A bad accent by one of the lead actors can't destroy a good movie, but it certainly won't help a bad — or even mediocre — one.
And "K-19: The Widowmaker" is saddled with one of the worst affected accents in recent cinematic history: a sometimes-hilarious attempt at Russian by Harrison Ford, an actor who usually knows his performing limitations.
Not that he should be singled out for blame regarding the disappointments in this dramatic thriller — especially when the filmmakers have taken a potentially interesting real-life story and turned it into such a highly fictionalized, painfully clichd tale.
Also, it's hard to see why the studio and filmmakers thought this particular story would be of interest to American film audiences. (Given how much it plays with the facts, they might as well have changed the sub crew's nationality from Russian to American and changed the time period.)
The title refers to a nuclear submarine that is the flagship of the Russian navy, circa 1961. The "widowmaker" nickname is deserved, as nearly a dozen men die before it even leaves the dock.
Still, the Kremlin is insisting that K-19 leave on its maiden voyage as soon as possible. That's why they've brought in Capt. Alexei Vostrikov (Ford), a no-nonsense veteran, to command the vessel. Naturally, he immediately butts heads with Capt. Mikhail Polenin (Liam Neeson), the man he replaces as the commanding officer and who is now expected to serve as executive officer.
Vostrikov insists on running preparedness drills and pushing the limits of the vessel. But to the surprise of nearly everyone on board, he also manages to fulfill K-19's first mission: firing a test missile.
However, he's not so successful at a follow-up mission. It turns out Vostrikov may have pushed the sub too hard, and now there's a reactor breach that could have disastrous consequences — not just for the crew, but for the entire world.
In the hands of a filmmaker interested in something other than just action, this tale might have had a chance (director Kathryn Bigelow evidently needs to watch 1982's far superior "Das Boot"). There is also a strident, insistent score by Klaus Badelt that's more headache-inducing than gripping.
To be fair to Ford, the scenes where his character and Neeson's clash are not bad (they have a good working chemistry that suggests they should get together again). Besides, his is not the only bad accent. The supporting cast sounds like they studied "Star Trek's" Ensign Chekhov.
"K-19: The Widowmaker" is rated PG-13 for violence (explosive mayhem and scenes of peril), graphically gory makeup effects and brief nudity (male backsides). Running time: 138 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com