I’ve always enjoyed submarine movies, and this one seemed like it had potential. Gene Hackman plays the seasoned Captain of the USS "Alabama," accompanied by a new Executive Officer, Denzel Washington, as they're deployed during a tense situation in Russia that could lead to nuclear conflict. As their mission unfolds, these two characters circle each other, evaluating and challenging until they receive the order to l…

Among Tony Scott’s movies, this one stands out as possibly my absolute favorite. The performances from both Hackman and Washington are excellent, and the rest of the cast is terrific too; Scott really maintains the tension throughout, creating a very focused experience. I hear there were several writers who worked on the script, including Quentin Tarantino, but that doesn’t detract from it—particularly since the fina…

A suspenseful story about rebellion delivers exactly what it promises. Russian insurgents have taken control of one of their country’s nuclear missile facilities and are threatening to attack the United States. A U.S. nuclear submarine on patrol receives an order to fire, but a subsequent, unfinished instruction creates doubt. The submarine's Captain and Executive Officer clash over which directive to obey, leavin…