Counter Measures

Having already seen the superior CRASH DIVE, I wondered how another Dudikoff movie set aboard a submarine would be. Well, it wasn't that good. It's really the production values that sink this movie. Exterior shots of the sub were filmed on board the WWII sub U.S.S. Pomponito in San Francisco Bay (a great attraction to visit, by the way), while underwater and interior shots reveal a sub and a sprawling interior that looks like he came from an episode of SEAQUEST. A lot of scenes look rushed, like the filmmakers were running out of time and said, "Let's finish so we can return the equipment before it's overdue." As a result, performances are lackluster, scenes are choppy and seemed unfinished, and just the overall production looks bad. The sub-plot that runs throughout the film, set in Russia, always confused me. I could never tell what the purpose of it was, what relation it had (or may not have had) to the events occuring on the submarine. The climactic fight on the deck of the sub, between Dudikoff and bad guy James Horan, is probably the best moment in the whole film, though even it could have been better. But the way the bad guy gets it is actually one of my favorite climax moments from a Dudikoff film. But it's really not enough to save the film or make it recommendation-worthy. The Dudikoff/Fred Olen Ray (director) team faired better with FUGITIVE MIND and THE SHOOTER. If you want a see a good movie about terrorists seizing a nuclear submarine (and really the only movie so far to feature that concept, that I know of), Dudikoff's CRASH DIVE is much better.

The movie has a good story line, the action is good in some parts, but not all of them. Some of the parts, I just felt like the bad guys wouldn't have dosed off yet, from my experience from taking Martial arts. Some are the actions are long, like always mostly for the boss, but for the least important ones, they were killed or dosed off with a few hits, but some where quite unrealistic or could have done a better job at.

The least important actors or stunt people were the right picks for the movie, my girlfriend started to have a crush on them that she started to watch the movie more than she spends her time with me.

The movie is good, that is all I can say.

I don't know if there's an aphorism to put to this type of movie, but there should be, because this flick reminds me a lot of Steel Sharks. And the similarities are unexpected. Both movies are set on subs, both movies involve terrorists (of a sort), both movies are very cheaply done, and critically unrealistic. What've those links got to do with each other?

You've got underwater listening devices that can identify screws among wreckage, an American submarine commander who has way less battle-sense than his Russian counterpart, and bad guys with ridiculously unrealistic, paranoid objectives. Anyone in any military service anywhere in the world could probably expand vastly on that list. They'd probably start with: instruments that do not register with military accuracy, but icons and labels that are marketed to American civilians.

I found it on DVD, cheap, so I wasn't expecting much. I wasn't dissappointed, either. Character development is choppy, editing is bad, Russian-spy plot is undeveloped and confusing. Why the final suicide? We never know! Stiff acting by some bit parts, but some actors did well in their small roles, particularly the late-repenting missle-man/terrorist. What's up with the blond Ensn/Lt. ? She takes orders, she takes vodka, she takes a man's name in the credits? I'd like to discuss this aspect with someone in the industry. Stimulating opening love scene, for both genders, but downhill from there. Haven't seen Crash Dive 1; was the first battle scene brought forward from that movie? Served only to fog the c.o. aspect of the star.

To say the acting is wooden is an insult to trees.

The script is clearly the outcome of a Creative Writing project for 8 year olds.

The sets are so obviously made from plywood, MDF and cheap blue paint, they look like a school production.

The plot has more holes than Swiss cheese.

Especially. Authentic is that a Russian submarine has so many displays in English.

It sets a new low for the B-movie.