(SPOILER WARNING!!! This article does contain spoilers, if you haven’t seen the movie, just see the first paragraph to be informed without spoilers!!!)

The 33 may have its flaws and cliches, but in the end it does pack an emotional punch and a story of hope for all of us to enjoy.

Rating:3.5 Stars

I remember when the story of the trapped Chilean minors happened. What really got my attention was when they finally got out of the mine. It interests me on how these 33 guys survived being trapped for 69 days. It showed me how strong they were, and how miraculous it is that they all survived a cave in without one death or injury. It is an amazing story, and my blessing is out to these guys for showing true survival. Now that I hear they are making a movie about this incident, I was greatly engaged to finally have a visual look on what went down during that crazy time. It didn’t disappoint.

What I Like: Two things that really caught my attention. The first thing is the acting was pretty good. Antonio Banderas playing Mario “Super Mario” Sepulveda, as the appointed leader of the 33 trapped miners. Even though Baderas showed his Spanish side a lot, instead of a Chilean, but seeing him taking control of the situation for 69 days was very admiral. The tough decisions he made like the rationing of food, and helping people keep their sanity was really inspiring to watch. he was also very funny and sarcastic which really lighted the mood in this terrible situation of captivity. The other actor that was interesting to watch was Lou Diamond Phillips as Luis “Don Lucho” Urzua. He was responsible of keeping the mine safe, and seeing him showing true remorse for what happened blaming himself really brought up the emotional state of this movie. The other thing I like in this movie was the ending of when the miners got out. They really try to make it dramatic even though we know what will happen, but seeing these miners get out, and seeing their families was very emotional. it was almost that I related to them, and was very emotionally happy to see them get out. Especially when you see Don Lucho, who was the last guy to get out, showing a big emotional relief. You really feel for what they suffered to finally have a great sense of freedom. It was also interesting to see the political aspect of everything, and how the media involved really made this a spectacle. Seeing the families giving hope even though they were not sure if they were alive. The problems involving how to get these guys out, and how the whole world tried to help out. Some cool points seeing Don Francisco playing himself, a fellow Chilean showcasing the story for Univision. Lastly, I give props to director Patricia Riggen, in showing the cave in scene very thrilling, and the cinematography of the Atacama Desert was cool to see in showing the beauty of a desert. Something that you might not think is beautiful.

The So So: There was a missed opportunity in the story between Dario Segovia, played by Juan Pablo Raba, and his sister, Maria Segovia played by Juliette Binoce. They really didn’t explain Dario’s animosity towards his sister, and he was a guy who didn’t really care about anything but himself. During the whole ordeal, he started to change, cliched, but interesting to watch. I just wish that story was better developed to have more of an emotional impact. Although, the last moment where they see each other after he got out was pretty emotional. There was a scene that started of weird. That scene was when all the hungry Chilean Miner fantasized about their families bringing their favorite meals. At first it seemed very out of place, but as it kept going, you get an understanding that this type of fantasy is what kept their sanity. So it was very important to them to keep their will of surviving. It was funny seeing one guy’s mom come in, and how upset he was that it was her.

What I Didn’t Like: The movie had its share of cliches. Especially in the beginning of the movie. All the problems these miners have in developing their characters made me believe that these stories are not really true, for cinematic purposes. Cliches like problems with families, lack of job or money, a pregnant wife, infidelity (that part was annoying), and racial animosity towards a guy from another country. These characters almost represent a stereotype each, the leader, the priest, the old guy, the guy not liked (for no real reason, but he’s Bolivian), the entertainer, the selfish guy, and the suicidal one. The big cliche of having a guy know that something is wrong, but the arrogant boss says to keep going anyways. That cliche really made my eyes roll. A lot of the characters were extremely underdeveloped and even rushed. I would say that whole first act of the movie really brought it down, but thankfully the rest of the movie really made it respectable at the very least.

Overall: The movie had a rough beginning, but as the accident happen, the movie really was brought back to life. It is a very emotional, inspiring, hopeful, and happy for all the family to watch. A story that will always feel good no matter what!!!

Rating: 3.5 Stars