Sub-Log.com - Movie Reviews

Thunderball - DVD

Sat, 03 Sep 2005 13:56:29 -0400

- larger image -	Thunderball ASIN: B00000K0E9 Binding: DVD List price: $34.98 USD

Description

The most underwater themed of the Bond films, this fourth in the series stars Sean Connery as 007. Travel to the Bahamas as Bond works to recover nuclear weapons from a sunken British bomber. SPECTRE villian Emilio Largo and his henchmen make things interesting.

Category: adventure, fictional

Hero: Connery, I mean, James Bond

Rating: 4 Nemos

U-571

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 23:29:50 -0400

- larger image -	U-571 (Collector's Edition) ASIN: B00003CXHJ Binding: DVD List price: $9.99 USD Amazon price: $8.49 USD

Description

This action packed movie follows a fictional mission to recover a German Enigma encryption device. Good effects and suspense. Stars Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Harvey Keitel (as COB), and Jon Bon Jovi.

Category: fictional WWII submarine adventure

Boats: Type VII u-boat,

Overall: 3 Nemos

The Enemy Below - review

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 19:38:39 -0400

- larger image -	The Enemy Below ASIN: B0001NBMH6 Binding: DVD List price: $14.98 USD Amazon price: $10.49 USD

Description

Kurt Jurgens and Robert Mitchum star in this film from 1957. Also David Hedison, later of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," as the American executive officer. The entertaining story presents a battle of wits between an American destroyer captain (Mitchum) and a German u-boat skipper (Jurgens) set in a bright, clean view of WWII. Features probably the handsomest destroyer crew ever assembled and certainly the best-tanned u-boat captain. Good things include some interesting characters, interesting dialog and nice shots aboard the US destroyer. The u-boat is less well represented in terms of sets and equipment closeups. Good depth charge scenes and a nice sonar sound.

Has a clear anti-war message and also a vaguely anti-Hitler German captain with whom it's easy to empathise. Overall it contrasts strongly with Das Boot in terms of realism and grit although both films ultimately share a harsh view of u-boat life at war.

Category: fictional WWII chase drama

Realism: 3 (very deep dive in a Type VII, poor sub equipment)

Location: Atlantic Ocean

Boats: German Type VII, American destroyer

Heroes: clearly the German and American captains

Overall Rating: 3 Nemos

Below (DVD)

Sun, 14 Aug 2005 13:16:16 -0400

- larger image -	Below ASIN: B00005JKWG Binding: DVD List price: $14.99 USD Amazon price: $12.99 USD

Description

Category: WWII American submarine fictional story

Boats: US sub

Heroes: captain played by Bruce Greenwood

Location: north Atlantic

Director: David Twohy

Recommended, for its beautiful cinematography of a WWII-era American submarine and for the inclusion of lesser-known WWII anti-sub technologies. This is primarily a horror story/mystery set aboard a US submarine in the Atlantic but it does a better job of giving insight into sub operations than a number of 'pure' submarine films. Checkout the DVD extras for unused scenes; the hot torpedo is worth seeing.

Das Boot

Wed, 27 Jul 2005 17:48:43 -0400

- larger image -	Das Boot - The Director's Cut ASIN: 0767802470 Binding: DVD List price: $14.94 USD Amazon price: $9.99 USD

Description

Recommended, excellent, realistic film following a fictitious U-boat crew from their first mission and on through the difficult later years of WWII.

Category: WWII U-boat fictional story

Boats: German type VII U-boat

Heroes: the captain played by Jürgen Prochnow

Location: north Atlantic

Director: Wolfgang Petersen