The Final Countdown (1980)

A modern aircraft carrier is thrown back in time to 1941 near Hawaii, just hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Director:

Don Taylor

Writers:

Thomas Hunter (story), Peter Powell (story),

Stars:

Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Katharine Ross

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kirk Douglas	...	Capt. Matthew Yelland
Martin Sheen	...	Warren Lasky
Katharine Ross	...	Laurel Scott
James Farentino	...	Cdr. Richard Owens / Mr.Tideman
Ron O'Neal	...	Cdr. Dan Thurman
Charles Durning	...	Senator Samuel Chapman
Victor Mohica	...	Black Cloud
James Coleman	...	Lt. Perry (as James C. Lawrence)
Soon-Tek Oh	...	Simura (as Soon-Teck Oh)
Joe Lowry	...	Cdr. Damon
Alvin Ing	...	Lt. Kajima
Mark Thomas	...	Marine Cpl. Kullman
Harold Bergman	...	Bellman
Dan Fitzgerald	...	Navy Doctor
Lloyd Kaufman	...	LCdr. Kaufman

Storyline

An American nuclear aircraft carrier and its crew are caught in a classic dilemma when a supernatural storm sends them back in time just before the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor.

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Plot Keywords:

japanese | uss nimitz | aircraft carrier | harbor | pearl harbor | 

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Taglines:

Trapped outside the boundaries of time and space... 102 aircraft... 6,000 men... all missing.

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese Russian

Release Date:

1 August 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der letzte Countdown

Filming Locations:

Naval Air Station, Key West, Florida Keys, Florida, USA

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 2,722,598 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Bryna Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed during the Nimitz' Sep 79-May 80 cruise. Squadrons aboard included VF-41 and VF-84 (F-14A Tomcats), VA-35 (A-6E Intruder), VA-82 and VA-86 (A-7E Corsair II), VFP-63 (RF-8G Crusader), VAQ-134 (EA-6B Prowler), VS-24 (S-3A Viking), VAW-112 (E-2B Hawkeye), and HS-9 (SH-3H Sea King). All squadrons get time on film.

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Goofs

Sunrise on December 7, 1941 in Hawaii was about 0630 and when the planes are being loaded with their weapons and the helicopter is dropping off the Senator, shadows indicate it's closer to mid day and not early in the morning.

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Quotes

[first lines]
F-14 Pilot: [voice over radio] Pearl Tower, Tomcat two-zero-zero. requesting clearance for departure runway zero-nine. Over.
Pearl Harbor Tower: [voice over radio] Two-zero-zero, Pearl Harbor Tower. You are cleared runway oh-niner. Winds zero-four-five at eight. SH-three approaching from the right. Have a nice day.

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Connections

Featured in Tomcat Angels (1991)

User Reviews

Well Done!

A man takes a strange trip with an aircraft carrier and lives an amazing nightmare with a bizarre twist. Time travel, moral sensibilities and harmful consequences are explored when the crew is confronted with a chance to change history. Trying to control the political impact of altering history, the captain makes a painful decision that ultimately leads to a happy ending. This one has sadness, irony and moments where ones wants to say, "how stupid can they get?" Overall, just a great Sci-Fi Thriller that will leave an impression.