• The time is now. The place is aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz, America's mightiest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier on maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly, a freak electrical storm engulfs the ship and triggers the impossible: The Nimitz is hurtled back in time to December 6, 1941, mere hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As the enemy fleet speeds towards Hawaii, the warship's

Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Katharine Ross. The amazing tale of the U.S.S. Nimitz , a nuclear carrier that mysteriously travels back in time to aid in the defense of Pearl Harbor during the Japanese sneak attack-but once its mission" is completed, they have no idea how to return to their own time. 1980/color/102 min/PG.

Kirk Douglass and Marten Sheen show why they were "A" list actors when this film was made. Both gave excellent performances.

The script was well written with the exploration of the ships crew trying to deal with a potential paradox that would effect every person on the planet.

Great acting a good story and super photography of aircraft carrier and flight operations. If you like these features, you will love this movie.

127 of 138 found the following review helpful:


The best "What If" time travel movie ever  May 10, 2001
This is without doubt one of my all time favorite movies, good acting, good plot, etc. For those who can get the book and read it there is more, though the movie was quite good. I look forward to getting it on DVD as soon as it is released again.

It wasn't until last year that I made it to Pearl Harbor, and to my surprise saw one the newer "Nimitz" class carriers, CVN-72, USS Abraham Lincoln. The scene at the end of the movie was not only realistic as they pass by the USS Arizona. It was a great tribute to the brave men on that USS Arizona, to all those died on that fateful day, and to those who fortunate enough to survive. To the brave men and women who served in World War II we owe a deep gratitude we can never re-pay.

I did some further research and found out that Pacific Family Entertainment will be re-releasing "The Final Countdown" on both DVD and VHS in the Winter some time. We don't have to worry about buying used, or worn out copies of the film any more !!

30 of 31 found the following review helpful:


Modern Classic Science Fiction Film  Jul 11, 2003 By Wayne Wasserman
"The Final Countdown" is one of those films that never got the recognition that it so rightfully deserves.

Blending history, military, moral dilema & science fiction together nearly perfectly, "Final Countdown" is a very powerful and thought-provoking film about a chance to change the course of history.

The modern-day nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz
(an Atlantic Fleet-based aircraft carrier)stationed at Pearl Harbor goes through a mysterious electrical storm in the Pacific Ocean, the crew (Kirk Douglas, Captain; James Farentino, Airwing Commander; Ron O'Neal, XO) & a cilvilian advisor (Martin Sheen)
soon realize through a series of events that they have gone back in time to December 6, 1941, the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor!

After rescuing survivors of a yacht blown up by Japanese Zeros, the crew of the Nimitz is faced with a decision that would change the course of history...whether they should destroy the Japanese Fleet BEFORE they attack Pearl Harbor.

For those of you who've seen the movie, you know the ending.

For those who've never seen "Final Countdown", I won't ruin what is a great ending!

I've been waiting for years for "Final Countdown" to come out on DVD. Hopefully it will be loaded with extra features never found on the rare VHS version from Vestron.

The footage aboard the USS Nimitz is fantastic. No movie since has shown in such detail the action aboard a modern-day carrier.
The flightdeck scenes are breath-taking. You'll see aircraft markings on the F-14s & other aircraft that look absolutely awesome!

This is a movie you will want to watch over & over again.

18 of 18 found the following review helpful:


Could the "Day of Infamy" have been stopped?  Sep 03, 2001 By Eric R. Johnson "ej537"
Imagine you are the captain of the USS Nimitz, the pride of the modern U.S. Navy, and you suddenly discover you have a chance to completely rewrite history. What would you do?
Such is the situation facing the crew of the USS Nimitz in this fascinating movie about traveling through time and the paradoxes people would face in such a situation. Featuring a young Kirk Douglas and a young Martin Sheen, I once heard a reviewer proclaim this a "Navy recruiting film", but it is a fascinating look at what might happen if ordinary people were suddenly given the chance to change history. The flight sequences are amazing (especially the two Tomcats taking on two Japanese Zeros) even if they aren't anywhere close to those in "Top Gun". The plot is a little thin at times (where the heck did that time tunnel come from?), but Douglas and Sheen play off each other well as the skeptical captain and the eager Mr. Laskey. Note: It's fun to watch the two Japanese Zeros fly--they're the same ones used in the old "Baa Baa Black Sheep" series. Anybody here remember that?

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