The Search for PT 109 (2003)
*** (out of 4)
What should Bob Ballard do after finding the Titanic shipwreck? Why not go after the historic PT 109, which of course was the boat John F. Kennedy was on. Everyone should know the story but the small boat was hit by a Japanese ship, exploded and everyone was thought dead. Kennedy ended up getting the survivors to a small island but with no help coming he turned into a legendary figure with what he did in order to get discovered. The documentary tells that story but also follows Ballard as he and his crew try to locate where the ship went down. Also interviewed are two of the men who eventually discovered Kennedy and helped them reach safety. Overall, this is a pretty good documentary, although it lacks the drama of the original search for the Titanic. Perhaps there's just not as much mystery or poetic hauntings of Titanic but there's no question the search for this was entertaining. There's a false discovery that puts Ballard on the right track that was also interesting to see as was everything that's in the sea where these ships were found. The underwater photography was extremely good and we got some terrific images of the sunken ships. The re-enactment footage was also well-done and shot.
