Ever watch a movie and can't understand why it isn't more well known? Well, such is the case with Final Countdown, an outstanding time travel film from 1980 that will most likely never get its due credit. The new Blue Underground release will certainly grab a few new fans thanks to the great presentation and cool cover art (in this limited edition reviewed here at least), but never to the extent I wish it would.
Imagine your in command of a US nuclear aircraft carrier. While on a routine mission, you run into a strange storm and suddenly your back in 1941. December 6th, 1941 to be precise. When your finally aware of what exactly happened, what do you do? Do you change the course of history and knock down the approaching Japanese fleet that is heading for Pearl Harbor? Can you let one of the biggest US disasters of all time actually take place when you have all the power to stop it? What happens if you do interfere? It's this very same issue that fills most of the movie and one that makes for gripping entertainment.
This is, by far, one of my favorite 80's movies. For a low budget movie, you'd hardly ever know it sans a few minor shots. The entire movie was filmed on the actual U.S.S. Nimitz, almost all of the plane footage was shot for the film, and the performances are strong enough to make the entire experience believable. This is a must-see 100 minute experience, especially on this new release.
Blue Undergound has released some real cult-like movies in the past, each of them fully restored to pristine condition. This new print, taken from the original negative, is a sight to behold. The colors are strong, grain is noticable on some of the outdoor sequences, and black levels remain solid. Color bleeding is a minor problem during a few segments, but you'll never be able to tell this movie was made in 1980 thanks to this transfer.
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