Review of Crimson Tide (1995) by Ian E — 25 Jul 2015
Tony Scott's well-crafted, pulse-pounding, thought-provoking post-Cold War thriller, concerning the American nuclear ballistic submarine USS Alabama which has received orders to launch its nuclear missiles, as a Russian civil war gets worse, and some of their rebels take over an ICBM missile complex, which could start World War III and a nuclear holocaust.
The USS Alabama's Captain Ramsey, played by Gene Hackman in a brilliant performance, and his executive officer, Lt Commander Hunter, played flawlessly by a superb Denzel Washington, clash over the validity of their orders which will lead to a mutiny and epic struggle for control of the sub.
The interplay between Hackman and Washington is magnificent, and they keep the tension at a very high peak with their sensational performances. The late great Tony Scott's skillful, superlative direction will have you on the edge of your seat.
Solid supporting performances by George Dzundza, Viggo Mortensen, the late James Gandofini, Matt Craven, Danny Nucci, Steve Zahn, Lilio Brancato, Ricky Schroder, the late Jason Robards, and Ryan Phillippe.
A rousing score by Hans Zimmer, with impressive cinematography by Dariusz Wolsky, and the visual effects by Hoyt Yeatman are awesome, as are the incredible sub sets by Michael White. An intelligent, thrilling film that is one of the best submarines motion pictures ever made.
Highly Recommended.
This review of Crimson Tide (1995) was written by Ian E on 25 Jul 2015.
Crimson Tide has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
