Movie Review: “Greyhound” (Apple TV+ Original Movie)

“Repetition will bring hell down from on high…” — Capt. Ernest Krause in “Greyhound” 

The new Tom Hanks World War II naval adventure “Greyhound” tries valiantly to achieve the sort of reverential status that modern war movies like “Dunkirk” and “1917” have enjoyed in the modern movie lexicon. 

“Greyhound” was originally slated for a theatrical release in 2020, but the global COVID-19 pandemic (and the resulting closure of movie theaters) left the film’s release date in limbo. As a result, Sony sold the rights to Apple (for a reported $70 million), and the movie debuted July 10 on the Apple TV+ subscription streaming service. 

When I first saw the trailer for “Greyhound,” I thought it looked like it could be an entertaining film. I tend to enjoy movies centered around World War II. I have also read a number of Navy-centric fiction novels over the years, written by authors who served on ships and submarines. 

“Greyhound” tries really hard to capture the spartan vibe that Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” (read my review) imbued when it was released in 2017 — albeit on a much smaller budget. 

For those of you who have seen “Dunkirk,” you’ll recall that the film had a scant amount of exposition and character development. Instead, Nolan’s story worked diligently to “show” rather than “tell.” It was a movie where a facial expression meant just as much as a piece of dialogue. 

The downside of “Dunkirk” was the fact that you didn’t really connect with any of the characters on screen. That flaw was forgivable in large part due to “Dunkirk’s” authentic look and feel — that film stands as a technical masterpiece. 

“Greyhound” tries to follow a similar path as it tells the story of Capt. Ernest Krause (Hanks) as he commands the USS Keeling — codenamed GREYHOUND — and a convoy of 37 troop and supply ships and four light warships traveling to Liverpool, England. 

The movie is based on the 1955 novel “The Good Shepherd” by C.S. Forester (who also wrote the Horatio Hornblower novels). The screenplay was penned by Hanks. Aaron Schneider handled the directing duties. 

The narrative tension in “Greyhound” involves the supply convoy navigating what was known as the “Black Pit” (due to a lack of cover from aircraft) during the Battle of the Atlantic in 1942. 

The action remains firmly onboard the Greyhound as we watch the crew play a cat-and-mouse game with German U-Boats.

The mission is Krause’s first in command of a vessel. I must admit that it seemed a tad bit odd having a 64-year-old actor playing a character in that situation. 

The fact that it was his first command wasn’t really explained. It was mentioned during a brief flashback scene where we see Krause exchanging Christmas gifts with an apparent love interest named Evelyn (Elisabeth Shue).

In some respects, the world-weary performance by Tom Hanks is almost “too steady” in the film’s narrative structure. You never felt like he would unravel (as might have happened with a younger actor in the role), or that the crew was in danger under his watch. 

We all know that Hanks is the modern-day equivalent of Jimmy Stewart. This seems like a role that could have been tailor-made for Stewart back in the day. 

Ernie Krause is a man of faith. We see him praying aboard the Greyhound, and he has a card affixed to his mirror that reads “Jesus Christ The Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever. — Hebrews 13:8.” 

“Greyhound” manages to keep the action moving. There aren’t any lulls in the story. 

For fans of the military genre, there is plenty of jargon-filled dialogue strewn throughout the movie. There’s something satisfying about a war movie where the technology is analog in nature. 

As you can imagine, the amount of CG in “Greyhound” is considerable (as is the case with many modern movies of this ilk). The visual effects are decent, for the most part. 

One of the things that made “Dunkirk” special was the fact that Nolan emphasized practical effects (the scenes of Supermarine Spitfires buzzing through the air were terrific). It’s as if that story was written in a way that would allow as many practical sets and effects as possible. 

“Greyhound” doesn’t lend itself to that structure, and some of the external shots (away from the USS Keeling) leave a bit to be desired. 

(I’m admittedly a “graphics snob” who has a hard time “willfully suspending my disbelief” with some of today’s effects-heavy productions. Sometimes things just don’t look as real as I’d like...) 

The theatrical score is composed by Blake Neely (who has primarily composed TV scores) and it is pretty solid. It definitely captures the mood and vibe of the material presented: 

Overall, “Greyhound” is a competently made film. Tom Hanks is good in the movie, and military aficionados should enjoy the production. There’s also something inherently “old fashioned” about the production, and I think that’ll appeal to a segment of fans. 

I just felt like the movie was missing “something.” Despite our heroes being bombarded with dangerous scenarios (with a few tragic moments strewn about), I never felt the sense of “tension” a movie fan feels when a war movie is truly gripping. 

This won’t be the last World War II drama Tom Hanks makes for Apple TV+. Hanks and Steven Spielberg are producing an eight-episode miniseries for the streaming service called “Masters of the Air” (which will focus on the 100th Bombardment Group of the Eighth Air Force). 

In the meantime, if you’d like to view “Greyhound” for yourself, you can do so on the Apple TV website or via the Apple TV app. 

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