The Final Countdown [Blu-ray]

In German No English Subtitles. I Live in English speaking country and am hearing impaired. Refused to replace item.

While this film's special effects are very dated, the overall film is quite inventive and fun although it is not very original. The story has the stoic Kirk Douglass as the commander of the USS Nimitz, a nuclear aircraft carrier, that is accidentally (?) transported back to the day of Pearl Harbor's attack. Naturally, they take some time getting used to the idea of time travel, but once that sets in their bigger dilemma is deciding whether or not to change history and stop the pending attack on Pearl.

The story line is compelling and there are some intriguing plot twists. Also, the film is well-acted by very familiar faces in addition to Douglass such as the great character actor Charles Durning as a pivotal 1941 U.S. Senator and potential president to succeed FDR should history be altered, the regal Katherine Ross as his assistant, the always believable James Farentino as Douglass's right hand man who is a secret historian writing a book on Pearl Harbor, and the terrific and awfully young looking but ever-confident Martin Sheen (whose hairstyle changes with nearly every scene) who is a mysterious civilian "observer."

My only complaints about this film are the special effects which were poor even for its time, the dialogue which is stiff is some places and overwrought in others, and the absolutely horrific score which I wish was forgettable; it was best suited for a western and not a military film. My son jokingly said that he expected to see General Custer and his troops at any moment on the deck of the carrier. Other than that, this film is good fun, has an intriguing idea, and has some nice plot twists.

See also the following review for better insight than I offered:

Do they tamper, or do they not?, May 20, 2007
By C. MCCALLISTER "dr dolphin"

What would you do if you were in command of the U.S.S. Nimitz aircraft carrier (yes with F-14 tomcats) and you suddenly found yourself located exactly 2 days before the attack on pearl harbor, having gone through a swirly light, and loud noise. (they get knocked out by the noise)its the day before the attack on pearl habor. right down to radio frequencies being different its so unique. this is one of those rare films that came out and surprised many people with the cool idea of being in a place and time With everything needed to change history! then all thats left to decide is to change the past or not? this film is dated and is restored fairly well however its still a great film starring kirk Douglas. truly a classic great! 5 stars!

Story: The U.S.S. Nimitz, a nuclear aircraft carrier, encounters a strange storm in 1981 and, when the ship clears the storm, the crew eventually figures out that they have been catapulted back to 1941. Specifically, they end up one day before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, and they are near Pearl Harbor. A fully-armed nuclear aircraft carrier, with a full complement of 1981 aircraft, right where it could do a lot of damage to the Japanese invasion force, possibly even destroy it. So, the question becomes, "Should they?" Should they tamper with history and re-write it? They are United States military servicemen, in a combat situation, and most the crew says, "Go for it!" But, what of the ramifications? That question becomes highlighted when a 1941 Japanese Zero blows up a 1941 private yacht, near the U.S.S. Nimitz, and the survivors are rescued by the 1981 Navy. Amongst those survivors is a powerful Senator, who could end up being Franklin Roosevelt's Vice President in 1944 (instead of Truman) and then succeed Roosevelt when he dies, thus changing politics from 1941 on.

Cast: The cast is impressive, with Kirk Douglas as the Captain of the Nimitz, Martin Sheen as a Department of Defense observer, Charles Durning as the arrogant, powerful, but basically ethical 1941 Senator Sam Chapman, Katharine Ross as Chapman's beautiful and intelligent assistant, and James Farentino as the Executive Officer of the Nimitz, who is also a history buff writing a book about the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

What was done right: I like Kirk Douglas, and I like how he did this role, with a mixture of intelligence, confidence, and command presence. I also like the premise, which would have horrified Star Trek's Captain Picard ("The Temporal Prime Directive! We must preserve the time-line!"). The footage of the aircraft was impressive, the plot twists were interesting, and I really enjoyed the small surprise at the end.

What could have been better: I did not care for the special effects, especially the temporal storm episodes. They seemed cheap to me, even by the standards of when the film was made (1980). The script was weak at times, with Martin Sheen's dialogue sounding melodramatic, and the melodramatic effect was sometimes exacerbated by a musical score that sounded soap-opera-ish at times.

Personal comment: Perhaps I like the premise of The Final Countdown more than most because I appreciate the manifestations of World War Two. My father was an American soldier when he met my mother in Belgium. No war means no meeting, no wedding bells, no me. I cannot say that my existence counters the horrors of World War Two, but I do appreciate the complex consequences of a world-wide event.

I think "The Philadelphia Experiment" is better than this movie, but this one came out 4 years before that one. Imagine a US naval fleet being transported back 40 years to the day of the bombing of Pearl Harbor with the potential to change history forever. Essentially this is more brain candy than an action fest but anyone with an interest in maritime themes or fighter jets will love it, especially when F14s are scrambled to intercept the Japanese.

The ending doesn't really resolve anything (what could one expect? Nazi America because they never enter the war?... but with a ship like that on their side... oh heck you get the picture, this is brain candy more than anything else....) but at least it leaves you thinking and on top of that there are quite a few surprises along the way. This could have been a lot worse, but wasn't. Worth seeing, but get the Philly Experiment first.