![]() This seemed to briefly work until the pirates reneged on the agreement and took Phillips hostage, taking him on the lifeboat with them. Furthermore, a member of the crew, Chief Engineer Mike Perry, then ambushed the pirate leader Abduwali Muse and attempted to exchange him for the ship’s captain. In reality, the Captain was taken prisoner soon after the pirates boarded. ![]() It has also since been noted that the real Phillips never volunteered to be taken hostage or shot to save his crew, unlike what is portrayed in the film. However, whereas in the movie it seems like he was only held hostage in the small lifeboat for a day and a half, the real Richard Phillips was held by the pirates for almost 5 days, from Wednesday, April 8, till Sunday, April 12, 2009. The director, Paul Greengrass, who is a former journalist, is also known for his dramatizations of historic events, having previously written and directed the award-winning ‘United 93.’ It comes as no surprise then that ‘Captain Phillips’ follows the events faithfully, depicting accurate details like the number of pirates that boarded, the firehose tactics used by the crew to stop them, and of course, Phillips’ subsequent kidnapping. The movie ‘Captain Phillips’ is based on the events surrounding the hijacking as well as on the book ‘A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea.’ The book is co-authored by Richard Phillips, who was Captain of the ship during the hijacking, and journalist and author Stephan Talty. The cargo ship Maersk Alabama was hijacked by four Somali pirates on April 8, 2009, whilst in the Indian Ocean. Yes, ‘Captain Phillips’ is based on a true story. ![]() Is Captain Phillips Based on a True Story? And also, what’s with Tom Hanks falling into deep trouble whilst making deliveries? (‘ Cast Away,’ anyone?) If you’re wondering the same, then we’ve got a treat for you! (Possible spoilers ahead). We decided to dig around and see how much of ‘Captain Phillips’ was based on real life. At around 44-minutes, this film manages to hold your interest from start to finish and makes you really appreciate our Navy.A stunning film that brought the relatively obscure topic of Somali piracy to the forefront, ‘Captain Phillips’ portrays an unexpectedly dangerous side of being a merchant mariner. ![]() We also get some diagrams showing us how the Navy SEALS attacked the lifeboat and made certain that the hostage wouldn't be harmed. The film's greatest benefit is the fact that it features interviews with the actual crew members who were taken hostage and hearing their fight for survival was quite intense and it made you realize that their story alone didn't get enough attention in the Hollywood movie. Obviously, if you're interested in the story then this here is going to be a must see because you get a much better idea of what actually happened. This documentary shines the spotlight on the truth as we get several interviews with people on board the hijacked ship and we also get to hear from some of the Navy men who were being the rescue mission. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS was a highly entertaining film but as with most Hollywood films based on a true story, it was mostly fiction. Somali Pirate Takedown: The Real Story (2009) *** 1/2 (out of 4) The Maersk Alabama made national headlines and was eventually turned into a hit movie with Tom Hanks. ![]()
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