The 33 Review - 2 Stars

“The 33” presents the true story of 33 miners trapped for more than two months in a cave in deep inside Chile’s Atacama Desert.  The event took place in 2010 and many watched in real-time as the men ascended from a depth comparable to the Empire State Building in a state of the art rescue capsule.  The story balances efforts on the ground with the determination of the men to survive.  Antonia Banderas takes the lead of the trapped men, while Gabriel Byrne commands the engineering force required.  “The 33” feels like the shorthand version of the story, a sort of graphic novel approach.  The mostly American cast tries to sound like Spanish speakers with mixed to poor results.  Cote de Pablo and Juliette Binoche don’t seem well used as concerned wives and relatives demanding their loved one’s return.  A segment at the end with the real survivors adds a note of realism sadly missing from the rest of the production.  Does it deliver what it promises?  Attempt to recreate an amazing rescue.  Is it entertaining?  Lone and slow.  Is it worth the price of admission?  Skip it.