Operation Seawolf movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Operation Seawolf

This World War II movie was released in theaters and VOD on October 7, 2022.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 27 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: C-

IN A NUTSHELL:

In the last days of WWII, Germany, desperate for any last grasp to defeat the allied powers, formed together the German Navy and the last remaining U-Boats, for one last mission, to attack the United States Homeland.

The dramatic film was both written and directed by Steven Luke.

THINGS I LIKED:

This is a man’s man kind of movie starring Dolph Lundgren and Frank Grillo. One of the frustrating elements of the movie is watching those two action stars just walk around in an office and submarine.
It’s based on a mostly true story.
It had to be difficult to film in such tight spaces on the submarines.

Fun facts:

All of the internal submarine scenes were filmed inside an actual WW2 Submarine, the USS Cod The USS COD Submarine Memorial is a National Historic Landmark and is docked in Cleveland, Ohio.
We get to see images of real ships and locations from WWII.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Even though the movie clocks in at a respectable 90 minutes like most films, it somehow feels very short and simple.
There are some really bad acting moments and German accents.
It definitely looks like a low-budget movie, especially with the terrible visual effects. Even the dead fish hanging on hooks look like super fake props.
I laughed out loud when one of the crew members walked by others sleeping in their bunks. Their sheets and his shirt were all made out of the exact same fabric.
Sometimes it’s hard to understand what’s being said.
One of the big problems is that the studio doesn’t understand its audience. Viewers will mostly consist of history buffs and war movie fans, yet sooo many scenes in the movie show a lack of historical accuracy, insulting audiences who want a military movie to love.
Not all of the facts are accurate. For example, At the 47-minute mark in the movie, U-578 is sunk by naval “hedgehog” depth charges in the Atlantic near the coastal USA… but in reality, U-578 was sunk by Allied aircraft attack at a different location in the Bay of Biscay near Spain with no survivors. Another example is in one scene when Dolf Lundgren is seen holding a Walther PP pistol. These were made from 1939 to the present and at no time did Naval officers of The German Navy carry this pistol. In this movie, a German U-Boot is shown in the Hudson River in New York, but in reality, only two U-Boots got so close, and neither entered the harbor. They only passed at the mouth of the river without entry, U-505, and U-37. Neither conducted hostile action in the Hudson during WW2.
Overall, it’s just really boring. Know that I feel bad saying that! I know the crew worked very hard at creating this.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be very bored. So will many adults.
War violence that shows bombs coming from airplanes and submarines
Lots of destruction
People die.
We see some blood.

THEMES:

Patriotism
Hope
Proving one’s self
Honor
Trust

FUNNY LINES:
None. It’s a very dramatic movie.

INTERESTING LINES:

“We have two options: surrender or fight.” – Captain Hans Kessler (Dolph Lundgren)
“Don’t let the mistakes of your past determine your future.” – Captain Hans Kessler (Dolph Lundren)