Greyhound Review Roundup -- Here's What Critics Think Of The New Tom Hanks War Movie

The new Tom Hanks World War II movie, Greyhound, is coming to Apple TV Plus on July 10. Ahead of that, reviews for the war movie have begun to appear online, providing first look at the reception.

Here in this story we're rounding up excerpts from reviews posted to a variety of outlets across the internet to help you decide if the movie is worth your time and money.

Greyhound was originally scheduled to come to theatres, before Apple paid a reported $70 million to Sony for the distribution rights to bring it to Apple TV Plus. Hanks, who also wrote Greyhound, told The Guardian that it's an "absolute heartbreak" that the movie won't screen in theatres.

The movie, which is based on the C.S. Forester book The Good Shepherd, stars Hanks as naval officer George Krause. Inspired by real events, Krause is the commanding officer of the Navy warship Greyhound, and he's tasked with leading his crew in a battle against German forces at the beginning of World War II.

Greyhound is directed by Aaron Schneider, whose 2003 movie Two Soldiers won the Oscar for Best Short Film, Live Action. For more on the critical response to Greyhound, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

It's also worth noting that Greyhound is not Hanks' first WWII movie (he starred in Saving Private Ryan), nor is it the first time he's playing the captain of a ship--he did that in Captain Phillips.

Greyhound

• Directed By: Aaron Schneider
• Written By: Tom Hanks
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Elisabeth Shue, Karl Glusman, Stephen Graham, Devin Druid, Lee Norris, Rob Morgan
• Release Date: July 10 (Apple TV Plus)

Slant

"With no vividly drawn humans on display, the action feels like rootless war play. In short, Greyhound takes a fascinating bit of WWII history and turns it into a blockbuster version of bathtub war." -- Chuck Bowen [Full review]

Entertainment Weekly

"The movie maps its course by Hanks' steady hand: A ship moving swiftly and with sure purpose-- compelled by death and danger, but safe in the certainty of history." -- Leah Greenblatt [Full review]

IndieWire

Hanks isn’t bad, per se, but “Greyhound” has more trouble finding Commander Krause beneath his flop sweat than Commander Krause does the submarines that are lurking beneath his ship. He’s green and religious and trying to sail his way through modern history’s soggiest trial by fire, but few of these details crest into view during a movie that struggles to see what’s under the surface." -- David Ehrlich [Full review]

Variety

"As a warship commander leading a convoy through a treacherous stretch of the North Atlantic, Tom Hanks anchors a World War II thriller that's less a drama than a tense and sturdy diary of the logistics of battle." -- Owen Gleiberman [Full review]

IGN

"Greyhound has occasional bursts of violent excitement but it's overall lack of engaging characters, the unappetizing CG, and the lackluster story make for a very color-by-numbers outing from a headlining star capable of a whole lot more." -- Matt Fowler [Full review]

USA Today

"The movie is successful at finding little details that make it feel lived-in and authentic. There’s the sailor who repeats information from the sonar operator to Krause and sneezes, causing everyone to give him side-eye. Or the way an exhausted Krause takes off his dress shoes and bleeds wherever he steps because of literally being on his feet for days. Many of those moments add emotional punch to the visceral story, in which Hanks won't steer you wrong: Greyhound satisfies as both a snazzy war picture and a showcase for its star." -- Brian Truitt [Full review]