The Final Countdown

19801980
PGPG
1h 43min

The Final Countdown (1980)

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Action Adventure Sci-Fi

A modern aircraft carrier is thrown back in time to 1941 near Hawaii, just hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.A modern aircraft carrier is thrown back in time to 1941 near Hawaii, just hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.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)
- David Ambrose(story)
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations

Videos2

Official Trailer

Official Trailer

The Final Countdown

The Final Countdown

Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Katharine Ross, and James Farentino in The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown (1980)

Director
- Don Taylor
Writers
- Thomas Hunter(story) (screenplay)
- Peter Powell(story) (screenplay)
- David Ambrose(story) (screenplay)
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

In 1980, an assistant in the Department of Defense, Warren Lasky, is assigned by his mysterious chief Richard Tideman to visit the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz commanded by Capt. Matthew Yelland as an observer of the routines. Lasky learns that Wing Commander Richard T. Owens has a great knowledge of history. Out of the blue, the vessel faces a weird storm and they find they have traveled back in time to the eve of the attack of Pearl Harbor on 06 December 1941. When the two Japanese Zeros attack the motorboat of Senator Samuel Chapman, the crew of the Nimitz rescues the senator and his assistant Laurel Scott. But Lasky soon learns the senator had disappeared on that day and Capt. Matthew Yelland is planning to attack the Japanese. Will these actions create a time paradox? —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

time travel into the past aircraft carrier time travel tragedy japanese abroad 114 more

Taglines
- Trapped outside the boundaries of time and space... 102 aircraft... 6,000 men... all missing.
Genres
Certificate
- PG
Parents guide

Trivia
In the mid 1980s the communist government banned the movie in Hungary, claiming it glorified the United States Armed Forces. However, some illegal copies were circulated on VHS with parts about the Russian trawler spying on the USS Nimitz edited out.

Goofs
When the department heads are reporting the status of the ship after the storm, the Reactor Officer reports that the "reactor is stable". A Nimitz class carrier has two reactors, not one.

Quotes
[an F-14 pilot is reporting the identity of a pair of enemy planes to Captain Yelland over the radio]
Captain Yelland: Alert 1 this is Eagle 1, what've you got?
Pilot: Two Japanese Zeroes, sir.
Captain Yelland: Two what?
Pilot: Two Trophy Class Mitsubishi A6Ms in original condition, complete with all markings. I mean, they look brand new sir!
Captain Yelland: Have you been spotted?
Pilot: Negative, we're right in the sun at their 6 o'clock high.
Captain Yelland: Stay in visual contact, take no action without clearance.
Pilot: Wilco Eagle 1, out.

Alternate versions
UK cinema and video versions were cut by 6 secs to edit blood spurts from gunshots. In 2002 these cuts were waived by the BBFC.

Connections
Edited from Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

Soundtracks
Begin the Beguine
(uncredited)
Written by Cole Porter

Top review

8/10

One of my old favorites!

This movie deals with time-travel on a large scale... And like most sci-fi films, it is easy to pick their theories apart (especially after almost 25 years). I think that many of us have a tendency to over-analyze these types of movies, when, in fact, we should just sit back and enjoy the experience.

I first saw this movie at a drive-in (remember those?!?!), and during one scene in particular, the entire crowd actually cheered. This is not a reaction I'd expect from a large crowd during a "bad" movie. If you like sci-fi, aircraft, and time-travel movies, then ignore the nay-sayers and watch this movie! It's one of my all-time favorites.

helpful•29

7

XJoey
Oct 6, 2004

Release date
- August 1, 1980 (United States)
Country of origin
- United States
Languages
Also known as
- Odbrojavanje na Nimicu
Filming locations
- USS Nimitz, Atlantic Ocean
Production companies
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- $12,000,000 (estimated)
Gross US & Canada
- $16,647,800
Gross worldwide
- $16,647,800

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
- 1h 43min
Color
- Color
Sound mix
Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1

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The Final Countdown (1980)

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