The Final Countdown (1980)
I was perusing through some options on netflix late last night and stumbled across this film. The Final Countdown was something I'd been curious about for a long time because Blue Underground had put it out on a special edition DVD many years ago, and I tended to like the output of the company. Unfortunately, I never got around to picking the DVD up, and over the years I never really found a good reason to watch the film. There are some SPOILERS in this review.
Luckily, as I found out after viewing the film, I was lucky I never bought the DVD because it would have just sat on the shelf. A younger Martin Sheen plays Warren Lasky who is some type of efficiency expert tasked with evaluating the crew of the carrier USS Nimitz by his mysterious employer, who also designed the ship. The Nimitz is docked at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and soon sets sail for routine drills. Once onboard he meets the Captain, and some other members of the ships crew, one of which is writing a book about Pearl Harbor. Soon after they leave port a strange storm occurs and the ship is taken through it into the past. Through a series of much back and forth by the captain about if they are actually in the past, it is finally decided they are in fact in the past. A civillian ship is found nearby, which is attacked by japanese Zeros and the surivors are rescued by the Nimitz and taken aboard. The survivors finally convice Lasky and the Captain that they are in the past. The Captain decided to try and intercede in the Pearl Harbor attacks. Will he succeed? By this point you probably won't care.
The film is about as boring as the synopsis there, with just as much action. Some jets dance around with the japenese zeros and the rescued japanese zero pilot shoots some sailors on the ship after he is rescued, but thats it. There is an over abundance of shots of planes taking off and landing on the aircraft carrier. I don't want to spoil the ending, but don't get excited for a big showdown between a modern destroyer and the japanese fleet. Martin Sheen acts fairly suprised throughout the film and really phones in his performance. The rest of the acting throughout is subpar. The effects arn't very good, even by 1980 standards. The toilet flush time warp is just ugly. Everything about the film is just so boring. There is too much debate on if they are actually in the past and not enough acting on being in the past.
I can't fault the film for having a good concept, but nothing really happens, and the ending is just lame. I guess for all the years I put off seeing this film I really wasn't missing much. I am also very greatful I didn't make a blind buy on this one because it just isn't that entertaining.
