acting and tension all around were so good I felt as though I was on that sub, too, and yes, I was looking over my shoulder every 10-seconds like everyone else in these cramped quarters.

There are some holes in here, but this is still a good sub story. (7/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.

If you enjoyed movies like U571, The Hunt for Red October & Crimson tide, then this movie is for you. In my personal opinion, it's not quite as good as the aforementioned titles, but it's certainly in the same league.

Black Sea has most of the right ingredients for a tense underwater thriller. It ticks pretty much every box in the genre from extremely intense survival scenes to flawed human characters. There are several thoroughly enjoyable claustrophobic scenes, which are only intensified by the clearly terrified crew.

There were only two weak points. They should've spent some time developing the characters a little more and perhaps making them a bit more likable so that you would care about their fates. The other minor point is the character's accents. Being British I was able to follow the various accents well enough, but I imagine it may be a little difficult to follow for viewers that aren't used to the inflections.

Black Sea is a solid and professional production and a must-see for anyone that enjoys movies with this sort of theme.

This film is about a submarine captain who is fired because of downsizing. He decides to form his own submarine team to hunt for the gold that Nazi Germany is rumoured to have left in a sunken submarine at the bottom of the Black Sea.

I was initially put off by "Black Sea" because of the heavy accent, which made it hard for me to understand the dialog. Fortunately, the film is thrilling and captivating, so I was drawn by the film again. The plot keeps me on the edge because there is something happening in rapid succession. The divide between the British and the Russian crew is well portrayed. There are even mind games which is probably unexpected in a submarine thriller. The claustrophobic environment of the submarine, and also the constant fear of catastrophic events happening keep the adrenaline pumping. The ending is unexpectedly moving, I was very sympathetic towards the characters. It even gave me tingles down my body. I enjoyed watching "Black Sea".

Three reasons to watch Black Sea:

1) if you are interested in U-Boats this works for you 100%.

2) if you are a Jude Law fan then you will see one of his best performances so far. In fact he played the role as a hungry captain brilliantly and credibly.

It could have been honored even for an Oscar worthy role.

3) it offers entertaining value mixed with drama, adventure and submarine details.

I liked this movie cause it's damn dramatic with a touch of adventure.

The running time is okay and the special effects in the submarine are well done. The director Kevin Macdonald made a good a job with this story based on true events.

It merits a solid 6.5/10 that matches nearly the rating of 6.4 of IMDb.

If you like U-Boat movies don't miss K-19 with Harrison Ford, Killer Hunter with Gerard Butler or Red October with Sean Connery.

As a former submarine sailor I watch every submarine picture that is exhibited. None are exactly as it was or is. Most are a lot of fun to watch. This movie was very good as it entertained and kept you on the edge of your seat. This is a good escape from all the movies that are all explosions, blood and gore, fantasy, and vampire trash. This has a believable storyline even if the FX are a little unbelievable. You should watch this movie and enjoy it. Jude law is surprising in the role of the Capt. and is a great deal different than previous movie roles for him. The clash of personalities adds to the excitement through danger and mechanical malfunctions.

As submarine movies go, Black Sea is probably the best one this year. That it may be the only one certainly helps. Kevin McDonald (The Eagle, The Last King of Scotland) has delivered a Boy's Own adventure under the sea that is part thriller, part drama and could easily have been a Desmond Bagley novel forty years ago. And that's no bad thing.

When submarine pilot Captain Robinson (Jude Law) is made redundant, he seeks solace in the company of a pint and some former colleagues. One of them mentions a missing German U-boat that was lost in the Second World War, laden with gold bullion from Russia, Robinson sets a plan in motion to seize the gold and end their financial woes. With an investor in place, a rusted submarine and a motley crew comprised equally of Brits and Russians, Robinson heads into the depths of the Black Sea for a deep water heist, but a tin can filled with greedy, desperate, jealous men doesn't bode well…

There is nothing remarkable about Black Sea. It lacks the tension of Das Boot, doesn't rewrite history quite as horribly as U571 and doesn't quite hit the (dated) adventure of The Hunt for Red October, but it is an enjoyable romp of angst, betrayal and underhand tactics that fills an evening quite adequately.

Screenwriter Dennis Kelly (Utopia) either doesn't understand the law of physics or has decided to bend them anyway but the screenplay rattles along quite nicely, building the drama, adding the odd explosive scene and even managing one or two very funny quips. He establishes a crew of embittered men on opposing sides without making any of them too much of a caricature. There are a few missing beats and some clunks as logic and reason tumble down the gangway but, for the most part, Black Sea holds the attention and entertains. There is little to surprise but, as long as the viewer isn't too bothered by historical or scientific accuracy, there is nothing to really disappoint.

Jude Law makes for an enjoyable, grizzled hero though he isn't given enough to add depth to his character. The soft flashbacks and memories of his estranged wife and son are intended to add meat to his bones but there isn't enough in them to make us really care and they are more distracting than affecting. We understand and care more about Tobin's (Bobby Schofield) emotional predicament through a brief exchange between captain and junior than the entirety of flashbacks from Robinson.

Black Sea has the feel of a movie dumped on the world because it is too light to feature in the summer blockbusters, too small (of budget) to compete against Hollywood's big studio flicks and doesn't even pretend to have any merit when it comes to awards season. For a low budget British adventure thriller it serves perfectly well on a cold, damp, winter's evening for a certain type of cinemagoer who is already sick of the barrage of Christmas schmaltz and family fare at the multiplex.

If you want entertainment with a smidgen of mystery, a dollop of action and a hint of thrills, Black Sea does the job adequately.

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After working for many years for the marine salvage company Agora, the submarine captain Robinson (Jude Law) is fired in a downsizing without pension plan or any reward. While drinking in a bar with his friends Blackie (Konstantin Khabenskiy) and Kurston (Daniel Ryan), who were also fired, the depressed Kurston discloses that he knows the location of a World War II U-Boat loaded with gold that sank in the coast of Georgia. Robinson and Blackie meet a man called Lewis (Tobias Menzies) that agrees to be the sponsor of a salvage expedition of the treasure; in return, he charges 40% of the gold and demands his friend Lewis (Tobias Menzies) goes with them. When Robinson seeks out Kurston, he learns from the young Tobin (Bobby Schofield) that his friend committed suicide. He decides to invite Tobin to replace Kursten in the half-British half-Russian crew he has team-up. Along their journey, there is constant friction between the men jeopardizing the operation. Will Robinson be capable to control the dangerous crew?

"Black Sea" is a tense and claustrophobic thriller with good story and great performances, highlighting Jude Law. Most of the scenes are breathtaking and the conclusion perfect to the plot. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Mar Negro" ("Black Sea")

This engaging and intriguing motion picture is meticulously mounted by director Kevin Macdonald who always manages to make a course correction in the nick of time and delivering another direct success . This nail-biter is a tightly-knit drama centered on the underwater maneuvers going after a valuable treasure in gold bullion . It follows a captain (Jude Law), who puts together a motely crew (Konstantin Khabenskiy, Daniel Ryan , Scoot McNairy ,Michael Smiley ,Bobby Schofield, David Threlfall , among others ) to search for a sunken submarine loaded with gold in the depths of the Black Sea. But greed and desperation soon take hold onboard the claustrophobic vessel and the misfit men start turning on each other, putting them as risk of never making it to the surface alive. Resulting in the unfortunate crew are decimating themselves little by little. Brave the deep!. Find the gold ! . Trust no one !. The only thing more dangerous than the mission is the crew !

The yarn is interesting with thrilling screenplay and authoritative direction by director Kevin Macdonald . There is suspense, thriller , violence and action, though the scenario is mostly into a submarine . This exciting underwater drama concerning the search for a treasure in a dangerous sea throughout Russian territory . Jude Law stars as a veteran commander who is scheming a dangerous voyage to find a Nazi treasure , then tensions run high and rise among crew members . They are pushed to the brink of death by the perilous mission full of risked incidents , twists and turns. The film is notorious as one of the best and recent submarine movies .

Suspenseful , rousing musical score by composer Ilan Eshkeri , as well as appropriate, colorful cinematography by cameraman Christopher Ross . Perfect production design in similar style to 'Das Boot' , showing competently the interior of claustrophobic rusted submarine . The motion picture was professional and decently directed by Kevin MacDonald (State of play , The Last King of Scotland , How I Live Now ,Touching the void). Kevin shot the film in such hard conditions that some cast members suffered health problems . Rating : 6.5/10 . Acceptable and passable submarine movie. The flick will appeal to Jude Law fans .

Ignore of some the bad reviews, just saw this for the first time and really enjoyed it. Too many people looking for perfection in a movie, no it is not fast paced action but does you keep you into the story. Stop looking for perfect and just enjoy!

Alright, pretty predictable when it comes to building the plot. Overall alright movie, could have ended better.

There's a fabled Nazi U-Boat down in the depths of the ocean, aboard is gold, lots of gold. So it's time for a not so motley crew of submariners to go forth - in an antiquated submarine - and try to set themselves up for life. Naturally nothing goes as planned, there are hidden agendas, rival factions within, claustrophobia reigns supreme, will anyone survive? Will you want any of them to survive?

Black Sea is not without problems, though the complaints about credibility and believability not being available? Well these are surely from folk who don't watch enough of, or understand the workings of, genre cinema of this ilk. Kevin Macdonald (director) and Dennis Kelly (writer) have crafted a tight and efficient submarine thriller. Characterisations are clichéd, with nods to other genre type of films evident, but the group dynamics pulse with danger and the inevitable peril sequences strike the requisite suspenseful chords.

Black Sea doesn't define or reinvent the submarine thriller wheel, it just keeps the rotor shafts turning. Strong casting and earthy photography help matters, to make this - ropey accents aside - better than a time waster of a viewing. 6.5/10