Holds Up Well
In 1980, when this movie was released, we were at the very beginning of the DFX period, so sci-fi from the era does not always stand the test of time. Thanks to a minimum of FX and some really impressive stunt work and crafty flying, this movie does hold up well.
It's a beautiful day in Pearl Harbor as the U.S.S. Nimitz Carrier Group gets underway, only to find itself in the midst of a frightening, disorienting storm. Upon coming through to smooth waters again, the computer-assisted carrier with advanced satellite communications finds itself deaf and dumb, until a series of events clarifies that it has traveled back in time to Dec. 6, 1941.
The events that reveal the time travel are worth the price of admission alone. The age-old time paradoxes explored are pretty old hat to sci-fi time-travel buffs like me. And don't ask about the plausibility of the "portal," you just have to accept it. (FWIW, "Lost" used the same idea - with no more explanation than this movie - to equally fine effect.)
But it's a fun yarn, good to see Kirk Douglas still fit as a fiddle, and an enjoyable opportunity to revisit some of the great questions about the attack on Pearl Harbor: could it have been prevented? Were officials aware it was coming? Were there casualties beyond those specifically at Pearl? And so on.
I don't often recommend Hollywood remake movies (who needs to?), but this is a story that could easily benefit from the use of a modern carrier, updated casting, and CGI, all without requiring more than a cursory script update. But until they remake it, rest easy knowing you'll still have fun watching the original.
It's a beautiful day in Pearl Harbor as the U.S.S. Nimitz Carrier Group gets underway, only to find itself in the midst of a frightening, disorienting storm. Upon coming through to smooth waters again, the computer-assisted carrier with advanced satellite communications finds itself deaf and dumb, until a series of events clarifies that it has traveled back in time to Dec. 6, 1941.
The events that reveal the time travel are worth the price of admission alone. The age-old time paradoxes explored are pretty old hat to sci-fi time-travel buffs like me. And don't ask about the plausibility of the "portal," you just have to accept it. (FWIW, "Lost" used the same idea - with no more explanation than this movie - to equally fine effect.)
But it's a fun yarn, good to see Kirk Douglas still fit as a fiddle, and an enjoyable opportunity to revisit some of the great questions about the attack on Pearl Harbor: could it have been prevented? Were officials aware it was coming? Were there casualties beyond those specifically at Pearl? And so on.
I don't often recommend Hollywood remake movies (who needs to?), but this is a story that could easily benefit from the use of a modern carrier, updated casting, and CGI, all without requiring more than a cursory script update. But until they remake it, rest easy knowing you'll still have fun watching the original.
- erose001
- Aug 6, 2016