THE MONUMENTS MEN (7 out of 10) Directed by George Clooney; co-written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov, based on the book by Robert W. Edsel and Bret Witter; starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray and John Goodman; rated PG-13 (images of war violence and historical smoking); in general release; running time: 112 minutes.

By Jeff Michael Vice

The quick crawl at the beginning of “The Monuments Men” describes the film as being “based on a true story.” It’s the biggest mistake made by filmmaking collaborators George Clooney and Grant Heslov in the movie.

A World War II adventure/caper movie that is clearly meant to evoke ‘60s/’70s-era World War II adventure films, such as “The Guns of Navarone” (1961), “The Great Escape” (1963), “Battle of the Bulge” (1965) and “Kelly’s Heroes” (1970), it’s a somewhat lightweight but still enjoyable lark. Nothing more, nothing less.

And just to be clear, it is in no way meant to be confused with the real-life events and people that inspired the movie. It’s not a documentary feature, nor is it a docudrama, though the “true-story” thing might lead somebody to think that about it. (Is it too late for the studio and filmmakers to go back and add a more succinct and correct “Inspired by real-life events” crawl instead?)

So it might be a good idea to keep that in mind before taking in the movie. And it might not be a bad idea to refresh your memory on those aforementioned films to gain a true appreciation for the movie, an all-star affair that has the good spirits of the better “Ocean’s” movies and doesn’t overstay its welcome, managing to avoid leaving too sour of a taste in your mouth in the process.

Clooney co-wrote the screenplay, directed and stars as Frank Stokes, a Harvard museum curator who, during the course of World War II, tried to convince President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and other key government officials to allow him to go to Europe, to preserve precious works of art that were endangered by the Nazi occupation.

As it turns out – in this version of events, at least — the Nazis are seizing and outright stealing paintings, statues and other art, and are planning to use it to stock Der Fuhrer’s yet-to-be-built museum/monument to his ego.

So even when Stokes gets a reluctant approval for his mission, it becomes a race against time, as well as against both the Nazis and the supposedly “friendly” Russians, who are seizing some of the Germans’ pilfered art. Stokes also has to pull together a team of art experts, none of them soldiers, to help him with his efforts. This motley crew includes other museum curators, directors and art historians — played by the likes of Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville (“Downton Abbey”), Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”), John Goodman and Bill Murray.

In the meantime, another of Stokes’ cohorts, Granger (Matt Damon) is sent in early, to France, where hopes to persuade a one-time Nazi collaborator, Claire Simone (Cate Blanchett), to reveal what she knows about the Nazis’ art-storage plans.

Ultimately, the film might be doomed by comparison with earlier, headier Clooney-Heslov efforts like “Good Night, and Good Luck.” (2005), which educated as it entertained. But it’s obvious the duo is not trying to make high art here. “Monuments Men” is meant to be a film “entertainment,” and on that front, it succeeds, despite a few duff moments.

And, as slow as the film starts, as overstuffed and overlong as some scenes seem, how can you completely hate a movie with this cast? Clooney, as expected, does get his share of quick one-liners, but he also largely takes a back seat to his co-stars.

Damon and Blanchett, who were also paired in the similarly underrated 1999 adaptation of “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” have real chemistry in their scenes, which have already provided a bit of controversy. (Her character was inspired by Rose Valland, whose actions were more heroic and less selfish than the Blanchett composite.)

Other enjoyable character pairings include Murray and Balaban’s feuding non-soldiers, and Goodman and Dujardin, whose characters become fast friends.

Again, it’s important to remember that this is clearly intended to be an homage more than anything else. Even Alexandre Desplat’s score, which seems manipulative and contrived, is meant to evoke the tone of those earlier movies, mirroring now-classic but seemingly overbearing scores by the likes of Elmer Bernstein, Lalo Schifrin and Dimitri Tiomkin (all beloved composers, responsible for the “Great Escape,” “Kelly’s Heroes” and “Guns of Navarone” scores, respectively).

Jeff Michael Vice, aka Jerk-bot, can be heard reviewing films, television programs, comics, books, music and other things as part of The Geek Show Podcast (www.thegeekshowpodcast.com), as well as be seen reviewing films as part of Xfinity’s Big Movie Mouth-Off (www.facebook.com/BigMovieMouthOff).

I, FRANKENSTEIN (0 out of 10) Co-written and directed by Stuart Beattie, based on the graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux; starring Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Miranda Otto and Yvonne Strahovski; rated PG-13 (sequences of intense fantasy action and violence throughout); in general release, playing in either 2D or 3D; running time: 93 minutes.

By Jeff Michael Vice

The makers of “I, Frankenstein” didn’t even get the title right. If they were naming the movie accurately, it would be called “I, Frankenstein’s Monster,” since it’s a story that’s told from the perspective of author Mary Shelley’s “Modern Prometheus” character and not his fictional creator.

Now to be fair, this isn’t the first movie based off the Shelley tale that makes that mistake. And it certainly won’t be the last one to do so, either. Besides, that’s the very least of the many offenses committed by this awful, but-not-awful-enough-to-be-laughed-off-the-screen action-/fantasy-thriller, which only uses the much-retold horror material as its launching point.

In fact, this might be the very worst “adaptation” of the Frankenstein mythos in recent memory. Cheap-looking, uninspired and utterly thrill-less, it certainly fits in with the slew of similarly putrid, cinematic “cast-offs” that Hollywood has cleared off the shelf and unleashed upon theaters during one of the bleakest months for major-studio film releases.

But before you come down too hard on the filmmakers and actors who participated in this atrocity, just remember that they have their names etched on this stinker for time and eternity. And that’s punishment enough.

Aside from a paycheck, you have to wonder what it was that drew “Dark Knight” co-star Aaron Eckhart to the project. He stars as the title character, who’s outlived his creator, Victor Frankenstein (Aden Young), and who now finds himself in the middle of a continuing battle between the forces of good and evil. Respectively, they’re the gargoyles (good), led by Queen Leonore (Miranda Otto), and the demons (evil), led by the sinister Naberius (Bill Nighy).

Both are hoping that the monster, now given the name “Adam,” can be the tipping point in this seemingly eternal struggle. At the very least, Naberius is hoping that his scientist assistant, Terra Ward (Yvonne Strahovski), can figure out how to duplicate Frankenstein’s body-reanimation process and create an army of nearly immortal warriors to help the demon army achieve ultimate victory.

If this looks akin to the hit “Underworld” movies, which got dumber and less interesting as they went along, consider that it comes from some of the same people. “I, Frankenstein” is based on a best-selling but utterly moronic graphic novel written by Kevin Grevioux, who appeared in and penned those earlier films. And it was helmed by screenwriter-turned-director Stuart Beattie, who collaborated with Grevioux on those screenplays.

Beattie’s lack of experience as a filmmaker becomes all too apparent. Judging by this film, he’s clueless about how you create coherent, thrilling action sequences, and he and his camera crews fail to conceal just how cheap-looking and unconvincing the film’s digital effects are (a problem that’s only magnified by the awful 3D conversion process).

So it’s really no surprise that, at times, Eckhart appears to be looking for the exit door. Or maybe he’s looking for the gym – his buffed physique appears to be the only thing anyone really worked hard on here.

As for Nighy, he does try to chew a little scenery and is perhaps the film’s only watchable asset. (The producers must have had blackmail material on Nighy to get him to appear in this garbage; after all, he did work with Grevioux and Beattie in the “Underworlds” previously). And the film’s supposed “eye candy,” Otto and Strahovski, probably didn’t realize how good they had it with the “Lord of the Rings” movies and TV’s “Chuck,” respectively.

Jeff Michael Vice, aka Jerk-bot, can be heard reviewing films, television programs, comics, books, music and other things as part of The Geek Show Podcast (www.thegeekshowpodcast.com), as well as be seen reviewing films as part of Xfinity’s Big Movie Mouth-Off (www.facebook.com/BigMovieMouthOff).

Many avid movie-goers are playing “catch-up,” as they try to watch all of last year’s movies that received Academy Award nominations. However, that hasn’t stopped Hollywood from cramming already-crowded googleplexes all around the country with new filmic fare

Early 2014 offerings have included some would-be blockbusters that somehow didn’t make the cut for 2013, as well as late-arriving Oscar nominees that already saw release in major markets (in order to qualify for the post-season awards).

That former group includes a pair of action-thrillers — one of them allegedly based on “real events,” and the other a “re-booting” of a popular movie franchise. They are joined by a horror sequel and one from that latter group. But which of them are worth your hard-earned dollars? Big Shiny Robot’s Jerk-Bot, aka Jeff Michael Vice, offers these capsule reviews of some of the more high-profile new releases:

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (5 out of 10) Directed by John Wells; written by Tracy Letts, based on his stage play; starring Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Julianne Nicholson  and Benedict Cumberbatch; rated R (language, including sexual references, and for drug material); in general release; running time: 126 minutes.

There’s acting. And then there’s act-ING!!! Showy performances might work on the stage, but they seem almost cartoonish on the big screen – or at the very least, as if the actors were trying to get awards nominations.

Enter Meryl Streep, the Grande Dame of modern movie acting. And occasional act-ING!!! There’s no arguing that she tries really hard in this drama, in which she stars as the matriarch of an estranged Oklahoma family that reunites under tragic circumstances (the death of her husband, played briefly by Sam Shepard). But by the time she’s done with all her scenery-chewing, there’s not much left for her co-stars.

Even her fellow Oscar nominee, Julia Roberts, tries to get in on the action with one over-the-top bit. And so do co-stars Juliette Lewis, Dermot Mulroney, Ewan McGregor (using his worst-ever movie accent) and Abigail Breslin, all of whom have done better, subtler work than this.

Worse, co-stars Julianne Nicholson and Benedict Cumberbatch are stuck in a ridiculous, soap-opera level subplot. Only character actors Margo Martindale and Chris Cooper emerge unscathed (they play a bickering married couple that deserves its own, better movie and story line).

JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (4 out of 10) Directed by Kenneth Branagh; written by Adam Cozad and David Koepp, based on characters created by Tom Clancy; starring Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner and Kenneth Branagh; rated PG-13 (sequences of violence and intense action, and brief strong language); in general release; running time: 105 minutes.

And here we were all thinking that actor Chris Pine had as an action star, thanks to his starring role in a pair of hit “Star Trek” movies … and that Kenneth Branagh had re-invented himself as an action director, thanks to “Marvel’s Thor” (2011).

Wrong again. The two have teamed up for “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit,” a thriller based on the Tom Clancy character who’s been played by the likes of Alec Baldwin (in 1990’s “The Hunt for Red October”), Harrison Ford (in both 1992’s “Patriot Games” and 1994’s “Clear and Present Danger”) and, most recently, by Ben Affleck (in 2002 “The Sum of All Fears”).

Unfortunately, both men take real steps backward in their career progression with this ridiculous, decidedly un-thrilling clunker, which sees CIA agent Ryan trying to stop the Russians from crashing the American economy.

To be fair, they’re working with a bad premise and a messy script that was “re-purposed” (co-screenwriter Adam Cozad’s original story was supposed to star Eric Bana, and then Paramount forced the Ryan character and concept on him). This is grade-Z material, stuff that fails to inspire Pine (and co-stars Keira Knightley and Kevin Costner) and director/co-star Branagh to do much with it, aside from simply going through the motions.

LONE SURVIVOR (4 out of 10) Written and directed by Peter Berg, based on the book by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson; starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch and Ben Foster; rated R (strong bloody war violence and pervasive language); in general release; running time: 121 minutes.

If you somehow thought the soul-crushingly heavy-handed onslaught of rah-rah, flag-waving, ultra-patriotic imagery in Steven Spielberg’s otherwise impressive, 1998 World War II drama “Saving Private Ryan” was too subtle for you, then “Lone Survivor” is the perfect movie for you.

Allegedly based on “real-life events,” filmmaker Peter Berg’s latest action-thriller follows a group of Navy SEALS (Mark Wahlberg, almost laughably earnest, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch and Ben Foster) sent to Afghanistan track down and kill a leader of the Taliban.

As witnessed by the film’s too-obvious title, not all of the SEALS are going to make it out of there alive. And after a disastrous encounter with goat herders, the four are left behind and left to their own devices.

With the right choice of director and screenwriter (NOT Berg, fresh off the “Battleship” disaster), this could have been a tense, enthralling tale of soldiers stranded behind enemy lines. However, Berg would rather cram jingoistic message down our throats – making this a soul mate to the 1968 John Wayne stinker “The Green Berets.”   

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES (0 out of 10) Written and directed by Christopher Landon, based on characters and situations created by Oren Peli; starring Andrew Jacobs, Jorge Diaz and Gabrielle Walsh; rated R (pervasive language, some violence, graphic nudity and some drug use); in general release; running time: 84 minutes.

Sigh. Just stop already. That goes for Paramount Pictures, which keeps rushing out low-budgeted sequels/prequels to the original hit “Paranormal Activity” movie from 2008, as well as audiences who are so desperate for scares that they continue to see these increasingly-less-frightening, and more-frantically-annoying, “found-footage” films.

Just have someone come slam a few doors, unexpectedly, in your home and/or jump out and yell “boo!” at inopportune times. Same idea, but cheaper. And more creative.

Jeff Michael Vice, aka Jerk-bot, can be heard reviewing films, television programs, comics, books, music and other things as part of The Geek Show Podcast (www.thegeekshowpodcast.com), as well as be seen reviewing films as part of Xfinity’s Big Movie Mouth-Off (www.facebook.com/BigMovieMouthOff).

This time of year, googleplexes all around the country are all crammed with audiences taking in the latest filmic fare from Hollywood. This year’s offerings include some existing blockbusters, such as Frozen, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, as well as a half-dozen or so new releases that have been timed for holiday release.

That latter group includes a pair of comedies, one of them a remake of a beloved movie (and book) classic and the other a geriatric boxing tale, a cheeky crime story based on real-life events, an action-fantasy and the latest feature from one of modern cinema’s masters. But which of them are worth your hard-earned dollars? Big Shiny Robot’s Jerk-Bot, aka Jeff Michael Vice, offers these capsule reviews of some of the more high-profile new releases:

47 RONIN (2 out of 10)  Starring Keanu Reeves, Tadanobu Asano and Rinko Kikuchi; rated PG-13 (intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, and thematic elements); in general release, playing in either 2D or 3D; running time: 119 minutes.

A little humor can go a long ways toward saving a so-so movie. Now, a bad movie? That’s quite another thing entirely.

Take 47 Ronin, a would-be “fantasy epic” that turns the revered Japanese legends (allegedly based on real events) into a swords-and-sorcery tale. Keanu Reeves stars as a former slave who joins a group of master less warriors trying to avenge the ignominious death of their former master.

Reeves and his co-stars (including Thor: The Dark World’s Tadanobu Asano) play this surprisingly chintzy-looking nonsense entirely too straight-faced, and the story completely misses the whole point of the legends. And the supposed “special digital effects” only look more glaringly awful and unconvincing when seen in the 3D format. If you thought the trailers for the film looked bad, you haven’t seen nothing yet. Ugh.

GRUDGE MATCH (4 out of 10) Starring Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Alan Arkin, Kevin Hart and Kim Basinger; rated PG-13 (sports action violence, sexual content and language); in general release; running time: 113 minutes.

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (5 out of 10) Co-written and directed by Ben Stiller; starring Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott and Sean Penn; rated PG (some crude comments, language and action violence); in general release; running time: 114 minutes.

The perfect time for Grudge Match to be made and released would have been two or three decades ago, when Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro were at least closer to their respective physical prime and when it would have been at least somewhat believable and realistic to put the Raging Bull (De Niro) in the ring with the Italian Stallion (Stallone).

Stallone and De Niro play longtime pugilistic rivals whose last bout ended in a hotly debated draw, and who are coaxed into a decades-later, “deciding” rematch by an enterprising sports promoter (Kevin Hart) who uses their large egos against them.

Director Peter Segal (50 First Dates, Tommy Boy) is out of his comfort zone here. He clearly has no idea how to stage a big-screen boxing match, and, worse, he’s working with a script from two credited screenwriters who think that the idea of hilarity is Stallone spoofing moments from his Rocky moments or De Niro serving as the butt elderly bodily function humor and other off-color references that would have been rejected for inclusion in his recent Last Vegas fiasco.

As for the visually beautifully but ultimately disappointing Walter Mitty “re-imagining,” its worst defect is also its strongest asset: Ben Stiller.

He directed and stars as the title character, a magazine photographic archivist who escapes from his drab life through fantasies — including fantasizing about romancing a co-worker (Kristen Wiig) he’s too shy to approach in real life.

Behind the camera, Stiller and his camera crews capture beautiful, picture-postcard imagery that gives both the “real” and “fantasy” sequences a dreamy feel. Unfortunately, Stiller is no Jim Carrey, the actor he’s clearly emulating here. He lacks Carrey’s range, and he’s really out of his element in more dramatic moments. Also, the film wastes time with go-nowhere subplots and characters that further obscure the points the story is trying to make.

AMERICAN HUSTLE (5 out of 10) Co-written and directed by David O. Russell; starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence; rated R (pervasive language, some sexual content and brief violence); in general release; running time: 138 minutes.

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (6.5 out of 10) Co-written and directed by Martin Scorsese; starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaghey; rated R (sequences of strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language throughout, and for some violence); in general release; running time: 179 minutes.

Director David O’Russell is at his best when he’s trying to be himself, not imitate someone else. With his latest, he tries so hard to the look and feel of a Martin Scorsese movie that he gets lost in those details and forgets how to tell a story.

Luckily, he has a good story to tell here: Helped out by most of an all-star cast from his most recent successes (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook), Russell reminds us about the ABSCAM scandals of ‘70s and ‘80s, as seen through the eyes of con artists (Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence), politicians (Jeremy Renner) and the FBI (Bradley Cooper).

The material does offer Lawrence, Renner and Adams some opportunities to shine. The real sore thumb here is a paunchy Bale, who wears unconvincing balding hair appliances and offers up a truly bad (and hammy) Robert De Niro impression. Then there’s the film’s nearly disastrous final quarter or so, which proves to be this Hustle’s undoing.

As for Scorsese, at this point in his career, no one can tell him no, which is both a good and bad thing. His latest is a bloated, overlong, but still enjoyable crime comedy-drama that earns good will from the earnest performances of its talented cast.

Scorsese re-teams with Leonardo DiCaprio, who stars as Jordan Belfort, a morally sketchy New York stockbroker involved in one of the biggest stock fraud cases from the 1990s. DiCaprio’s clearly having a great time with this story and this character, and that enthusiasm transfers over to the top-notch supporting cast (which includes Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Margot Robbie and Mob City’s Jon Bernthal).

However, co-star Jonah Hill looks and sound ridiculous with oversized dental appliances that alter his voice and speech patterns, and some of the film’s excesses (sexual and drug wise) are a bit excessive. Some judicious pruning would have turned this three-hour exercise in indulgences into a tighter, more cohesive and coherent film. Flaws aside, it’s still worth seeing if you’re a Scorsese and/or cinema nut.

Jeff Michael Vice, aka Jerk-bot, can be heard reviewing films, television programs, comics, books, music and other things as part of The Geek Show Podcast (www.thegeekshowpodcast.com), as well as be seen reviewing films as part of Xfinity’s Big Movie Mouth-Off (www.facebook.com/BigMovieMouthOff).

ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (7 out of 10) Co-written and directed by Adam McKay; starring Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner and Christina Applegate; rated PG-13 (crude and sexual content, drug use, language and comic violence); in general release; running time: 119 minutes.

By Jeff Michael Vice

If you didn’t know any better, you’d almost swear that they were simply making up Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues as they go.

There’s a definite, stream-of-consciousness feel to the comedy, a sequel to the unexpected, 2004 cult-hit Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. There are almost as many laughs in this second installment, but there’s also a somewhat troublingly loose approach to the story, which is fractured and episodic. It’s not enough to completely ruin the movie, but the filmmakers and cast hit several dead ends that take some real comedic efforts to overcome.

And, as with everything associated with comic star Will Ferrell – who co-scripted and stars in the film – your enjoyment of the movie will depend on your tolerance for his wildly over-the-top performing and his very peculiar brand of comedy. The Legend Continues is every bit as tasteless as its predecessor was, and is as lowbrow and dim-witted it is insightful and smart. Maybe even more so in the former department, to be honest, so be warned … or be excited by that prospect.

While the first movie set was in ‘70s-era San Diego, this follow-up moves things to the early ‘80s Big Apple. Now-legendary newsman Ron Burgundy (Ferrell) and his wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), are now co-anchoring news broadcast in New York City when they’re both faced with a career-defining moment. The station’s veteran anchor, Mack Harken (Harrison Ford), is stepping down and has picked his replacement: Veronica.

However, at Mack’s behest, the continually bungling Ron is fired. What’s worse, given the choice between their marriage and career advancement, Veronica chooses the latter, leaving Ron without a job or a home. But luckily he’s given second chance only months later, by Global News Network, a fledgling, 24-hour-news network.

That’s all well and good, but Ron still has to reunite his beloved “News Team” and bring them aboard. As it turns out, sportscaster Champ Kind (David Koechner) now owns his own chain of chicken restaurants, investigative reporter Brian Fontana (Paul Rudd) now has successful career as pet photographer and weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) is missing and presumed dead.

If that wasn’t enough to deal with, Ron has also developed a rivalry with another GNN anchor, the pompous Jack Lime (James Marsden). And he has to fend off  the advances of his liberated and sexually forward new boss, Linda Jackson (Meagan Good), as well as try to win back the affections of Veronica and their young son, Walter (hilarious newcomer Judah Nelson).

With the original cast returning (including veteran newsman Bill Kurtis, who narrates), co-screenwriter/director Adam McKay has a huge task trying to give them and the newcomers – including a huge set of mostly uncredited cameos (from the likes of Jim Carrey, Will Smith, Kanye West, Tina Fey and others) – all the time they deserve. As a result, a few comic opportunities are lost (Fred Willard and Rudd, in particular, are badly neglected here).

And yes, McKay, Ferrell and company are simply repeating a lot of the same jokes from the first film. But the cast makes it work for the most part, particularly the scene-stealing Carell, who gets some of the biggest laughs in sequences that pair him with Kristen Wiig. (She plays an equally, “intellectually challenged” woman he is trying to romance.)

Along with spoofing the period trappings, the filmmakers do score a few points by skewering “info-tainment” and agenda-driven news reporting. It’s not only CNN that gets roasted here; it’s the likes of Fox News Channel, Entertainment Tonight, MTV and international newsgathering agencies as well.

Jeff Michael Vice, aka Jerk-bot, can be heard reviewing films, television programs, comics, books, music and other things as part of The Geek Show Podcast (www.thegeekshowpodcast.com), as well as be seen reviewing films as part of Xfinity’s Big Movie Mouth-Off (www.facebook.com/BigMovieMouthOff).

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (7.5 out of 10) – Starring Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Michael Chernus and Catherine Keener; rated PG-13 (sustained intense sequences of menace, some violence with bloody images, and for substance use); with English subtitles (Arabic and assorted African dialects); in general release, showing in either the 35mm or IMAX formats (in select locations); running time: 134 minutes.

For better or worse, English-born director Paul Greengrass has become the poster child for both the big-screen docudrama and the digital cinema verite filmmaking style.

His trademark use of handheld cameras, grainy digital photography and similarly gimmicks techniques worked well on both the 2002 independent hit “Bloody Sunday” as well as the acclaimed 2006 thriller “United 93,” stories were well-suited for such things. (For those unfamiliar with either of those films, “Bloody Sunday” told the story of an Irish protest that turned into a massacre in 1972; “United 93” focused on the now-folk hero passengers of the ill-fated, 9/11-related flight.)

However, Greengrass and his crew overuses the so-called “shaky-cam” technique in two “Bourne” movies, 2004’s “The Bourne Supremacy” and 2006’s “The Bourne Ultimatum.”  Not only did the camera work detract from some of the action (in particular, a headache-inducing “Supremacy” car chase scene), it has Greengrass verging on self-parody. For lack of a better word, his style had become veri-tiresome.

His latest is “Captain Phillips,” yet another docudrama-styled tale that based on a true story (it adapts the best-selling nonfiction novel “A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea”). The thriller sees Greengrass trying to strike a better balance between and more conventional filmmaking and storytelling devices. It’s a welcome change, though the often-thrilling and well-acted tale is not without its share of problems. (More on that later.)

Hanks stars as the title character, Richard Phillips, the captain of the MV Maersk Alabama. In 2009, the Phillips-captained Alabama became the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in a couple of centuries. Through various means, the real-life Phillips tried to keep his crew, ship, cargo and himself (obviously) safe from modern-day pirates.

According to this version of events, the cargo liner is bearing food and other supplies for relief efforts in poverty-stricken Somalia, ironically enough. Unfortunately, it’s the one ship in the waters that’s not accompanied by US Navy protection or isn’t traveling in a group. So it’s been targeted by a handful of Somalis, who are in hot pursuit in their somewhat rickety water craft.   

The crafty Phillips manages to ward off one attempt by these pirates to board his ship. But one of the boats finally catches up, and a handful of Somalis get aboard the Alabama, taking Phillips hostage at gunpoint. Led by the no-nonsense Muse (Barkhad Abdi), these are desperate men, and they’re convinced they can actually steer the Alabama back to their homeland.

Phillips, though, has other plans. Not only does he keep most of the crew hidden in the ship’s engine room, where they ward off attempts at discovery, eventually he convince the pirates to take off with the Alabama’s lifeboat and the contents of the ship’s safe. But Muse and his fellow pirates also capture Phillips, whom they plan to hold for more ransom.

While the Maersk Alabama’s crew tries keep up with the lifeboat, Phillips’ best hope lies with US Navy ships that are in the area. A SEALS team is en route, and hopefully they can stop the lifeboat before the pirates can reach home.

Again, Greengrass tones down his worst stylistic tendencies and tells this story in a mostly straightforward fashion. However, he and screenwriter Billy Ray made a questionable decision when they painted characters in certain, curious shades. While Hanks’ Phillips is noble and human, most of his crew (save for perhaps, his heroic second-in-command, played by Michael Chernus) is shown to be selfish and even a bit cowardly. That’s a stark contrast with the Somali pirates, at least two of whom are depicted rather sympathetically.

Also, while it’s become a tired refrain from yours truly to say that a movie is too long, at 134 minutes, “Captain Phillips” feels a little flabbier than Hanks’ waistline.

Among the more needless sequences: Greengrass shows us Phillips’ humdrum, pre-piracy activities, including a brief chat between our hero and his wife (an underused Catherine Keener). This gets the film off to a less-than-enthralling start.

Still, that’s not to say that the film doesn’t have its share of rewarding moments. Like last year’s Oscar-winning “Argo,” the movie may cause you to grip your armrest in suspense — even if you’re already familiar with the story. The last hour, in particular, is very intense.

And, of course, that’s not meant to slight the cast, which is led by the always-solid Hanks. Another, less confident performer could have turned the Phillips character into a one-note creation, but thanks to Hanks’ seemingly effortless performances, we feel his horror and his fear as well as his commitment to his crew and his family.

As for newcomer Abdi, he not only resembles character actor Michael K. Williams, but his brooding intensity may remind some of the very memorable, watchably-dangerous character Williams played on HBO’s acclaimed television series “The Wire.”

Jerk-bot, aka Jeff Michael Vice, can also be heard reviewing films, television programs, comics, books, music and other things as part of The Geek Show Podcast, and can be seen reviewing films as part of Xfinity’s Big Movie Mouth-Off.