It wasn't until last year that I made it to Pearl Harbor, and to my surprise saw one the newer "Nimitz" class carriers, CVN-72, USS Abraham Lincoln. The scene at the end of the movie was not only realistic as they pass by the USS Arizona. It was a great tribute to the brave men on that USS Arizona, to all those died on that fateful day, and to those who fortunate enough to survive. To the brave men and women who served in World War II we owe a deep gratitude we can never re-pay.

I did some further research and found out that Pacific Family Entertainment will be re-releasing "The Final Countdown" on both DVD and VHS in the Winter some time. We don't have to worry about buying used, or worn out copies of the film any more !!


Great Movie...Terrible DVD!   June 29, 2002
 88 out of 102 found this review helpful

First of all, I have to say The Final Countdown is one of my favorite sci-fi films of all time. If you like time travel stories and the dilemas they create, then you'll love this film. Also, it's a great look into the day to day operations of an aircraft carrier. The technical details were outstanding from my POV; though not having been in the Navy I can't really say how accurate they were, but they sounded convincing enough.

The DVD that has been released from Pacific Family Entertainment though is another matter entirely. After waiting 6 months after it's supposed release date, I finally received it and watched it. The transfer is very poor to the point where you can see the scan lines from whatever source they made it from (VHS? LD?). It's good the film is in Letterbox, but I was hoping that it would also be enhanced for Widescreen TV's.

Though the case boasts that the DVD has special features such as Scene Selection and Theatrical Trailer, it had no menu except for "Play Movie" and "Trailer" In fact, the movie has no chapters at all.

I hope that someone else can get the rights to this movie and make a DVD that's worthy of this excellent piece of 80's nostalgia.

So 5 stars for the movie, but 0 stars for such a poorly executed DVD.


Great Time Travel - Action/Adventure feature   July 3, 2002
 86 out of 105 found this review helpful

This is a classic film that is run on TNT/TCM periodically but I am looking forward to the Region 1 DVD release (to lose the commercials). This is not a masterpiece production but it has a great cast, an intriguing story line and one of the oldest dogs in (fictional) history. I was on board the USS Nimitz CVN-68 in 1978 and 1979 during the filming of this movie, which was a great experience. They kept most of the story accurate to a nuclear carrier of that time period and many of the cast non-speaking roles and ones with a few lines were performed by the actual ship's company and officers (particularly the CO's briefing of his department head officers). The flight deck Launch & Recovery scenes are very realistic and could have been a documentary of actual ship operations. This film and Top Gun are two great depictions of the incredible capabilities of the US Nuclear Air Craft Carriers equaled by no other Navy in the world. I hope with the current political situation, and the national interest in patriotism and the military, that the timetable to re-release this great film on DVD is imminent.


The Final Countdown - Sci-Fi Story Telling at it's BEST   November 1, 2000
 48 out of 48 found this review helpful

This film is well written, has an all star cast and has wonderful photography. Filmed well before Top Gun, The Final Countdown has great areial combat/flight scenes and shows the awesome capabilites of the navy's modern nuclear aircraft carriers and the stressful environment that all aboard have to live with every day.

Kirk Douglass and Marten Sheen show why they were "A" list actors when this film was made. Both gave excellent performances.

The script was well written with the exploration of the ships crew trying to deal with a potential paradox that would effect every person on the planet.

Great acting a good story and super photography of aircraft carrier and flight operations. If you like these features, you will love this movie.


A film that has everything   May 28, 2001
 48 out of 50 found this review helpful

"The Final Countdown" is one of my all-time favorite films, because it has just about everything I like: military hardware, heroism, and history -- with a delicious helping of sci-fi fantasy. Off the coast of Hawaii, the modern day USS Nimitz encounters a bizarre storm, which is actually a portal through time. The crew gradually becomes convinced that they have emerged in 1941 just prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor -- and that they have the futuristic firepower to stop it. But can history really be changed? Initially, it seems likely! In the highlight scene of the film, F-14 Tomcats go to the rescue of a yacht under attack by Zeros. Survivors, a suspicious Congressman and his assistant, as well as an incredulous Japanese pilot, are brought on board the spectacularly anachronistic aircraft carrier. From there, the mission to change history begins to go awry as paradox-producing events occur. Nonetheless, the Nimitz never falters. And you really anticipate, even as the time portal begins to close, that her guns and aircraft will engage the oncoming enemy. "The Final Countdown" is a wonderful fantasy, very realistically enacted. For a time-travel epic, I like the way all the "loose ends" are neatly tied up. History is preserved, with a sensitive, and I must say, emotional, tribute to the heroes of Pearl Harbor.