Captain Phillips and the Realities of Piracy

The new Tom Hanks movie ‘Captain Phillips’ received wide positive reception and praise. It gained over $26 Million in box office sales during opening weekend. People love the movie and the acting performance of Tom Hanks. The logistics industry is very happy to see a movie about ocean freight shipping and it is based on a true story. Most people may not realize it, but the movie was based on the book ‘A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS and Dangerous Days at Sea’, written by the real Captain Richard Phillips. Somali Pirates hijacked his ocean freight vessel, the Maersk Alabama, in April 2009 before US Navy Seals rescued him. The story received incredible international attention before the motion picture.

There have been some alterations from the real story of the Maersk Alabama and the ‘Captain Phillips’ movie. The goal of the movie was to depict Captain Richard Phillips, played by Tom Hanks, as a hero by showing him sacrificing himself as a captive for the pirates. In real life, Captain Richard Phillips was taken as hostage by force. Also in real life, he ignored some warnings to stay away from the coast of Somalia.

Although ‘Captain Phillips' is a fine movie, the issue of piracy continues to plaque ocean freight vessels worldwide. The shipping industry is certainly concerned about piracy. The coast of Somalia is the location for the most piracy incidents in the past few years. For shippers who are concerned about the threat of piracy, speak to a trusted freight forwarder who can provide more information about the issue.