Tonight's Movie: The Final Countdown (1980) - A Blue Underground Blu-ray Review

World War II meets science fiction in THE FINAL COUNTDOWN (1980), which has just been released by Blue Underground in a limited edition Blu-ray.

I've been curious about this film for some time now, so I jumped at the opportunity to review it. I'm happy to say I found the film thoroughly entertaining, and the Blu-ray is an especially fine set which is a "must" for fans of the film.

Captain Matthew Yelland (Kirk Douglas) commands the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier U.S.S. Nimitz, which is conducting routine patrols off Hawaii in 1980.

A bizarre electrical storm, unlike anything seen before, temporarily knocks out the crew, and when they come to, things are strange. Very strange, including Jack Benny's voice on the radio. That's written off as nostalgia programming, but the crew can't make any normal communications with the outside world...and then they spot mint condition Japanese Zero planes.

As the evidence mounts, the captain and crew ultimately realize that, hard as it is to believe, they've gone back in time...to December 6, 1941.

This was quite a fun film, both in terms of watching the crew's dawning realization of what's happened, and then the ethical dilemma faced by the captain. Civilian analyst Warren Lasky (Martin Sheen), an observer on board, suggests the Nimitz has a chance to prevent great loss of life and have history turn out much more positively. 

But what really happens when you completely change the course of history, including who lives and who dies?

Longtime readers know I'm not a particular fan of Douglas, but I felt he hit just the right notes as the captain, disbelieving but professional at all times, taking steps to secure the ship and crew and making logical decisions as he gathers additional information. For me this was one of his more enjoyable and likeable performances.

Fortunately for the captain, Commander Richard Owens (James Farentino) is a naval historian working on a book on Pearl Harbor. Owens and Lasky have interesting discussions debating doing something vs. nothing, but it's the captain who must decide whether to act.

The ending is somewhat telegraphed in advance, but it's also very well done. I was left satisfied...though I was also left with questions about whether that kind of electrical storm has happened to anyone else...

Charles During plays a (fictitious) senator whose yacht is strafed by the Japanese. He and his secretary (Katharine Ross) are picked up by the Nimitz, and they're very confused about all the modern equipment. The senator, in fact, wonders if FDR has been keeping a top secret program from Congress -- but even so, it's hard for him to believe what he sees.

The cast also includes Ron O'Neal, Victor Mohica, and Soon-Tek Oh, who was a familiar face on TV in this era.

The film was written by Peter Powell, David Ambrose, and Thomas Hunter, based on a story the three men wrote along with Gerry Davis. The film's running time is a just-right 103 minutes. It's such a relief to watch a "newer" film like this and discover it's not a bloated 150-minute running time!

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN was directed by Don Taylor, who earlier in his career was an actor (FATHER OF THE BRIDE). It was filmed by Victor J. Kemper, with location shooting taking place on board the actual U.S.S. Nimitz. Viewers are treated to a fairly extensive tour of the ship over the course of the film, and it's a fascinating environment.

I'll add that there are many great shots of planes landing on the carrier, and no matter how many times you see it, it's always a thrill watching one successfully hook the cable and stop!

This limited edition set comes with a 4K Ultra High Definition disc as well as a regular Blu-ray; the latter is what I reviewed.

Also included in this fine set is a soundtrack CD of John Scott's score from Screen Archives Entertainment. Blu-ray extras include a commentary track with cinematographer Victor Kemper, carried over from a prior DVD release; multiple trailers and TV spots; poster and stills galleries; and featurettes. The set also comes with a multipage booklet which includes the CD track list.

Topping things off, there's reversible cover art for the plastic case, and a cardboard slipcover with a lenticular hologram which makes the U.S.S. Nimitz appear to move as it's shifted back and forth; it's very cool, perfect for the film.

This is a very good, enjoyable film, released in an A+ set. Recommended.

Thanks to Blue Underground and MVD Entertainment Group for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray collection.

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