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Review
by
Brian Lindsey
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5
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10 |
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10
= Highest Rating |
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With
a science fiction plot ripped straight from The Twilight
Zone's "We're-not-going-to-explain-jack-shit-so-just-roll-with-it"
playbook, The Final Countdown doesn't
doesn't live up to its undeniably engaging premise. What it
does do is serve as a terrific showcase for the United States
Navy circa 1980. Consequently the film will appeal much more
to military aviation enthusiasts than your typical sci-fi fan.
Hollywood great Kirk Douglas
is Captain Yelland, skipper of the Navy's premier warship
U.S.S. Nimitz — the mighty nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
that's a virtual floating city to its 6,000 man crew. The carrier
and its destroyer escorts sail from Pearl Harbor on a routine
training mission. Aboard the Nimitz is a civilian observer,
Warren Lasky (Martin Sheen), systems analyst for a big defense
contractor. Everything proceeds normally until a strange storm,
appearing out of nowhere, is detected by the meteorological
officer. None of the highly experienced naval personnel has
ever seen anything like it. Yelland orders the escort ships
to return to base as the Nimitz prepares to ride out
the freak storm. Only it isn't a "storm" at all — but rather
some kind of terrestrial wormhole in the space/time continuum
that transports the 95,000-ton warship 40 years backwards in
time. To December 6, 1941.
It takes awhile for the Nimitz's command staff to
accept the reality of what's happened. At first they entertain
the possibility of a surprise nuclear strike by the Soviets.
But civilian radio is broadcasting the old Jack Benny Show,
not news of an international crisis, and a reconnaissance flight
over Pearl Harbor reveals the naval base intact, its port thronged
with WWII-era vessels. Theoretical musings by Lasky and the
historical expertise of the ship's air operations officer, Commander
Owens (Dead & Buried's James
Farentino), finally convince Yelland that his ship has indeed
been thrown back in time. The hypothesis is confirmed when the
Imperial Japanese fleet is detected approaching the Hawaiian
Islands, poised as it was prior to the December 7th attack that
brought America into the Second World War. Thus the captain
is faced with a momentous decision: stand by and do nothing,
allowing events to take their natural course, or send the Nimitz
into action against the Japanese, altering the course of history
forever. (The modern carrier, with its supersonic combat jets,
could pound the entire Japanese armada to scrap.) An ingrained
sense of duty calls for the latter choice. ("If the United
States falls under attack, our job is to defend her —
in the past, present or future,"
Yelland says.) But what unpredictable forces will be unleashed
if history is changed?
Yes, The Final Countdown offers
an intriguing premise —
one it largely fudges or fumbles. That the time portal goes
completely unexplained really isn't the problem. Characterization
and dialog are shortchanged in favor of Navy recruiting footage.
Too much of the film is made up of scenes showing the Nimitz
crew doing their thing: launching and recovering aircraft, midair
refueling, emergency drills, etc., set to suitably heroic (and
ultimately annoying) music that's barely a step above the score
to your typical History Channel documentary. This may be all
well and good for Navy vets or military enthusiasts, but this
is supposed to be a science fiction film, not the "Nuclear Aircraft
Carriers" episode of Modern Marvels. More emphasis on
the interaction between the characters and their reaction to
the incredible situation they find themselves in would've substantially
strengthened the narrative (as well as getting more mileage
out of the veteran performers on hand).
This
isn't to say all the hardware on display sinks the ship; actually,
it's a double-edged sword. Given that the special effects used
to depict the time rift are rather less than special —
even for 1980 —
the unprecedented cooperation afforded the production by the
U.S. Navy lends tremendous authenticity. (The sci-fi effects
were supervised by Maurice Binder, famous for his distinctive
title sequences to 16 of the James Bond films. And guess what?
The scenes with the Nimitz passing through the portal
look a lot like 007 movie titles... At any moment I expected
a giant gun barrel to emerge from one side of the screen above
the carrier, the silhouette of a naked woman dancing along it.)
All the Navy gear seen in the film is real, manned by real Navy
personnel. The elite pilots of VF-84 —
the renowned "Jolly Rogers" F-14 fighter squadron —
are the true stars of the film, their expert aerial maneuvers
a real highlight. The scene in which a pair of F-14s tangle
with two Japanese Zeroes is quite thrilling. The sight of a
modern Tomcat pulling up on the "six" of an IJN Zero from WWII
will send chills down the spines of military aviation buffs.
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The
Final Countdown
is given a terrific 2-disc "Limited Edition"
presentation by Blue Underground, with packaging and extras comparable
to the best of the big studio releases of new blockbuster films.
The marvelous-looking widescreen (2.35:1) transfer was struck
from the original negative and is enhanced for 16x9 TVs. Three
audio options permit the viewer a choice between Dolby 2.0, 5.1
EX or DTS 6.1; the latter two really add a tangible sonic punch
to the flight deck operations and aerial action.
A full slate of worthwhile extras has been
mustered for duty.
Along with the film itself, Disc 1 offers trailers, TV spots,
and an audio commentary with director of photography Victor Kemper
and BU's David Gregory. (The discussion leans distinctly to the
technical side, so it probably won't interest casual viewers.)
Disc 2 contributes two entertaining featurettes, extensive image
galleries, and DVD-ROM content. Lloyd Kaufman Goes Hollywood
(14 mins.) sees the Troma honcho recalling his experience as associate
producer and supporting actor on a mainstream film with genuine
stars. (Without his "Troma Team" hat on he's actually
an interesting, forthright-sounding guy. Generous in his praise
for most of the actors, especially Kirk Douglas, he slams director
Don Taylor as a drunken boob.) Starring the Jolly Rogers
(30 min.) is a fun, unique retrospective with now-retired members
of the elite Navy fighter squadron who participated in the film.
Naturally focusing on the aerial daring-do performed for the cameras,
the doc also presents an outsider's view of the moviemaking process,
replete with some great stories. ("Eff you, Katherine
Ross!")
For those with DVD-ROM-equipped PCs, you
can read Zero Pilot's Journal, an account of the
vintage aircraft used as Japanese fighters in the film and the
men who flew them. (Note: BU has released The
Final Countdown in single-disc widescreen and full-screen
versions as well.)
5/25/04 |
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