Richard P. Henrick

Nederlands ondertiteld. / Writing credits (WGA) Michael Schiffer (story) and Richard P. Henrick (story).
Original Music by Hans Zimmer. MPAA:Rated R for strong language. Parents Guide:View content advisory for parents
Runtime:116 min | USA:123 min (extended version)/Country:USA Language:English Color:Color Aspect Ratio:2.35 : 1 See more »Sound Mix:Dolby Digital.

Een Russische nationalist bezet een basis waar ballistische raketten worden gelanceerd en bedreigt de Verenigde Staten met een kernoorlog. De Amerikaanse atoomonderzeeboot "USS Alabama", onder commando van Frank Ramsey, vertrekt naar de Russische kust van de Stille Oceaan om een tegenmissie voor te bereiden. Ron Hunter is nieuw aan boord. Hij vervangt de eerste officier die appendicitis heeft gekregen. Onderweg krijgt de Alabama een bericht van het Amerikaanse opperbevel dat de rebellen de lanceercodes hebben gekraakt en hun raketten aan het tanken zijn. De Alabama krijgt de opdracht haar raketten te lanceren.

Dan komt een tweede bericht binnen. Maar net op dat moment wordt de Alabama aangevallen door een Russische onderzeeër van de Akula-klasse. Hierbij raken de radio en de antenne beschadigd. Nadat de Akula is vernietigd ontstaat onenigheid tussen de kapitein (Gene Hackman) en de eerste officier (Denzel Washington). Het tweede bericht is onvolledig en de kapitein houdt zich aan het eerste bevel om hun nucleaire raketten te lanceren. De eerste officier wil de radio repareren en het tweede bericht opnieuw binnenhalen. Hij denkt dat de aanval is afgeblazen en dat door het lanceren van hun raketten de wereld alsnog in een nucleaire Holocaust terechtkomt.

Prijzen en nominaties:
Oscar Genomineerd: Beste geluidseffecten
Genomineerd: Beste montage
Genomineerd: Beste geluid

Saturn Award Genomineerd:Beste muziek: Hans Zimmer

Eddie Genomineerd: Beste montage: Chris Lebenzon

ASC Award Genomineerd: Beste cinematograaf: Dariusz Wolski

BMI Film Music Award Gewonnen: Beste muziek: Hans Zimmer

Grammy Gewonnen: Beste muziek: Hans Zimmer

Image Award Genomineerd: Beste film
Gewonnen: Beste acteur: Denzel Washington

MTV Movie Award Genomineerd: Beste acteur: Denzel Washington

Golden Reel Award Gewonnen: Beste geluidsmontage… (plus d'informations)

In a word: cheesy. In another word: dated. In yet another word: entertaining. This book, published in 1987, is about a nuclear showdown between the US and USSR. America has a satellite up at all times overseeing Russia and their nuclear threat. When that satellite goes bad, it falls to earth and another one replaces it. Only this time, it doesn't. And one of the top Soviet generals takes notice. And decides he wants to take this opportunity to nuke the hell out of America while they can't spot what is going on over there. The US tries to launch another satellite on a Trident missile, only it's apparently shot down. They then decide to dust off the space shuttle, "Condor," and launch it manually via that. Word gets through to a terrorist organization and to the Russians and they both send teams to dismantle things. Meanwhile, this book is about subs. Our heroes are on a diesel powered sub called the Razorback, shadowing a Russian nuclear sub. And they want to take it out. Yep, they want to start WW III by sinking a Russian nuclear sub. Brilliant. As one of the crewmen puts it toward the end of the book, "...why didn't they blow away both vessels and be done with it. These were their waters. Another foreign nation had absolutely no business there. How much better it was to be safe now than sorry later." So they sink a French sub, thinking it's a Russian sub. With absolutely no ramifications. None.

There are a lot of discrepancies in the book. The dialogue is wooden, at times, and hardly believable. The situations are absurd. The feared Russian Spetsnaz are shown to be total pansies when the chips are down, thanks to American military police heroes. Uh huh. An oceanographer discovers an old college flame who's now a paleontologist with students on a dig near Vandenberg air base. So they immediately start up where they dropped things off 15 years previously and the reader has to suffer through lines like, "...he slowly gave himself until all was given. A whimper passed her lips as this gift was received deep in the tight, warm recesses of her womb." I'm not kidding. Worst sex scene ever. And there's an earthquake in Alaska that causes a tsunami to hit northern California. I have yet to figure out how this added to the plot. The oceanographer and an engineer fear sabotage and try to warn the Air Force higher ups, who won't listen, so when the Russians and terrorists are defeated and the shuttle makes it up and the satellite is launched, Russia backs down and the day is saved. Cheesy. Yet still somewhat entertaining. I wanted to put this book down and did a couple of times, but found myself drawn back to it every time, wanting to know what happened next. Not sure why. It's poorly written, the plot is bad, the dialogue choppy, but I still kind of liked it. A guilty pleasure? Sorry. I can't recommend it. But if you happen upon it in a used bookstore like I did and can get it for a buck, it's probably worth it.… (plus d'informations)

Six hours to Doomsday -- The Trident submarine USS Phoenix slides silently through the deep waters of the South Pacific on routine patrol when a sudden War Alert sends the sub spirally down to the ocean's floor, and into the womb of impenetrable silence. All communications from the outside world suddenly and mysteriously vanish, including urgent messages from the President of the U.S. canceling the War Alert. To the men inside the submarine duty is clear. In six short hours the USS Phoenix will rise to launch depth and unleash its nuclear arsenal of 23 long-range Trident missiles against the Russian mainland. Six hours before America becomes committed to a full-scale nuclear war if doesn't want . . . the most critical six hours the world will ever know! (rear cover blurb). A submarine thriller akin to The Hunt For Red October.… (plus d'informations)