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Movies / On DVD / Down Periscope
Down Periscope

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Down Periscope (1996)

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13 %
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Reviews Counted:30

Fresh:4

Rotten:26

Average Rating:3.9/10

Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Kelsey Grammar plays a wayward Navy officer, Tom Dodge, who is notorious throughout the Navy for having responded to a close call involving a Russian submarine by getting drunk and tattooing... Kelsey Grammar plays a wayward Navy officer, Tom Dodge, who is notorious throughout the Navy for having responded to a close call involving a Russian submarine by getting drunk and tattooing "welcome aboard" on an unmentionable appendage. He gets assigned by Admiral Winslow (Rip Torn) to command his own submarine; unfortunately, this sub is a rusting 1958 diesel model that the Navy wants to engage in war games to find out if it could inflict any damage. The assumption is, this sub is comparable to those the Russians are selling to renegade Iraqi and Libyan commanders, who might use them on suicide missions against the US. Once on board, we meet the cast of quirky characters who will man this clunker, including a hyper, mutinous Rob Schneider as second in command, Harland Williams as the copulating whale-impersonating radar operater Sonar, and Lauren Holly as the token female officer. The slapstick ensues as this group of underdogs attempt to pull off the impossible, the completion of which will determine Dodge's future career. [More]

Starring: Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider, Harry Dean Stanton

Starring: Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider, Harry Dean Stanton, Bruce Dern, Rip Torn

Director: David S. Ward

Director: David S. Ward

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Down Periscope

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Kelsey Grammar's transition to the big screen is far from seamless.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
08/04/09
Bob McCabe
Bob McCabe
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

he construction is so ramshackle (or the mood so PC) that the film-makers put a woman (Holly) on board, then can't find a thing to do with her.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Rather lame.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
06/03/03
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

There are occasional laughs, but, as with most movies that think they're funnier than they actually are, most of the jokes fall flat.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

This maritime comedy is not worth watching without something else to do.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

After that auspicious opening, it sinks.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Edward Guthmann
Edward Guthmann
San Francisco Chronicle

Some of this is silly and dumb as jokes fall flat. But there are also some laughs to be had.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

More laid-back here than he is on television, Grammer seems to barely break a sweat.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Hal Hinson
Hal Hinson
Washington Post

The tone of the acting, which is set by Mr. Grammer's blandly laid-back performance, is all wrong for a genre that demands over-the-top hamming.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's good-natured, innocuous frivolity that should raise a few smiles and generate good but not great spring box office.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
11/21/08
Leonard Klady
Leonard Klady
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's embarrassing to see Lauren Holly wasting her time as the butt-of-all-the-obvious-jokes female aboard ship.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
06/05/02
Susan Lambert
Susan Lambert
Boxoffice Magazine

Yes, I think I can hear you not laughing, right now.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

It is a pretty decent plot that gives everyone a chance to be silly.

Full Review Source: Film Scouts | comment Comment
04/17/02
Leslie Rigoulot
Leslie Rigoulot
Film Scouts

There's barely a belly laugh here, and judging from the deafening silence in the theatre where I saw the film, it's not just me.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

Why give someone who has a genuine skill for understated, intelligent comedy a highly unfunny script that's both overly obvious and stupid?

Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
01/01/00
Barry Walters
Barry Walters
San Francisco Examiner

Down Periscope is a rather leaky sub.

Full Review Source: Cinematter | comment Comment
01/01/00
Madeleine Williams
Madeleine Williams
Cinematter

A soggy sub sandwich layered with cheesy action, stale jokes and gung-ho baloney.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Susan Wloszczyna
Susan Wloszczyna
USA Today

Exactly what you'd expect.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
08/04/09
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
01/01/00
Susan Stark
Susan Stark
Detroit News

Routine.

comment Comment
07/08/04
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
all

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