U-571

Lt. Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) is not pleased with the news that he is being passed up for a promotion as a captain of his own submarine. His captain, Lt. Cmdr. Mike Dahlgren (Bill Paxton), has withheld his recommendation, which would have ensured that the XO would have been reassigned. A 48-hour liberty pass is cut short in order to facilitate a top secret mission that would take the S33 on a rendezvous with a German U-571 submarine. The vessel is stranded in the Atlantic, and the powers that be want the decipher machine on that sub to help them break their codes. The attempt to approach and board the German U boat is less than perfect, and an exchange of gunfire takes place with lives lost on both sides. The Americans eventually overpower the Germans and transfer all prisoners to their own vessel, only to have it shot out of the water. As the boarding team watch their mates head for a watery grave, they prepare the German boat to dive and go after the attacking Germans. The task is difficult, as the Americans try to translate the language to engage the vessel and put it into combat mode; however, they eventually succeed in taking it out and resurface to look for survivors. With the S33 out of the picture, Andy must now command the German U boat and the remaining survivors to safety on a vessel that has been severely compromised, with nothing but a skeleton crew and one torpedo to do it with. They encounter language barriers, crew members that are unhappy with the way things are going and combat situations that require them to think outside the box. Written and directed by Jonathan Mostow, this action thriller has supporting roles by Jon Bon Jovi as Lt. Pete Emmett, Jake Weber as Lt. Hirsch and Jack Noseworthy as Seaman Bill Wentz.