Down Periscope (1996)

Lt. Cmdr. Tom Dodge is assigned as Captain to the USS Stingray, an old diesel driven submarine that has seen better days. With a crew that consists only of weird guys (and a gal), he's ... See full summary »

Director:

David S. Ward

Writers:

Hugh Wilson (story), Hugh Wilson (screenplay),

Stars:

Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kelsey Grammer	...	Lt. Cmdr. Thomas 'Tom' Dodge
Lauren Holly	...	Lt. Emily Lake, Diving Officer
Rob Schneider	...	Executive Officer Martin T. 'Marty' Pascal
Harry Dean Stanton	...	CPO Howard, Chief Engineer
Bruce Dern	...	RAdm. Yancy Graham
William H. Macy	...	Cmdr. Carl Knox (Orlando)
Ken Hudson Campbell	...	Seaman Buckman
Toby Huss	...	Seaman Nitro 'Mike'
Duane Martin	...	Planesman 1st Class Jefferson 'R.J.' Jackson
Jonathan Penner	...	Seaman Stanley 'Spots' Sylvesterson
Bradford Tatum	...	Engineman 1st Class Brad Stepanak (Winslow)
Harland Williams	...	Seaman 2nd Class E.T. 'Sonar' Lovacelli
Rip Torn	...	Vice Adm. Dean Winslow
James Martin Jr.	...	Orlando Radioman
Jordan Marder	...	Orlando Ensign

Storyline

Lt. Cmdr. Tom Dodge is assigned as Captain to the USS Stingray, an old diesel driven submarine that has seen better days. With a crew that consists only of weird guys (and a gal), he's headed against the atomic powered USS Orlando, with the mission to destroy a dummy battleship.

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Plot Keywords:

submarine | navy | war game | torpedo | box office flop | 

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Taglines:

A rusty sub. A rebel commander. A renegade crew. When destiny called, they should have hung up.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some crude language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Touche pas à mon periscope

Filming Locations:

Alameda Naval Air Station, Alameda, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$25,800,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

CPO Howard, Chief Engineer says at one point "This is what I live for, DBF!". DBF stands for Diesel Boats Forever.

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Goofs

When the Stingray is shown moving under the SS Denali the stand for the bow running lights, which should only be used when the sub is surfaced, is clearly visible. But when the Stingray surfaces for its torpedo run it shows no stand.

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Quotes

Rear Admiral Yancy Graham: Dodge, it's good to see you again. It's been four years.
Lt. Comd. Dodge: Something like that, sir. Not since we were both at Kings Bay.
Rear Admiral Yancy Graham: Well, you are about to join the elite of the submarine fleet. The very best the United States Navy has to offer.
Lt. Comd. Dodge: Damn good feeling, sir.
Rear Admiral Yancy Graham: [Notices a ship] As a matter of fact, there she is now. Your new boat.
[Dodge excitedly turns and looks and his look changes to shock as he sees it's an old rusty sub]
Rear Admiral Yancy Graham: U.S.S. Stingray, SS-161.
Lt. Comd. Dodge: That? This can't be my boat, sir.
Rear Admiral Yancy Graham: Oh, it's most ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

As the credits begins to roll, The Village People and several cast members start singing "In The Navy."

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Connections

Referenced in Men Behaving Badly: Jamie Needs a Kid (1997)

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Soundtracks

"In the Navy"
Written by Henri Belolo, Jacques Morali and Victor Willis
Performed by The Village People
Courtesy of Scorpio Music

User Reviews

Classic laughs are brought to us from a depth of 500 feet.

Starring: Kelsey Grammar, Rob Schneider, Lauren Holly, Rip Torn This movie is a classic family favorite. At least for most members of my family that is. One of us rolls our eyes at the mention of this movie and thinks, "What a stupid movie." I'm not that person though. I still find this movie highly amusing. I just watched it again last night with someone who had never seen it, and I laughed just as hard as the first time I watched it. It's still very funny to me.

Naval Captain Tom Dodge (Grammar) is a bit of a black sheep in the navy. He's the kind of guy who will play golf while on a sub, cracking a ball onto a golf course while they sail past it. He's the kind of guy who will get drunk, pass out, and wake up with a hangover and a tattoo on his dongle. He's not the kind of guy that everybody wants to be commanding a sub.

But Dodge is at the end of the line. He's put in applications to get command of his own sub several times, and if he doesn't get a sub this time, he's headed for a desk job, meaning that's it for naval life. The Admiralty decide to give him his own boat, but they don't give him a new nuclear sub. They give him a diesel sub, an ancient relic from World War II. His mission is to clean her up and take her out on the Atlantic for a war game.

Dodge is obviously a little bit frustrated to have such a crappy boat given to him when he's worked so hard to get to the point that he's at, so he goes and talks to Admiral Winslow (Torn) about it. Winslow explains the purpose of the war game. Diesel subs are still being sold out there in the real world, to countries like Iran, Iraq, and Libya, to name a few. Winslow wants to know what would happen if some renegade captain in a diesel sub came to the States and tried to smuggle a nuclear warhead into one of the bases. Would they make it? Dodge and most of the Admiralty don't think so, but Winslow wants to know for sure, hence why he has devised this war game. Dodge's mission is to take the Stingray out to sea, then try to evade the U.S. nuclear navy and blow up the American naval bases. In simulated battle, of course.

So, that's about as deep as the plot gets. This is not a plot driven movie. It's a stupid movie that is just a big gag. It makes fun of itself, and you are not expected to take it seriously. If you're looking for good dumb laughs on a Friday night, I'd urge you to check it out.

Bottom Line: 3 out of 4 (worth a look)