Even with the ending spoiled, Captain Phillips remains a suspenseful, thrilling ride.

Captain Phillips compares similarly to 2012’s Zero Dark Thirty, both feature a narrative where the ending is already known Phillips survives and Bin Laden dies. Both films have little interest in giving depth to the characters beyond their involvement in the plot. They also work wonders by creating tension even when the outcome is already known.

Inevitably, the viewer compares events of the film from their recollection of news from the actual event, and this is where the excitement comes. The dramatic scenes and clues from the pirates, SEALs, and crew members at different parts of the movie leave to guessing at the next action.

In his main role as the captain, Tom Hanks excels at portraying a diligent worker thrown into a fight for survival. Philips’ and Hanks acting show realistic actions which often follow the viewers’ thoughts on what he should do. His foil, Barkhad Abdi, a Minneapolis native, was another excellent actor who plays the role opposite of Hanks as Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, the leader of the pirate group. He portrays a clever villain, trying to make his money through piracy and kidnapping while staying alive.

While the movie sets up the action well and keeps the pace moving, it leaves certain elements such as character development behind in the dust. Beyond the two captains, other characters get little attention despite their great acting; leaving many of them unknown beyond their job titles. The film focuses so much on the moment by moment recalling of history that it leaves little to expand on. One example is how little the movie goes into the emotions of the pirates as their attempted kidnapping devolves into a standoff with the U.S. Navy. The people in the film only seem to do things, and rarely reflecting on what things mean for them. Despite these problems, the basic story is exciting enough to keep the movie enjoyable.

In total, Captain Phillips intriguingly shows the collision of two men trying to make their livings in dramatically different ways. It remains highly exciting, enjoyable and great weekend film to check out.