Phantom

In this lacklustre imitation of the classic submarine thriller, Ed Harris stars as a disgraced Russian captain who must outwit a government agent (David Duchovny) intent on starting a third world war. While the set and cast look the part, this standard aquatic thriller floats along at an agonising pace. Dragged down by a stilted script, what should be an exercise in claustrophobic tension instead becomes tedious. Instead of action and suspense much of the plot relies on dreary conversations held between Harris and Duchovny, heavy on sarcasm but low on threat. On the odd occasion when something unexpected comes along, it's far too silly to be credible. Harris soldiers on earnestly, aided by second-in-command William Fichtner, but they're up against a brick wall in Duchovny, who mistakes smirking for mystery. As it concludes in a very unsatisfactory manner, Phantom's committed star deserves a lot better than a script that seems happy to trundle along without incident.