Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Greyhound review says this riveting WWII film is just the shot of patriotism we can all use right now.

Whether he’s captaining planes, boats or soldiers, Tom Hanks never fails to draw us in, teaching us about humanity, sacrifice and grace under pressure, every step of the way.

Hanks does it yet again in the inspiring and thrilling Greyhound, in which he plays Captain Ernest Krause who, in the early days of WWII, commanded a U.S. destroyer for the very first time. As a rookie, he is charged with leading an international convoy of 37 Allied ships across the treacherous North Atlantic while being attacked by Nazi U-boat wolf packs. Yes, it’s based on a true story.

Greyhound is a tight, action packed hour and a half that will keep your blood pumping and your hand clapping over your mouth from start to finish. Even if you don’t understand the naval jargon and the exact strategy, you’ll still be fully invested. And you might be surprised when the credits roll at the end, to be reminded that Hanks wrote the masterful script.

Director Aaron Schneider (Get Low, Margaret’s Museum) shows us just what a miracle wartime survival was almost 80 years ago. This was back before the days of computers, and officers figured out strategy by hand with grease pencils. There were no communications satellites. no bomber planes with enough range to cover an entire ocean, and aircraft carriers were still being developed.

Yet men like Captain Ernest Krause, played with the heartbreaking humanity only Hanks can muster, and the hundreds of thousands of military personnel, so many of them mere puppies, gave everything they could to secure the world’s safety and freedom. Greyhound is an excellent reminder of those who sacrifice so much, both past and present, to protect us. We could all use a little patriotism right now.

Rated PG-13

1 Hour 31 Minutes

See the movie Greyhound now on AppleTV — it’s worth the price of admission.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Greyhound review says this riveting WWII film is just the shot of patriotism we can all use right now.

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