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Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, Jon Bon Jovi, Jake Weber ... see more see more... , David Keith , Terrence 'T.C.' Carson , Jack Noseworthy , Tom Guiry , Thomas Kretschmann , Matthew Settle , Erik Palladino , Dave Power , Will Estes , Derk Cheetwood

In this World War II action thriller, American reconnaissance agents learn that a German submarine is sinking. The doomed ship carries an Enigma Machine, a special coding device that allows high-level... read more read more... Axis forces to send messages that can't be read without a similar encryption mechanism. Obtaining a working Enigma device would be invaluable for the Allied war effort, so a U.S. sub is sent out to rescue the machine. However, German forces have already picked up the sub's distress signal and are en route to rescue their comrades. U-571 features a distinguished cast, including Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, and Jon Bon Jovi. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

60% liked it

54,820 ratings

Critics

69% liked it

113 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 57 min.

Directed by: Jonathan Mostow

Release Date: April 21, 2000

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DVD Release Date: October 24, 2000

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Stats: 2,073 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,073)

  • moonrivers
    May 20, 2012
    moonrivers
    This star vehicle, set in WWll, actioner has the Yanks stealing a disabled German sub in the mid-Atlantic (much as the producers hope to steal the thunder of Das Boot). Plenty of macho posturing ensues. There are better WWll sub flicks out there. Das Boot comes to mind.
  • fb100001048934982
    July 13, 2011
    fb100001048934982
    Despite its impressive cast and collection of gripping scenes, 'U-571' proves to be just another film trying make its mark on the genre. Problem is, its forgotten as soon after its seen. It flounders under unrecognizable military dialogue that makes it somewhat difficult to follo... read morew, making it easy to lose interest halfway through. It delivers on many aspects on the genre and almost accomplishes what it was meant to. But it falls too short, and fails to be a significant WWII thriller.
  • Chiefilms
    January 9, 2011
    Chiefilms
    Smalls from Sandlot is killin' Natsies.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    November 20, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    U-571 is a submarine war film designed for the technically intempt or n audience who ignores fact. The film is entertaining, but the plot as usual surrounds Hereoic Americans. The events in the film were actually conducted by the British and they successfully captured many Enigma... read more coding materials from the Axis. The film proves ton be entertaining, but is packed with cliches and is definitely not accurate. U-571 is an Americanized story that ignores and insults the many Allies that America did have, hell The Americans only entered the war in 1941. As far as I'm concerned U-571 is an average film, but it doesn't do justice to the real story of capturing Enigma code machines. The film is flawed, but its a popcorn film, simple as that. It entertained me to say the least and I think there was a decent cast here, but as far as I'm concerned, this submatrine film is not the one to watch for awesome real WW II authencity that really captures the battle. For that film watch Das Boot instead. U-571 is simply a typical popcorn action film that breaks all the rules of drawing from facts, and instead the filmmakers took creative liberties to create this film. The result is a so-so film with good action. But this film is a slap in the face of the British because they are the ones who captured Enigma code materials during war, not the Americans. I personally think that the filmmakers could have been more authentic to the actual events that the film tries to portray with an American point of view. Instead, U-571 ends up being a half entertaining blunder that was only made for an audience that doesn't like to think. One of the reasons why the film is centered on Americans is because the film needed to find an audience, and what better way than to have a WWII sub film with Americans as the heroes? A film that is a decent enough popcorn flick with decent action, but the fact that it ignores the real story is insulting to the real heroes.
  • stormyweather980
    September 10, 2009
    stormyweather980
    "U-571" is a spectacular movie about WWII submariners with a plan to board a German ship in order to seize and obtain a German decoder called the Enigma. As difficult as it might sound, this is actually the easiest thing that the Allies will do the entire movie. Their naval subma... read morerine gets blown up after they board the German ship, so they're left having to take the German ship and use it as their own. Lieutenant Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) is wanting very badly to become the captain of a naval submarine, but the one that is captain at the time (Bill Paxton) tells him that he doesn't think that he's ready to become a captain yet because he holds too much back and is too concerned with the life of a few men when the life of all his crew might be at stake. But there's not enough time to argue over whether he's fit enough to be a real captain or not because this is a major war that they're involved in.
    I can't say enough good things about how great of a movie "U-571" is. It has some great acting, especially by Matthew McConaughey and Harvey Keitel. It also has some spectacular special effects with all the explosions and underwater war sequences. I've seen a lot of great suspense movies, and now I can add "U-571" to that list. I was on the edge of my seat when the real war began and I was so interested and captivated by the movie's suspense and its effects that I literally had to force myself to blink, and I'm not exaggerating at all in the least sense.

    I recommend anybody who likes war, action, or suspense movies to get "U-571" before you get any other movie on the shelf. In my opinion, it puts other great submarine movies such as "The Hunt For Red October" and "Crimson Tide" to shame. If you just buy one movie this year, I would recommend buying "U-571." NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001. Still a favorite!
  • superclerk25
    April 4, 2009
    superclerk25
    Pretty average movie. A really good cast though.
  • allan913
    August 16, 2008
    allan913
    What a dissapointment. Such a lt down with a great cast. Very historically in correct and teriably made, the actions scenes are close to impossiable you cant fire live ammo in a sub what the hell, its too teriably done and anyone with a lick of sense both historically por cinimat... read moreicly will hate this film.
  • harrycaul
    January 13, 2008
    harrycaul
    I've always liked Harvey Keitel and Bill Paxton, so it pains me to see them in this typically offensive and insensitive piece of American revisionism. As others have said, the British had already captured an Enigma machine before the Americans had even entered the Second World Wa... read morer, and the important cryptanalysis work on the Enigma code was done first by the Polish and then the British. It would, however, be churlish to ignore the merits of the film which, if you can manage to keep your reservations in check, is efficiently made, well acted, tense and exciting at times. High praise indeed from someone who would rate the 'submarine movie' as one of the dullest sub-genres going.
  • Beefy
    April 25, 2007
    Beefy
    Suffers from cliches and poor editing decisions.
  • puffchunk
    April 22, 2007
    puffchunk
    Cool sub movie. Nuff said.

View All U-571 Reviews

Critic Reviews

Louis B. Parks
July 21, 2005
Louis B. Parks, Houston Chronicle

It's a wham-bam bumpy ride, great fun in the old-fashioned war movie tradition. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
June 18, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

If watching a two-hour submarine movie is this nerve-shattering, imagine what the real thing must have been like. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

You can enjoy U-571 as a big, dumb war movie without a brain in its head. But that doesn't stop it from looking cheesy. Full Review

Robert Horton
January 1, 2000
Robert Horton, Film.com

The movie concocts just enough genuinely surprising moments to make its own satisfying niche amongst the other examples of the genre.

Susan Stark
January 1, 2000
Susan Stark, Detroit News

Plays like a third-rate disaster movie -- and an assaultively noisy one at that . Full Review

Jay Carr
January 1, 2000
Jay Carr, Boston Globe

A slickly crafted throwback.

Mike Clark
January 1, 2000
Mike Clark, USA Today

Script characterizations so shallow that even a lead actor as dull as Matthew McConaughey can't be blamed very much.

(CNN.com) Paul Clinton
January 1, 2000
(CNN.com) Paul Clinton, CNN.com

Enormously entertaining. Full Review

Kirk Honeycutt
January 1, 2000
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

Mostow's direction is taut, with no energy expended that doesn't add to the white-knuckle ride.

Peter Rainer
January 1, 2000
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

An entertaining action-adventure flick minus the hokiness of most World War II films. Full Review

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