| | | "In the Face of the Ultimate Nuclear Showdown, One Man Has Absolute Power. And One Man Will Do Anything to Stop Him."
Features: Widescreen, Dolby Digital (5.1), Spanish, Subtitled, French, Dubbed & Subtitled
Dynamic Denzel Washington (The Pelican Brief) joins Hollywood favorite Gene Hackman (The Firm) in this intense action thriller that's a smash hit with audiences and critics alike! In the midst of a global crisis, the USS Alabama receives an unconfirmed order to launch its nuclear missiles - signaling the start of World War III! The tension quickly rises as the sub's respected commander (Hackman) and his brilliant executive officer (Washington) clash over the validity of their orders...battling each other for control of the sub! As this epic struggle rages under the sea, Crimson Tide brings motion picture excitement to a new level - and you to the edge of your seat!
"Two of the best actors...head-to-head." Good Morning America
"...highly entertaining..." Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
"Full-throttle tension." Los Angeles Times
"...excellent script, first-rate performances..." Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
"...skillfully crafted to maximize visual excitement and dramatic fireworks...relentlessly paced..." Todd McCarthy, Variety
Editor's Note
When Russian rebels gain control of nuclear weapons in the USSR, the United States retaliates by deploying the USS Alabama, a nuclear submarine commanded by Captain Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman). Veteran soldier and Naval legend Ramsey selects Lt. Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington)--a Harvard graduate who prefers using brains over weapons--as his Executive Officer. While submerged, the Alabama is attacked by a Russian sub and loses radio contact just as an order is being transmitted from headquarters. Old Navy dog Ramsey firmly believes that the interrupted transmission ends with an order to fire their nuclear missiles at the Russian rebels. Hunter, desperate to avoid starting World War III, is determined to re-establish radio contact and act only after complete orders are received. Without the second-in-command's agreement, the missiles cannot be launched, and soon Ramsey and Hunter are engaged in a tense battle of wills, forcing the crew to choose sides. In the tradition of TOP GUN and TRUE ROMANCE, director Tony Scott keeps the tension running high in this fast-paced military thriller. Hackman scores as the tradition-bound Ramsey, and Washington is superb as the thoughtful young officer who feels compelled to take a stand against his superior.
Plot Summary
The nuclear submarine Alabama, on a mission near Russian waters, gets an incomplete order that may or may not be the signal to launch nuclear weapons. Captain Ramsey (Gene Hackman) wants to launch missiles, but must have the agreement of his second-in-command, Hunter (Denzel Washington). A tense battle of wills ensue, as the crew must choose sides in this tense military thriller.
| Features | Audio: English, French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Deleted Scenes | | Dubbed: French | | Featurettes: The Making Of Crimson Tide & All Access - On The Set Of Crimson Tide | | Interactive Menus | | Movie Showcase -- Instant Access To Select Movie Scenes That Showcase The Ultimate In High Definition Picture & Sound | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: French, Spanish | | This Is A Blu-Ray DVD Made For Blue-Laser Format Players Which Produce Higher Quality Picture & Sound |
| Technical Info
|
Release Information
| | Studio: Buena Vista |
| Release Date: 2/5/2008 |
| Running Time: 116 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1995 | | Catalog ID: 5365503 | | UPC: 00786936726268 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Winner (1996) | | | Grammy, Hans Zimmer, Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television | | | Image Award, Denzel Washington, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture | |
Nominee (1996) | | | Image Award, Crimson Tide, Outstanding Motion Picture | | | MTV Award, Denzel Washington, Best Male Performance | | | Oscar, George Watters, II, Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing | | | Oscar, Chris Lebenzon, Best Film Editing | | | Oscar, William B. Kaplan, et. al., Best Sound |
|
| | Professional Reviews | USA Today
"...[A] propulsively pulse-pounding undersea thriller....[A] supersonic race against the clock..." -- 3 1/2 out of 4 stars 05/12/1995 p.1DEntertainment Weekly
Ranked #8 in Entertainment Weekly's "10 Best Movies of 1995" -- "...Riveting....The two actors keep working to top each other's fury..." 12/29/1995 p.115 Variety
"...Skillfully crafted to maximize visual excitement and dramatic fireworks....An exciting, efficient, straight-ahead thriller..." 05/08/1995 Los Angeles Times
"...A cracking good piece of popular entertainment....Capped by taut performances by stars Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman and a brisk job of direction by Tony Scott..." 05/12/1995 p.F1 Chicago Sun-Times
"...It's clever....It's also daring....This is the rare kind of war movie that not only thrills people while they're watching it, but invites them to leave the theater actually discussing the issues..." 05/12/1995 p.35 Ultimate DVD
4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]his tense, well-handled pot-boiler brings out the very best in its two leads." 07/01/2006 p.101 Ultimate DVD
4 stars out of 5 -- "CRIMSON TIDE is a brooding and claustrophobic thriller..." 05/01/2008 p.75 ReelViews 8 of 10
Crimson Tide is a white-knuckler with a cop-out ending. It's a thrill-a-minute ride that concludes with a whimper, like a roller-coaster that has all the drops and twists early. Make no mistake, this is a good source of early summer fun, but with a little extra imagination, it could have been a whole lot more. There seems to be a mentality in Hollywood to settle for something once it reaches a certain acceptable entertainment level. Why take a chance and "push the envelope"? Crimson Tide is a perfect example of this sort of thinking...Because of the contained environment, submarines make great settings for thrillers, with the throbbing of the engines sounding like a pulse. Crimson Tide is no exception -- the atmosphere alone is sufficient to keep the audience on edge. There's not a lot that's remarkable, ground-breaking, or earth-shattering about the production, but director Tony Scott (Top Gun, True Romance) shows a flair for the visual, and the result is an optimistic beginning to 1995's summer movie season. - James Berardinelli
Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
There's an early scene in "Crimson Tide" when the characters are playing a trivia game, remembering the stars of early submarine movies like "Run Silent, Run Deep." It's clever, showing how the crew members of the U.S. nuclear submarine Alabama have formed many of their images of the silent service at the movies...It's also daring: This movie is inviting comparison with the classics, and although it doesn't mention "Das Boot" or "The Hunt for Red October," it could have: This movie is in the same skillful tradition...In a large supporting cast, George Dzundza stands out as Cob, the officer who must side with Hunter or Ramsey, and who places proper procedure higher than his opinion of either man's position...His best scene comes as he monitors a depth gauge that shows the Alabama sinking to hull-crushing pressures. As it appears inevitable that the sub will be destroyed, he makes an interesting actor's choice: Instead of allowing his voice to grow tense or exciting, he flattens it into a disinterested monotone of resignation. That works even better to underline the tension...What's unique about "Crimson Tide" is that it doesn't offer clear-cut choices between good and evil. Hackman may be violating procedures, but perhaps he has good reasons. Washington, fearing to unleash war, may leave his country unprotected. - Roger Ebert
|
| |
|
|
|
