Down Periscope | | Cast : | Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly | | Director : | David S. Ward | | Studio : | Fox Home Entertainment | | Format : | Color, Widescreen | | Released Date : | March 01, 1996 | | DVD Released Date : | February 03, 2004 | | Language : | French (Dubbed), English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 20, 2005 | | Summary | Operation Petticoat: The Next Generation | Content
 | In the World War II comedy Operation Petticoat, sub skipper Captain Matt Sherman (Cary Grant) had the challenge of trying to get the USS Sea Tiger, badly damaged alongside the dock in the Phillipines in a Japanese air raid, ready for sea with a paucity of spare parts, a misogynistic Chief Motor Machinist's Mate, a neurotic ship's yeoman, a ship's cook who is not only an escaped prisoner but also a Marine, and a green as grass ensign who is also the biggest con man and scrounger in the Pacific Fleet; and once having done so, successfully sail his crippled submarine to safety in Australia with half a dozen Army nurses as passengers, while both sides are hunting for him. Quite a challenge.
His modern-day successor is Captain Thomas Dodge of the USS Stingray (Kelsey Grammer), who while not facing depth charges and strafing runs from an armed enemy, has equally daunting challenges to face.
The premise of the comedy Down Priscope is a question actually raised in the 1990s by the United States Navy. The Russians at the time were selling off Soviet-era Tango and Kilo-class diesel submarines to anyone who had the money to pay for them. Most of the buyers were not and aren't friends of ours. The question the Navy needed to answer was, "Could a diesel boat with a smart, resourceful, daring skipper and a dedicated crew penetrate American harbors and sink ships here - or maybe plant an atomic bomb?" This was not (and still isn't) an idle question. In real life, the Navy studied the matter and concluded that no diesel-powered pigboat had a prayer of actually carrying out such a mission. The suggestion that the Navy buy or borrow a diesel sub and test the hypothesis was not followed through.
In David S. Ward's comedy, however, it is.
Lt. Commander Tom Dodge, executive officer of the USS Orlando, is between a rock and a hard place, career-wise. He has a reputation in the submarine force as a maverick and unorthodox officer whose antics sometimes border on the foolhardy. He has been recommended for command of his own nuclear attack sub twice before and not been selected for command. If he's passed over again, it's '3 strikes and you're out.' His captain, Carl Knox (well played by William H. Macy), has written a fitness report on Dodge that should see him moldering away behind a desk ashore until he retires. Both are surprised when Dodge is ordered to take command of his own boat.
Vice Admiral Dean Winslow (Rip Torn, in a small but powerful performance), Commander of Submarines Atlantic Fleet, has handpicked Dodge for a very special mission. He is to recommission the USS Stingray, a late-World War II Balao-class diesel submarine last upgraded in 1958, and see whether the conventional wisdom of the Navy - that a diesel sub hasn't a prayer of sneaking into a U.S. harbor without getting caught - is correct. He tells Dodge, "Don't go by the book. Think like a pirate." Dodge still is reluctant to take the job, but he and COMSUBLANT set up a side bet. Winslow gives Dodge two live Mark 38 torpedoes (obsolete by current standards but good fish in their day) and anchors a target ship outside Norfolk Harbor. If Dodge can manage to sneak past the Navy ships trying to find him and sink the target ship, they'll talk about Dodge taking command of a nuclear sub.
Rear Admiral Yancey Graham (Bruce Dern) is commanding the defenders in the war game. He is no fan of Tom Dodge, has never lost a war game, and does everything he can do to stack the deck in his favor. He assigns Captain Dodge a hand-picked crew.
The Stingray gets a psychotic executive officer; a retired diesel chief engineer recalled to active duty, who looks and acts like a beach bum - until the chips are down; the most insolent Motor Machinists Mate First Class you can imagine, a self-avowed pain in the neck who still has some growing up to do; a ship's electrician who is a walking example of why electroshock therapy has been outlawed; and a dive officer, Lt. Emily Lake (Lauren Holly), who is a test case as to whether women can serve in submarines, and while a qualified Surface Warfare Officer has absolutely no experience in submarines.
Dodge also gets an ace in the hole Graham probably never intended to give him: A sonarman with ears like a bat who speaks Humpback. He's a weirdo, but a genius with the listening gear. All things considered, the Stingray could do worse.
Dodge puts his boat back in commission and refits her, and then the games begin. I'll not give away the details, but Tom Dodge has some moves worthy of Mush Morton, Red Ramage and Gene Fluckey; and isn't above stealing a couple of pages from Admiral Dan Gallery's books either as he faces off against his old skipper in the USS Orlando. Things get interesting enough that Admiral Graham decides to get involved personally, putting his own service rep and career advancement on the line.
Who will win in the end? Watch the movie and find out; and be prepared to be entertained as the end credits roll by the Village People's rock video of their hit, "In the Navy." That alone would make it worth buying the DVD. However, this movie entertains in and of itself. Down Periscope belongs in the collection of anyone who likes submarine movies.
I strongly suspect that if Captain Matt Sherman of the USS Sea Tiger and Captain Tom Dodge of the USS Stingray ever got together over a couple of beers at the Officer's Club, they'd find a whole lot to talk about. Down Periscope is a worthy successor to Operation Petticoat in the ship-based comedy genre, and we owe David S. Ward a vote of thanks for bringing it to us. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 21, 2005 | | Summary | Off the Wall!!! | Content
| A scant 2 years after Grammer left the TV show Cheers he stars in a comedy in which hes a renegade captain, on an old rusty sub, with a crew of misfits, well you can just imagine the wackiness that ensues.
The supporting cast are just tremendous...the XO, Nitro, Sonar, Buckman, where did they get these guys?!?!?! I was in stitches all throughout the movie.
So if youre a fan of comedy like Stripes, Ghostbusters well go get this one right away. Its outrageous!!! |
| Rating | | | Date | February 14, 2005 | | Summary | "Welcome Aboard" | Content
| For the Navy this is a test of defenses. For Lieutenant Commander Thomas 'Tom' Dodge (Kelsey Grammer) this is a test of mettle. For Lieutenant Emily Lake (Lauren Holly) it is a test of form. And for each of the crew it is the test of only that which they are capable of performing.
Yes now in the days where anyone can get his or her hands on low tech equipment, such as diesel subs, is our high tech defenses ready. Look what happened to Argentina when their submarine broke?
Rear Admiral Yancy Graham (Bruce Dern) is betting his reputation of the readiness if the Navy and will go to any length to make sure the intrusion test fails.
Now that you know the story, It's not the contest but how the people interact under stress. They did not let any submarine cliche out of this picture. Even the nervy "lets see what depth this will take" scene.
Look for my three favorite scenes:
When Admiral Graham is welcomed aboard he looks and says "What is that supposed to mean!"
Lieutenant Lake being almost out of uniform.
Executive Officer Martin Pascal is forced to walk the plank.
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| Rating | | | Date | January 13, 2005 | | Summary | Great "Sick Day" Flic ! | Content
| What can I say ? This is one of my favourite comedies. I taped it off Cinemax years ago and have just about worn the tape out ! I just got the dvd and it's excellent ! I've never seen D.P. in such great shape. So what if it's not an oscar worthy film, but if you're looking for a great movie to cheer yourself up when you're sick, then pick this one up. As to one of the other reviewers who said the widescreen is just the fullscreen cropped, they're wrong. I checked both versions and made notes of where certain things (tops of masts, shirt cuffs, etc.) were, and they were in the exact same spots on both versions. There is nothing covered up by the widescreen version's framing. As I said before, get this movie ! |
| Rating | | | Date | November 20, 2004 | | Summary | More Than a Comedy | Content
| Others have written about the comedy and "feel good" aspects of this movie which, while predictable, are good fun. From the officer that learns to cope under fire, to the ne'er do well that comes of age, these are standard fare executed to perfection. Often overlooked is the brilliant 2nd unit work of subs leaving the harbor or tankers infiltrating a convoy.
As good is the music score, which from the opening scenes is spot on perfect - a clinic in how to score a film ( a good reason to get a home theater set up if you don't already have it).
I'll just add that the best comedic moments, like the "whale sounds" scene, are classics of non-verbal comedy.
This movie won't change the world, but it will change your mood. Draw a pirate goatee on your chin, pop a cold one, and flop on the coach. PBS iat ain't. PGC (Pretty Good Comedy) it is. Aaarrh......
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