The plot casts executive officer Lt. Andy Tyler (Matthew McConaughey), in the thick of WWII, as a disgruntled man passed over by promotion because Capt. Dahlgren (Bill Paxton) believes he is too close to his men to make tough decisions. The rest of the film essentially puts McConaughey (A Time to Kill, Dazed and Confused) to the test as he is forced to make those hard decisions as their attempt to capture the "Enigma" code machine from a German U-boat goes awry.

The submarine action film is a subgenre (Run Silent, Run Deep and Das Boot to name a couple) and these films have many common elements: cramped, claustrophobic quarters with harsh lighting and grimy, drab conditions, nail biting depth charge scenes, and one requisite scene where the ship descends below recommended depth, as everyone watches the depth gage slip into the red zone and rivets pop off with the velocity of rifle shots. U-571 delivers admirably in these departments.

I would not be surprised if this film receives Oscar nominations in the set design and sound categories. Most particularly, the way the sound is used in this film is highly effective. The growing volume of explosions as the depth charges come closer, the groan of metal as the u-boat dives, and the labored breathing of the men as they hold in panic add effectively to the mood and tension. Unfortunately, the music at times overwhelms the mood.

Jonathan Mostow also wrote and directed Breakdown a couple years back and these two films have a number of similarities. Both are effective suspense action showcases that suffer from a lack of story logic. Nevertheless, the action carries you along past the plot lapses which in itself demonstrates how effectively Mostow executes his action scenes. Also, a little more levity to punctuate the desperate circumstances would have helped. This, combined with the old fashioned sensibility of a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, patriotism, and writing letters home to loved ones makes the characters come across as two-dimensional.

But why carp? Damn the illogical plot points! Full speed ahead!