Crimson Tide [Blu-ray] Reviews

• Decent Treatment, But Iffy Editing

  
  By A34YMZCIWIIVT1 on 2006-05-17
  The original DVD release of Crimson Tide occurred at a time before the trends of including cut scenes, commentary, and animated menus. While it makes sense to re-release the film with what we now considered the standard features, missing from the original, I found the overall experience somewhat disappointing.
  
  For die-hard fans of Crimson Tide, this DVD is worth getting just to see the 7 minutes or so (Original release was 116 minutes, this version is supposed to be 123) of exra footage. The title menu is much nicer than before, and the addition of the documentary is a great bonus. But under deleted scenes, we're shown only three very short "scenes": an extra line of dialogue onboard the crew bus, a longer version of Radchenko's speech to the reporter, and a half-minute long nearly silent waiting scene before the panel at the end of the movie. All three are shown as raw footage, without any cleaning, or explanation.
  
  All of the content in the deleted scenes is in the primary feature, in a cleaned-up and nearly seamless state. None of the new footage is more than a few seconds in length, but it's clear that all of it consists of short pieces of dialogue removed either for time constraints or clarity. What this means is that throughout the movie we're treated to bursts of extraneous dialogue that the editor had originally removed, usually for a reason. It's interesting from the point of view of a film student, but as a consumer release I think it degrades from the experience ever so slightly. Crimson Tide is all about suspense, and anything that distracts the focus of the audience is consequently lowering the quality of the movie. None of it is very overt, but there's enough of it that it might harm the experience of a first-time viewer of the film.
  
  Overall, the extras contained in this release make it a must-have for previous fans, but for new buyers I would still recommend the original DVD cut.
  
  

• Review from a REAL Submariner

  
  By AY8JV2D8A80EK on 2006-06-17
  I gave this movie 3 stars because ultimately, I was entertained. The acting (for the most part) was outstanding, and the tension that was created could be cut with a Knife.
  
  That being said, Let me put some peoples mind at ease, and relate some of the inaccuracies of the movie.
  
  1. No Animals on Board. Period. Lose the Dog and the Fish Tank. An aquarium would be a terrible missile hazzard, and a dog crapping and pissing onboard, not a chance.
  
  2. The supply officer (James Gandolfini) would never be allowed near control. Nor would he have the ability to force a seaman or petty officer to do push ups onboard a bus. The Supply Officer is a "restricted" officer, which means they can not participate in "command" of the vessel. The "Chop" would simply be in charge of the ships stores and the galley, nothing else.
  
  3. There is no countermanding a launch command. Period. If the CIC (The Prez) issues a launch, the birds are flown. All the fail-safe measures (authenticating the flash traffic) are pretty much spot on, yet when word comes down to launch, you launch. The Navy asks it's young submariners to be prepared to do the unthinkable, and are trained as such. As long as there exists the slight possibility that a valid order may be later recinded, you take away the confidence of the crew in it's orders. The safe guards regarding authorization and two person concurrance is designed to prevent a single officer from launching weapons.
  
  However, once a properly formatted, and authentic order is received, it is expected that it will be carried out. To do otherwise would always give crew members a moment of pause, wondering when the order to stand down would occur. This hesitation can not exist. Thus once the birds are ordered to fly, they will fly, as certain as if the president had pulled the trigger himself.
  
  4. While some submariners have been on the heavy side, the number of obese people seen on the boat is not consistant with a real crew. And I have never seen ANYONE as obese as the COB was in this movie.
  
  5. There are no secret "crawl spaces" in which people can move around in. The boat is not that big. Thus, Hunter and crew would have had to navigate actual passageways to get to control, and would have run into whatever guards were stationed.
  
  6. The "submarine" diving in the exterior shots was not a trident ballistic missile boat, but rather a Los Angeles Class attack boat out of Hawaii. I was in Pearl Harbor when the filming took place, and Pearl is strictly a Fast Attack sub base, with Tridents only coming once in awhile for a stop over after the end of a patrol. The boat shown in the dive footage was actually an LA attack boat, and not a boomer.
  
  7. While boat commanders frequently run multiple casualty drills, there would never be a "weapons drill" run just after a potentially fatal fire. The boat commander is ultimately responsible for the boat, crew, and it's payload. No commander would brush off such a large conflageration and "run a drill" until the fire had been fully extinguished and the reflash watch reported no possibility of reflash existed.
  
  8. Enlisted Submariners by nature are picked for their maturity and intelligence. Submariners, especially Nuclear Trained, are encouraged to "question" orders. The safety of the boat and the crew depends on each person being able to accurately determine if an order given is "lawful". The "boys" on board Alabama showed none of those traits. The fact that the "chop" could bully his way into the Captain's Quarters by simply yelling is a testament to the poor opinion the film makers had of enlisted men.
  
  In a "real" boat, the "chop" would have been staring down the barrel of a .45 caliber handgun, and would have been wrestled to the deck while a "security violation" was reported over the ship and "away the security alert team" was sounded. Security on board a sub is so crucial, that there is a story in which a seaman actually ordered Admiral Rickover to kiss the deck face down because the admiral while wearing full dress whites, refused to show the deck watch his military ID. He was spot promoted to Petty Officer by Rickover himself.
  
  So while my Sailor side has issues with all the inaccuracies and fairly poor treatment the military gets with this movie, I do find the movie suspensful, entertaining, and sometimes too close to comfort (the flooding sequence is a nightmare all sailors share)
  
  So kudos to the film makers for making a slick, taunt, thriller, but thankfully, that would and could NEVER happen.
  
  

• Crimson Tide rocks the boat!

  
  By A1HGEDYHKI0RVZ on 2000-03-15
  After experienceing Crimson Tide for the 15th time, I believe this is my favorite movie of all time. From the very beginning of the movie you are swept into a very plausible scenario: Russian rebels have captured nuclear missle silo's and are threatening to launch at the U.S.. The USS Alabama has been deployed to launch a preemptive strike against Russia. This movie has what DVD owners are looking for: Excellent visuals, bass thumping sound, and great acting. Denzel Washington gives the best performance of his career as Lt. Commander Hunter. His character's by-the-book style is at direct odds with Captain Ramsey's (Gene Hackman) old-school ways. The result is an incredible clash of wills that results in mutiny and the near destruction of the world in a nuclear holocaust. The tension is thick in this drama, and the movie has emotional moments and moments of extreme joy. You will be on the edge of your seat rooting for either Capt. Ramsey or Commander Hunter throughout the movie. This is a must-see movie!
  
  

• A Taut, Anxiety-Filled and Exciting Action Drama!

  
  By ALR35EFI69S5R on 2000-07-08
  Wow! This is one that is sure to raise your blood pressure and get the old heart pounding! The movie is set in the near future, during a time of extreme instability and potential military adventurism in the crumbling Russian republics. As a result of all that is going on, old cold-war tensions are revived, igniting a heightened military readiness in the USA and sending an anxious submarine crew venturing on patrol into position to potentially launch its inventory of ICBMs at Russia if ordered. Under these circumstance, and based on contradictory information coming in piecemeal from the outside world, a mutiny occurs between the eccentric and stern authoritarian skipper, played brilliantly by Gene Hackman, and his executive officer, also played extremely well by Denzel Washington.

  The story line leading to the mutiny, and what happens as a result of it is all quite plausible, and given the fact that the submarine has enough missile power to destroy most of industrial Russia as we know it, it is quite a believable and cautionary tale. The drama is well scripted and well acted, and one is hard-pressed to know who is right and wrong regarding the decisions made and actions taken. I was at the edge of my easy chair throughout the movie, and at times it was intense enough to be what I call "white-knuckle time". It is a movie I both enjoyed and learned from, and it should soften even the hardest hearts among us as to the dangers of having fully armed weapon systems like nuclear missile submarines in the hands of fallible human beings, who no matter how well trained and disciplined, are still frail and vulnerable people just like us. Enjoy!
  
  

• Claustrophobic Drama

  
  By A11PTCZ2FM2547 on 2003-11-13
  Gotta admit, it takes a special kind of person to crawl inside a tin can and then be submerged hundreds of feet underwater. Faced with such a confined environment, I'd go bonkers in minutes (heck, I don't even go into my closet). So my phobia made watching CRIMSON TIDE even more of a heart-pounding experience, but a rewarding experience just the same.

  Hard to go wrong with acting icons Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington; these two guys could read a recipe for blueberry muffins and make it spellbinding. And the plot of this film is fascinating: a maverick Russian politican taking control of a Soviet nuclear base and threatening to launch missiles into the U.S.; the deployment of American nuclear submarines; a crafty, veteran submarine captain (Hackman) pitted against his new executive officer (Washington); an order to launch a pre-emtpive strike; a subsequent order transmission that is interrupted; an attack from a rogue Russian sub; mutiny on the USS Alabama.

  Now THAT'S entertainment!

  We're even treated to all sorts of Naval terminology and expressions. DEFCON. EAM. NCA. CDQ. ABC. CBS. It all got kind of confusing--even annoying--after awhile. Guess I'll have to enlist to figure out what it all means. Yet it did enhance the look and feel of a tension-dripping military mission, a mission with the the fate of the world on its problematic shoulders.

  PHS. (Pretty Heavy Stuff.)

  CRIMSON TIDE is compelling drama, even though I'd rather the soldiers were drinking from a beer can than inside one. Oh, well, down the hatch.
  --D. Mikels
  
  

• A Sure Winner For Your Collection!!!! Beautiful Transfer. Great Sound. Lot's Of Fun!!!!
  By A20EHAR40RISAX on 2008-02-11
  Blu-Ray has been releasing some great looking titles as of late. Sure there were exceptions last year. Even a few uneventful releases this year too. But, this title is sure to please. First off, I viewed this movie on my 40" Sony XBR4 LCD. Calibrated with the Digital Video Essentials disk. Using Monster HDMI cables. Audio was through a Sony 910, 7.1 receiver. Speakers were Bose Acoustamass 16 series 2. I used a Sony PS3 for playback. So with that said, this is a great flick. Very good cast. Hackman and Denzel play a great goodguy vs badguy. Or should I say old school vs new school. Hackman is the old guard. Denzel is the new guy. Tons of action. Just as you would expect from director Tony Scott. He also directed Top Gun, True Romance, Enemy of the State, Man on Fire, and Day's of Thunder to name a few. So if you like his action adventure style. This will surely please.
  
  The picture is Very, Very clean. No visible dirt, scratches, blemeshis. No edge enhancement of note. It truely appears to be reference quality. Details are very sharp. This is a dark movie. Shot entirely under water. The blacks are very, very black and true. There is not much color in this movie to talk about. Submarine movies are not a tropical paradise. But a beautiful film none the less.
  
  Next is the sound. Very clear voices. Clean through and through. Battle scenes have great base. Once again, reference quality. Your subwoofer will hit hard several times. No crackling at all. My sound system is not a " Huge " setup. So for all you audiofiles out there. You will get more out of it than I did.
  
  So.... Overall the picture is an A. Sound an A also. So, buy and enjoy!!!!
  
  
  
  
• THE EXTENDED CUT IS WORTH IT IF....
  By A1W6AC0JPMNI4E on 2006-05-17
  If you do not currently own Crimson Tide, then this is a must buy DVD for you. This version is much better than the original version which had nothing but the movie on it. For a couple bucks more you can get this version which is essentially the same movie, but with many more extras! I am not going to give a synopsis to the movie here in this review. I will just say this. This movie is by far one of the best action films ever made and in my opinion the best submarine movie made. (Hunt for Red October is a close second.) This is truly Denzel and Gene at their acting best with a superior supporting cast that includes Rick Shroeder, Steve Zahn, Lillo Brancato Jr., James Gandolfini, Viggo Mortenson, and Danny Nucci, just to name a few. If you don't own this movie, you should, and this version is the one to buy.
  
  
• Ignorance is bliss
  By on 2001-11-30
  In reading the reviews about this movie, I've noticed one common thing: anyone who rated it about 3 stars obviously wasn't in the Navy. Those who admitted to it, rated it no higher than two.

  As a former submariner myself, I must say that I was disgusted and offended by this movie. Most people will argue that a movie is for entertainment and don't need to be technically accurate, but this one had none. This is surprising because I was involved in the tour that the movie execs took prior to making this movie.

  The treatment of the enlisted sailors was an afront to all submariners. They just don't do that. Any officer that tried that would be told where to get off. But then they wouldn't anyway.

  I will give it this, it had a good cast, and had the drama of typical Bruckheimer films, and as far as books adapted to movies, it followed the story line pretty accurately.

  I attempted to view this with an eye toward entertainment, but just couldn't get past the inadequacies of the film.

  If you were in the Navy, don't bother.
  
  

• The Best Get Better!!!
  By APUHDIL2CEI3C on 2006-05-17
  One wonders how much more you can push from actors like Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington, but when surrounded but an absolutely STELLAR supporting cast as in this new classic submarine movie, you expect more, and you GET it.
  
  The plot is of course well thrashed over and I will recommend the extended version for those who don't own it--but also for those who DO own it, like sub flicks, and won't wan't to miss a pixel. It is worth the extra just for that, and to have a loaner copy.
  
  Submarine combat (or near-combat) films are a genre unto themselves, and this rates in the top ten easily. For war and action thriller buffs--you have to like your action psychological, because that is what is presented here. It is more than "the new Navy" versus the old "blood and guts Navy" but actually a film whose backdrop is the classic "On War" by von Clausewitz, a 19th century Prussian military theorist who, I am sorry for you "Art of War" fans, puts, Sun Tsu to shame for depth of thought about the use of armed forces.
  
  To my knowledge, this is the ONLY major action/war thriller to mention von Clausewitz, so if this alone leads to to find a copy of his work, it is well worth the trip to Amazon or your local bookstore, if you're lucky.
  
  I won't drop Denzel's captivating line about the nature of war, but even in isolation, that clip makes the movie. Whether we reach armegeddon is, really, kind of beside the point--isn't it? Especially in a film in which Richard Valeriani of CNN plays himself in an effort to drum up real-life drama. We had enough real-life drama when the Clinton administration bombed the last defense of Europe against the Asian hordes in Sarajevo. Wait a minute--that wasn't PC, was it? And, neither is Captain Ramsey with his Jack Russell non-governmental issue terrier, but you'll love him anyway. When you don't know where your horse breeds come from, we all know it is time to hang up your missle launch key!
  
  
• High tension thriller
  By AM1VFW804J5FL on 2000-11-16
  Something about the world of the submarine lends itself to thrilling moviemaking. From "Das Boot" and "Run Silent, Run Deep" to "The Hunt for Red October," the blind, claustrophobic atmosphere of a wartime submarine at sea comes across very well.

  "Crimson Tide" comes in ahead of those other movies because of the caliber of actors involved. Denzel Washington (the XO, Lt. Cdr. Hunter) and Gene Hackman (the CO, Capt. Ramsey) each give one of the better performances of their illustrious careers in this movie.

  Russian rebels have captured missile silos in the far eastern edge of that country. They then threaten to launch their missiles at the U.S. The U.S.S. Alabama, a ballistic missile submarine, is deployed to the western Pacific to possibly launch a pre-emptive strike on the rebels. After the Alabama arrives on station, its new orders are cut off before they can be confirmed. Lt. Cdr. Hunter wants to wait and confirm the new orders delaying the strike. Capt. Ramsey wants to follow the previous set of orders carrying out the strike. This sets up a confrontation and darn-near full-scale mutiny as the entire crew takes sides with either the XO or the Captain.

  The best scene of the movie is when the officers are gathered in the captain's mess. There is an interesting debate between the old-school captain and the youngblood XO about the nature of war, and whether it changes or not. Ramsey sums it up in this line to Hunter: "When Rickover gave me my command, they showed me a button. All I had to know was how to push it. They'd tell me when. They seem to want you to know why." The next best scene is after the entire operation is over. Capt. Ramsey and Lt. Cdr. Hunter face each other and salute, a young warrior saluting an old veteran, their disagreements in the past and their mutual respect coming through.

  I also give kudos to whoever is responsible for the scenes in the weapons room. The few lights reflecting the sweat on the weapons officer's face really elevated the tension towards the end of the movie.

  This movie will have you on the edge of your seat for over two hours. It will also cause you to think, especially about the vast changes our world has undergone in the past 10 years.
  
  

• Life is too short to waste any of it watching this film...
  By A3802RZI0DJV5G on 2001-06-19
  To a former ballisic missile submarine sailor, this movie was a huge dissapointment. With fine talent like Hackman and Washington (not to mention the intriguing quality of Hackman's character) and an initial plot premise loaded with potential, this could have been a top-notch drama along the lines of but much better than Seven Days in May or The Bedford Incident. Instead the writers developed a plot so attenuated in its relationship to reality (no boomer sailor can sit through this film without feeling the urgent need to howl bulls--- with ever increasing frequency as it "progresses") that all you're left with is a very low grade 'B' adolescent shoot 'em up picture. What a shame. If you're at all interested in the dynamics of life aboard a ballistic missile submarine and the "what-if" issues raised by this film that are inherent to that life, I don't know where to tell you to turn, but don't bother looking here.
  
  
• A JOKE
  By on 2004-07-11
  I am an American Submariner. The Boat I was on at the time this "movie" premiered in Canada was invited to partake in the first showing. There were about 50 of us including officers and chiefs. From the word "go", we tore this movie apart. No wonder the Navy didn't participate in its making. IT IS A JOKE! The beginning scenes where they were diving the boat included pictures of all sorts of other submarines diving. I remember at least 6 classes of boats being shown. Maybe if we were not "bubbleheads" we would have thought it was an interesting movie. Highly doubtful tho. The differences in classes is telling. As far as the plot goes there are fail safes incorporated to prevent this from happening. This movie was made to promote hysterics just like some news media only show one side of a story. I have seen this movie once and would reccommend you seeing " The Hunt For Red October". It's closer to what we did than this one.
  
  
• Fantastic Anamorphic version for 16x9 viewing.
  By A2OJ6AG7KD8BPI on 2006-07-08
  Great improvements over the original DVD. Enhanced for 16x9 TVs with scenes that are now clearer and actually 2.35:1 widescreen ratio. The original dvd claims an aspect ratio of "approximately 2.35:1" which was not true. I own both versions and have compared viewing aspects of each. Clearly this DVD is far superior and well worth the purchase price. This plays very well on my HDTV monitor; I'll give the old version to someone w/ an old 4x3 TV.
  
  
• Hoovers the greasy tool!
  By A1GFB47CXP4LKR on 2004-07-18
  This movie sucks. It's a disservice to the men of the US Submarine Service. Let's look at what's wrong with this movie. Firstly we have Gene Hackman playing the gunger-than-ho submarine captain in a way that makes you think he prepared for this role by trying to channel George C. Scott from _Patton_. Cigar chomping, scenery-chewing aside the US Navy doesn't let guys who act like Gene Hackman did in this movie anywhere near nuclear weapons. I worked with three men who were former commanders of missile submarines and they were the polar opposites of Gene Hackman's character. Then we have the pseudo-dramatic tension of the conflict between Denzel Washington and Hackman over whether or not to launch the missiles, of course the problem with this bit of dramatic tension is that it's BS, one of the standing orders for nuclear launch is "when in doubt, don't." If you can't get a good authorization you don't just pull a wild hair out of your ass and decide to launch some missiles. Anyone who has a problem understanding this doesn't get near the nuclear missiles. People in the Navy have watched _Dr. Strangelove_ and know not to let people who don't understand this sort of thing near the nuclear missiles.
  
  
• Unrealistic and an insult to submarine professionals
  By on 1999-06-27
  Dumb. Highly unlikely and highly insulting. It's ignorant movies like this that give the U.S. Navy a bad name. At least the folks who made the movie know more about submarines than the guy who wrote the novel (Richard Hendrick). Portrays relationship between Navy personnel as based on fear, tyranny, and intimidation. I've been a submariner, a Navy enlisted sailor, and a Navy Officer and was thoroughly insulted by the movie's portrayal of all. And what's up with this submarine that looks like a dungeon inside? Submarines are quite well lighted (who wouldn't go insane living in a dark hole for two months?). I sleep well knowing that this movie is so far fetched.... if this movie were plausible, we'd have already blown up the world.
  
  
• Crimson Tide swamps Red October; what a great sub movie!
  By A1IU7S4HCK1XK0 on 2001-11-09
  What do you get when you combine two great masters of understated acting (Hackman and Washington) with a great plot and tight directing? You get Crimson Tide.

  Denzel Washington plays a new XO (Executive Officer) to a quirky, battle-tested sub captain, played admirably (ok, bad pun) by Gene Hackman. Captain Ramsey of the USS Alabama is idolized by his crew. His quirks (keeping a Jack Russel terrier on board) are tolerated by the Navy--after all, Ramsey is a real hero. Ramsey is suspicious of Harvard-educated Hunter, (Washington) who like many younger officers, has not been tested in battle. On the surface, Ramsey seems to approve of Hunter, but the skillful Hackman shows suspicion and jealousy gleaming dully beneath the pleasantries.

  The plot is a timely one: a renegade former Soviet nation gets the codes to nuclear missiles and threatens to lob them at the US. An authenticated decoded message to the USS Alabama puts the ship on full alert--at a level not seen since the Cuban missile crisis. The follow up command comes in to launch the sub's own missiles to destroy the enemy silos. But then a series of incidents occurs and the sub is isolated from the chain of command. And enemy subs, commandeered by the renegade nation, are lurking in the same waters.

  The events that follow are exciting; the premise of following orders and correct command is a deep dilemma. This film is in the best tradition of Das Boot, Run Silent, Run Deep and Red October. Is it the best of the submarine films? Could be. After seeing it, I really wanted to own the DVD, and if you like films of this genre, you will too.
  
  

• Watchable, interesting, but fatally flawed.
  By A2XRMQA6PJ5ZJ8 on 2002-11-05
  First of all, let me say that this movie is worth watching and owning. The story is fascinating, fast-paced, and the acting by Hackman and especially by Denzel Washington is excellent. I thought the supporting cast was pretty bad. Or maybe it was the script. I still can't decide.

  This movie only rates 2 stars because it contains one intractible flaw: the crew of the Alabama is portrayed as being a bunch of amateurs. Not so: submarine professionals simply do not, would not, and could not behave as this movie portrays them. Essentially, this movie shows a billion dollar submarine being crewed by high school dropout comic-book readers (really!). It's just not so. The movie could have been done with the same plot without making this assumption. (By the way, I was never in the Navy--I don't have a dog in this fight.) Having the events in this movie occur among an accurately portrayed submarine crew of professionals would have made this movie ten times better, and a candidate for 5 stars. That is what Seven Days In May essentially did--it showed the military accurately portrayed from a character standpoint. But no.

  The movie dates itself with a shot of Bill Clinton. That's always a mistake, but Oh Well...

  Watch it, enjoy it, but don't take this movie anything like as seriously as it takes itself.
  
  

• Another Hollywood war movie - ho hum
  By ACRPJDZJ834K0 on 2004-03-27
  It starts with rain pouring down all wrong - very dramatic but wrong. (Too much rain in front of camera, not enough three feet back; falling at wrong angle; obvious to anyone from the coast.)

  Then there's the kitchen fire. Riiiight. No automatic extinguishers above the cooking surfaces. Cooks don't know how to extinguish a grease fire. What, they are cooking with materials that are so flammable even their fire extinguishers can't deal with the results? In a submarine???

  Don't get me going on the conflict between the good intelligent good looking black guy and the redneck ignorant white captain. Both Washington and Hackman play steretypical roles. Just exchange Denzel Washington for Christopher Reeve and add that dumb blond and the Park Avenue address and - voila! - you have the same role with a different costume played in the same predictable way by Hackman.

  If this is symbolic what the characters of American nuclear submarine seamen are like, the world is doomed.

  Perfect for all you guys who have never been in any kind of real war.
  
  

• Final Proof that Hollywood Has Run out of Ideas
  By AX11CD4P4VXPX on 2004-07-23
  If there is one thing I cannot abide, it is watching a movie I feel like I have seen ten times before. If you have ever seen Stanley Kubricks masterful Dr. Strangelove, do not bother with this piece of trash. We have the exact same problem Houston. The submarine takes damage after receiving an order to launch its missiles and cannot receive more recent orders that might possibly command it to stand down. It fills you with the same queasy feeling regarding nuclear warheads as Strangelove, only Slim Pickens was waaaay cooler than Hackman. So was George C. Scott, for that matter.
  
  And yeah, the Amazon reviewer is right, The Caine Mutiny is also ripped off. As well as Mutiny on the Bounty and about five different Star Trek episodes (especially The Doomsday Machine- Vulcans never bluff).
  
  At its absolute nadir, we find that the threat of nuclear war and different philosophies of the Captain and XO are not enough to create dramatic tension- there is actually a racial beef between the characters. In a scene probably written by Tarantino, we have Hackman telling Denzel how the best horses are from Portugal and they are white. To which Denzel replies they are black at birth. This is the famous Dennis Hopper / Chris Walken scene from True Romance redux except so much lamer. And that, dear reader, is what this flick is- a lame imitation of many other, better films.
  
  
  
• My all time favorite
  By A2THUNZU9T3RKN on 2000-06-26
  This is it the best movie ever, perfect in all it's elements, I mean Tony scott (director) really out did himself in this one, he truly captured the soul of the story.

  The production team is responsible of some really captivating movies and I just love it when they work with hans zimmer (composer) they create magic.

  Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman were perfectly chosen, Denzel's performance really deserved an Oscar.

  The story is about a mutiny that takes place in a Nuclear submarine (that alone makes the hair on my neck stand up ) it happend when the two senior officers (Hackman and Washington) disagree on a critical decision that might ignite World war III, Hackman (captain) wants to act on an order to release nuclear weapons on Russia while Washington (second in command) wants to clarify a message that was cutoff during an attack from a Russian submarine. The events that take place will put you on the edge of your seat and maybe at the end you will find your self on your feet like me.
  
  

• Cliche-ridden prentiousness
  By A354SDJVSXGV02 on 1998-12-17
  I detest movies that put on a false air of profundity, pretending to be a lot deeper and more thoughtful than they really are. This movie is a prime example of that. The captain vs soldier confrontaion cliche has been done many times before - and better too. Hackman vs Washington is a pale imitation of the terrific Gable vs Lancaster confrontation of "Run Silent Run Deep". I was extremely offended by a scene in the movie which depicts Hackman letting his dog urinate on the sub. Perhaps, the director thought this would add drama to the movie, and add further shades of arrogance to Hackman's character. Instead, it exposes the movie for what it is: a hyped-up farce which fritters away a believable and extremely significant movie premise.
  
  
• Pathetic...to say the least
  By A2U9JPQ0QUTX5Y on 2004-01-07
  First of all, no I'm not in the Navy, I'm in the Army. This movie is a typical hollywood peice of s***. Denzel Washington is a goody goody officer straight out of the academy and makes me sick when he committed mutiny.

  With the exception of 5 or 6 people on that ship, everyone was a god damn cowboy. Yeah, lets just all disobey orders and base our actions on OUR personal beliefs. When your in the military, you follow your damn orders, or people die. Yeah you can be a rebel and not follow orders, if you think it's "wrong." Go ahead and take it up with your CO, they'll show your communist ass where the door is.

  I love how all the prior service guys rated this crappy, because it is crap, and how all the "top 100" reviewer hippys raved over the communist trash. Shows what the hell they know.
  
  

• One Of The Best Thrillers Ever Released...'Tide' Delivers...
  By A3IMNZSYDOTTU6 on 2006-05-14
  CRIMSON TIDE is one of the ultimate thrillers about the clash over who's right and who's wrong, with Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington delivering Oscar-caliber performances. In this brand new unrated and extended version, you get never before seen footage (most of which just adds depth and dimension to an already stellar movie). Plus you get an excellent supporting cast, including Sopranos' James Gandolfini in an early role.
  The movie follows the story of two officers on the USS Alabama, a submarine sent to the Atlantic to keep an eye on Russian submarines threatening to launch nuclear devices against the US. One of these officers, a strict and headstrong captain, is committed to following everything by the book and making the big decisions. The other, an executive office also very by-the-book and brilliant minded, is there to oversee that his orders are followed. However, when a fax transmission to the submarine is cut off, a clash begins over what might be the next move. Captain Ramsey belives that the government has condoned the use of nuclear weapons, but his other officer, Commander Hunter, believes that the government has sent a very different message. This leads to a split over who may have the upper hand, and tensions escalate to the boiling point.
  The movie features very real tension, every moment that someone is ready to snap, you will feel it chill down your spine. This movie is realistic without being overzealous or overdramatic.
  
  CRIMSON TIDE is a superb action thriller, and with this all new extended unrated cut, you'll see more action than you bargained for the first time around. And with two terrific performances from Hackman and Washington, you can't go wrong with a movie of this caliber.
  
  
• The film editor got it right the first time.
  By AN6HVYAIRHJD9 on 2007-01-06
  Crimson Tide is one of my favorite films, and I have watched it numerous times on my old VHS copy. Although I read some of the Amazon reviews before buying the new "unrated and extended edition", I did not want to believe that it wasnt worth buying. Well, I wish I had bought the original. The added scenes diminish the tightness of the original and add no needed content. The one bonus is that you can see the talent of the editor who was responsible for the first version.
  
  
• In the nuclear world, the true enemy is war itself
  By AYBL30P5NXNZ4 on 2007-08-25
  After the 80's unthinking testosterone action movies, the 90's marked a real change in action ouput, even from the Bruckheimer / Simpson producing team - and so came about this unusually intelligent war movie.
  Following in the tradition of classic submarine movies like `The Hunt for Red Octobe' or `Das Boot', there are all the traditional action notes you would expect - torpedo attack, flooding compartments, sinking towards crush depth etc., all done with the technical and editorial perfection you would expect from Tony `Top Gun' Scott. However, all the action is merely a backdrop for a real character study and moral dilemna.
  Hackman's veteran Captain is of the old school, `I like things simple' approach. When unrest in Russia becomes critical enough for them to receive orders to launch their nuclear payload, he sets out to perform his duty. However, a second message is received - and it is incomplete, therefore can not be verified. The radio goes down, and the sub is now out of touch with the rest of the world. The `new school' Executive Officer played by Denzel Washington feels strongly enough that they should not follow through with the launch until the message is verified, leading him into direct conflict with the Captain and a tense, riveting and exciting showdown ensues.
  The action is note perfect, but it is the acting that makes the movie stand out. Seeing Washington and Hackman `mano-a-mano', cannot fail to knock your socks off with its intensity. Indeed, all the actors have their moments to shine, including a pre-Lord of the Rings Viggo Mortensen, and an excellent George Dzundza playing `Chief of the Boat'.
  One early scene encapsulates all that is good about the movie - in the officers mess, a philosophical debate occurs around the launching of the atomic bomb on Japan. Hackman defends the bombing, but Washington at the end of a verbal cat and mouse interplay, replies that `In the age of nuclear weapons, the true enemy is war itself. It is this conflict of ideas that haunts the movie, and the viewer, long after the movie is over. There are no out and out bad guys - just two principled men with different world views -surely there can be no greater drama.
  The extended cut offers no substantial difference to the original, and seems to have little reason for existing. The scenes reinstated are almost all minor character moments, giving the minor characters in the movie more time to shine, and helping consolidate the feeling of camaraderie in the submarine, which makes the eventual schism that much more shattering. Other than that, there is a small documentary about the movie which is more promotional than educational. If you have not seen the movie, do so immediately. If you have seen it, and wonder if the extended cut is worth getting? I say don't waste your time.
  
  
  
• My Favorite Movie. Absolutely stunning.
  By A2VGKGXSG81KAS on 2000-01-22
  There are things I love to see in a movie- good acting, good music, good plots. It is rare to see a movie that combines all three so flawlessly as this one does.

  The plot? Russian dissidents seize control of a nuclear missile base and have threaten to launch at the United States. The U.S.S. Alabama has been ordered to launch missiles to take out the base, but the crew is divided between their captain (Gene Hackman) and their executive officer (Denzel Washington). After the ship is attacked by a renegade sub Hackman wants to ignore an unconfirmed order to stand down. Washington wants to confirm the order before firing.

  The audience has the ultimate catch-22. Do you side with Hackman, follow orders, and launch missiles? Or do you do the safe thing and go with Washington? It's not an easy choice and it is not presented to the audience with a clear-cut moral either.

  Kudos to the actors all around- Washington, Hackman, and the rest of the cast do a terrific job in their roles. The music is stunning (I own and LOVE the soundtrack) and the action will keep you on the edge of your seat.

  It is hard to ever say that one particular movie is a favorite, but if I ever had a favorite movie it would be this. Great movie.
  
  

• Great soundtrack, insult to submarine veterans everywhere.
  By on 1999-11-04
  I can understand the inaccuracies on the technical side, and the dramatised story. It just wouldn't appeal to the general public if it were accurate. But the portrayal of the enlisted as being a bunch of incompetent children is an insult to the men and women who have served this great country. Enjoy the story line, but know that this movie is FAR from reality.
  
  
• Is Gene Hackman, America's finest actor?
  By A2FA18B50XGXJX on 2000-09-25
  If you think about it, Hackman can play it all; hero (Poseidon adventure), comic-book villain (Superman's Luthor), bad guy (Absolute Power, Unforgiven), good guy (Coach in The Replacements), action-hero (Enemy of the State), military hero (Uncommon Valor, March or Die), military anti-hero (Crimson Tide). That he can draw on his inner self to portray all these characters says a lot for him as a human being that he knows the range of human attitudes/emotions and can "run with them".

  The music of Crimson Tide is what drives the movie as the submarine drives under the water DEEP. Need to get a CD of this sound track! What sets you on edge is as the submarine dives at an angle, the music reminds you again, again that the stakes involved are total. It builds to a climax confrontation and we are spared WWIII.

  What makes the film special is the ending----I don't want to spoil it but if you have seen the film, continue. Hackman's character in the end respects and recommends the XO played by Washington and they mend fences and salute with the rousing score in the background. That's the way it is in real life when men have their differances; real men want others to stand up for what they believe in because in the hour of need we will need that perspective---we are only the sum of who we are and we are not infallible, this is why we have two men holding the two nuclear keys for each weapon system. This flies in the face of the popular go-along-to-get-along PCness which infects our age with mediocrity--had one of these thinking-of-his careeer-first types been aboard as the XO, the nuclear missiles would have been launched.

  Great movie about leadership!
  
  

• Crimson Tide
  By A1TJ1BUKCLB2Z7 on 2002-01-02
  As my father was career Military, I showed him this tape before he passed away. He had mixed feelings on it as he too was a Chief Petty Officer. He believed it could happen but had mixed feelings on it as the two senior officers should have resolved differences out of sight of the crew. I myself growing up as a military brat supported the executive officer as he had the most sound decision, although I agreed with my father on several key issues.
  
  
• I Liked It but the Navy Did Not
  By A37F1G84K35FCZ on 2002-12-29
  Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman are two of my favorite actors and also two of the finest players acting and creating films today. Mr. Washington is making his directing debut with, "Antwone Fisher", and there is Oscar talk all around the film. It should make it to most markets within about one week of my writing this. Mr. Washington also joined a group that is far, far too small, when as a black/African American (I do not know which he prefers) he took home the Oscar for Best Actor one year ago for, "Training Day".

  Mr. Washington said no to this film until they told him Gene Hackman would be playing the captain. In the piece I saw, he said he only needed to know this fact, for the opportunity to work with a man who is already a legend in film, whether he makes another film or not, was all the inducement he needed. It's nice to know a paycheck is not all that drives some performers.

  The film is outstanding as an action film, but I found it easy to understand why the US Navy would not participate. The scenes of diving subs were stock footage, there were not performed by the Navy for this film. The film is so good because of the primary actors already mentioned a script that was worked on by Quentin Tarantino, like the Star Trek banter, and The Silver Surfer debate, and also for a variety of faces that have become much better known since this film was made.

  The variations of mutinies that played out against other famous actors on the sea as opposed to below it will come to mind, Anthony Hopkins in the days of sail, and Humphrey Bogart on WWII vintage ships. The stakes this time are much higher and the directions the mutinies take are far more troublesome.

  Being faced with the order to actually launch a thermonuclear strike is a scenario that can easily justify a range of behaviors amongst the men involved, in this case on a submarine. And this is where the fifth star fell away for me. I certainly could understand the dynamic and the violation of a legal order that could cause the invocation of Naval Law. What I could not take seriously was the ease with which men who were serving with one another were willing to engage in deadly conduct against these same men, and to switch sides with such ease. If loyalty was so easily changed on a nuclear submarine, if so many top officers would violate Naval Law with such ease, I would guess horrific accidents would have occurred many years ago, and with disastrous results. The men that serve, and especially command, on submarines equipped with thermonuclear warheads are required to pass entirely different and additional levels of tests, that those who serve on submarines without such missiles.

  Sure this is only a film, so it should be viewed as entertainment. It also portrayed an event that could happen, events that have been nearly breached in our history, and it does so by portraying the officers and other men serving on this fictional boat in a very poor light. It is again completely understandable why the US Navy said no to the film. The whole film had an odd start and finish, when the reporter was reporting from a French Carrier and not a US one.
  
  

• The Rock [Blu-ray]
• The Hunt for Red October [Blu-ray]
• Independence Day (Single Disc Widescreen Edition)
• Con Air [Blu-ray]
• I Am Legend [Blu-ray]