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Conference bookie::movies

Title:	Movie Reviews and Discussion
Notice:	Please do DIR/TITLE before starting a new topic on a movie!
Moderator:	VAXCPU::michaudo.dec.com::tamara::eppes

Created:	Thu Jan 28 1993
Last Modified:	Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	1249
Total number of notes:	16012

829.0. "Crimson Tide" by RNDHSE::WALL (Show me, don't tell me) Mon May 15 1995 13:30

    
    Capsule Review: An interesting character study with a lot of tension. 
    Of course, you can't sell that so it's billed as a thriller, but the
    outcome is rarely in doubt.  If you like techno-thrillers, you'll
    probably like this, though the focus on hardware is minimal.
    
    Details:
    
    You'd have to work pretty hard to make a hash out of a movie with
    Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman, and Simpson/Bruckheimer/Scott
    aren't complete incompetents.  True, their output tends to be more
    proletarian than somebody like Merchant Ivory, but that's what makes
    horseraces.
    
    Crimson Tide jumps off from the twin platforms of a few of today's
    world news headlines (Curiously, the only prominent world figure the
    film *wasn't* willing to name directly was Vladimir Jhironovsky) and
    the long-standing maxim that battle plans never survive contact with
    the enemy.  It features Gene Hackman as a seasoned naval Cold Warrior
    whose attitude is probably best summed up in a line from the film and
    the trailer: "We're here to preserve democracy, not practice it." 
    Denzel Washington is his executive officer, who finds himself on board
    the U.S.S. Alabama when Hackman's long-time executive officer comes
    down with appendictis as the world lurches toward the brink of
    strategic nuclear exchange.
    
    Lesser actors than Hackman and Washington might not have been able to
    bring this off.  They generate almost all of the tension themselves;
    practically everything in the movie plays off the conflict between
    Hackman and Washington.  Hackman has the more difficult job because
    Washington begins the film on the moral high ground and is never really
    forced to yield it until the very end of the picture.  The focus on
    this conflict also tends to push everyone else in the story into the
    background except as they're connected to either Hackman or Washington.
    
    In spite of the predictability of the answer to the film's big what if,
    the ending is quite satisfying, featuring Jason Robards in a brief role
    as an admiral who sums up the real story quite nicely.
    
    If you like tension (as opposed to action, though the middle third of
    the film has a dose of that, too) this is probably worth a full-price
    viewing.  The film has a certain amount of macho, since the only
    females in the entire cast are members of Washington's character's
    family seen at the beginning of the film, but it isn't dripping with
    testosterone.  And it does make you wonder.
    
    DFW

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
829.1		MDNITE::RIVERS	And good bagels float	`Mon May 15 1995 16:29`	13
	I liked it, although it wasn't really executed as well as it should have been, given the premise. The tension .0 mentions didn't really start for me until we had subs shooting at each other, but after that, it was kind of fun, if you overlook a few plot holes and a forced wrap-up. The outcome, for me, was never in doubt, but the getting there wasn't a half-bad way to spend a couple hours. If you liked "Hunt for Red October", or sub movies in general, then you'll probably like this. .75 out of ** kim
829.2	I loved it!	EVMS::MARION	Those thunderdrums are calling	`Tue May 16 1995 20:13`	15
	I loved this movie. And I found the tension built consistently throughout the movie. I also really like the music in this flick. It reminded me a little of some of the very dramatic Soviet sub music they played during "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming". Denzel Washington was awesome, and Gene Hackman was perfect for his role (I won't give anything away). And the little Jack Russell Terrier was a great exclamation point to Hackman's oddities. I give it *.5 out of **. Karen. By the way, why is everyone using Jack Russell Terriers these days? Is there just one little dog actor that's used at a time? It used to be little Bengi-dogs. Now it's this. I don't get it.
829.3	A good one	EVMS::HALLYB	Fish have no concept of fire	`Mon May 22 1995 16:54`	9
	A good film even though there are only so many things you can do with a submarine movie. It's definitely the two characters that make this one special. We saw it Sunday at S. Willow St. (Manchester NH) where it was playing on two screens. Yet the matinee was poorly-attended, maybe 30 folks. Hopefully (for the producers) the evening attendance is better. John
829.4		CNTROL::DGAUTHIER		`Tue May 23 1995 19:04`	13
	Overall, I really liked it. Great acting, set(s), action. The plot was a little unbelievable in spots (like the Pentagon's order to launch... then .. "wait-a-minute guys, we take that back") and the ebb and flow of who had the bridge. But I guess all that was necessary to keep the audience guessing about who was technically right in their position. Movies staged on submarines are special in that the charcters are literally trapped in a high stress situation. The characters have to resolve their differences amoung themselves while remembering the common and greater enemy outside. The best I've seen to date in this regard is "Das Boot" -dave
829.5		IMTDEV::BRUNO		`Tue May 23 1995 19:25`	13
	RE: <<< Note 829.4 by CNTROL::DGAUTHIER >>> >> Movies staged on submarines are special... I'll agree with that sentiment. "Das Boot", "Grey Lady Down", and a number of WW2-subject films contained tendon-stretching tension. If Crimson Tide played this well, I will certainly like it. The main thing that another recent submarine movie, "...Red October", lacked was the claustrophobic effect of the older movies. Red October was just too big a sub to get that reaction going. Greg
829.6	Unpredictable assignments of unknown duration	GRANPA::JBUCHMAN		`Wed May 24 1995 14:01`	17
	> Movies staged on submarines are special in that the charcters are > literally trapped in a high stress situation. There's another aspect of service in a sub that could generate even more tension, but I've never seen it featured in the sub movies. A friend of a friend of mine is crew on a boomer, and due to the secret nature of the missions, he doesn't know until a couple days beforehand when he is going out on a mission, and he can't tell his wife when he does find out. One day he just packs his duffel bag and says "Well, we're going out." Within a couple hours, he's gone for the next several weeks to several months; neither knows how long the mission will last. They both have to live with that lifestyle. It's gotta be tough on a relationship, and it's an added burden on the crew when they are already dealing with homesickness and claustophobia. I guess this sort of thing is common in many jobs, military and otherwise. Jim B.
829.7	Not bad	IMTDEV::BRUNO		`Sun Jun 04 1995 16:03`	22
	I finally saw it, and I liked it. The captain and his terrier (as well as other quirks) reminded me of Captain Queeg and his stainless steel balls. (Semi-spoilers) I was expecting some sort of twist to the ending, because it was rather predictable. Then again, I might have hated the injustice of any other outcome, so I reserve criticism of that. I was rather surprised that the Captain did not suffer consequences for putting a gun to the head of one of his crew members in order to coerce "Weps" into unlocking the safe. That crew member should have barbequed the captain's terrier. Washington did well playing the "unknown quantity" brand-new exec who had to contend with the pre-existing loyalties of the crew toward Hackman's character. All in all, well worth the $6.25. Greg
829.8	You gotta be kiddin'	UTROP1::LITTEL_M		`Mon Oct 23 1995 13:19`	8
	I thought the story was all right, except for the incredible things like losing the only radio aboard. <shucks>. Don't you think they have those things backuped to the 4th power?? And the way they attempt to repair the only radio aboard?? With a soldering iron?? You gotta be kidding..... Marco
829.9		BUSY::SLABOUNTY	Form feed = <ctrl>v <ctrl>l	`Mon Oct 23 1995 13:33`	6
	RE: -1 Maybe they ran out of duct tape, and the soldering iron was the last chance they had.
829.10	.02	BRAT::MCCLELLAN_W		`Wed Mar 06 1996 15:10`	7
	Rented this over the weekend. It was okay. Didn't like the climax, nor some of the plot holes. Also agree with previous noters, not a "Red October" nor "Gray Lady Down". -Bill
829.11		CLUSTA::MAIEWSKI	Bos-Mil-Atl Braves W.S. Champs	`Thu Jul 11 1996 20:09`	18
	I rented this movie the other day and felt it was lots of fun. Yes there were lots of holes in the plot and some of the things that went on were somewhat unbelievable but I expected that so it didn't bother me as much as it might have otherwise. The acting helps pull it off. Washington and Hackman really carry the story along at several different points. Worth renting the tape. Better entertainment than most movies you would see on TV. In a way it's unfair to compare it to "Das Boat". Yes both involved a submarine but "Das Boat" was an outstanding serious dramatic production where as Crimson Tied is action adventure with bubbles. It's sort of like comparing Hamlet to the Three Musketeers because both have sword fights, they are just not the same type of film. Great music, *** out of 5, George