Captain no hero says crew

Tom Hanks' portrayal of the controversial captain in the Somali pirate hostage drama is getting glowing reviews. Photo / AP

A new Hollywood film starring Tom Hanks as the ship captain who heroically volunteered as a hostage to save the lives of his crew from Somali pirates is gaining glowing reviews and Oscar tips.

But a US$50 million ($60.5 million) lawsuit lodged by several of his men claims Captain Richard Phillips was no hero but instead risked their lives as he sailed his cargo vessel into pirate-infested waters.

Captain Phillips, which opens in American cinemas today and in New Zealand in two weeks, is based on his account of the 2009 attack on the Maersk Alabama cargo ship.

The stand-off ended when US navy marksmen shot dead the pirates who were holding the 58-year-old captain captive on a small craft.

Phillips' courage was lauded by President Barack Obama as "a model for all Americans".

But nearly half the 20 crew members are suing the ship's owner and operator in a case that claims he ignored warnings from the US and British navies to remain at least 965km offshore and was less than 480km off the Somali coast when the pirates attacked.