The 33

I think most everyone who was alive in 2010 knows this story. 33 miners were trapped in a copper mine after the mine collapsed. The film opens very generically like so many of these disaster films do. They quickly introduce some of the miners along with their families the day before they are to head into the mine. Lou Diamond Phillips plays a man responsible for the safety of the miners…..he inspects the mine to make sure nothing seems out of the ordinary. Sure enough there he is talking to the owner of the mine early on explaining that the mine has shifted and he does not feel it is safe. Guess what- he was right. A massive collapse traps all 33 miners underground. While the story is remarkable, the film is not. director Patricia Riggen chose to keep things lighthearted at times with funny moments between the miners and especially between their family members. From the look of the trailer I was afraid The 33 would slip in some corny or cheesy moments and it did. While I am glad their whole story is told….I think it could have been told better.