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In the Navy: Action on the High Seas

  • "Battleship" - As Peter Berg's explosion-stravaganza "Battleship" briefly alludes to, the titular war vessels featured in the movie don't really get much use anymore. The whole airplane and submarine thing sort of rendered the massive ships useless, which is why taking a battleship up against an alien vessel that can both fly and submerge just seems like a bad idea. Fair enough, Taylor Kitsch: The "museum" ship is your last line of defence. But come on, where's your historical perspective? Oh right, this is a summer movie from the same producers as "Transformers" that is based on a board game. Logic doesn't enter into this action packed equation.
    1/8

    In the Navy: Action on the High Seas

    "Battleship" - As Peter Berg's explosion-stravaganza "Battleship" briefly alludes to, the titular war vessels featured in the movie don't really get much use anymore. The whole airplane and submarine thing sort of rendered the massive ships useless, which is why taking a battleship up against an alien vessel that can both fly and submerge just seems like a bad idea. Fair enough, Taylor Kitsch: The "museum" ship is your last line of defence. But come on, where's your historical perspective? Oh right, this is a summer movie from the same producers as "Transformers" that is based on a board game. Logic doesn't enter into this action packed equation.
  • "The Final Countdown" - "Battleship" isn't the first movie to combine science fiction with the United States Navy. The 1980 sci-fi film "The Final Countdown," starring Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen, might take that crown. While on a routine patrol, the state-of-the-art aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is mysteriously transported back to late 1941 and given an opportunity to change history. It's the day before the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbour. With full knowledge of how the Second World War plays out and a 39-year technological advantage, the Nimitz and her crew could easily stop the attack from ever happening. The only question that remains: Should they?
    2/8

    In the Navy: Action on the High Seas

    "The Final Countdown" - "Battleship" isn't the first movie to combine science fiction with the United States Navy. The 1980 sci-fi film "The Final Countdown," starring Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen, might take that crown. While on a routine patrol, the state-of-the-art aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is mysteriously transported back to late 1941 and given an opportunity to change history. It's the day before the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbour. With full knowledge of how the Second World War plays out and a 39-year technological advantage, the Nimitz and her crew could easily stop the attack from ever happening. The only question that remains: Should they?
  • "Das Boot" - "The Perfect Storm" and "Poseidon" director Wolfgang Petersen clearly has some hang-ups about the ocean. His first aquatic tour de force was a doozy - the 1981 submarine epic "Das Boot." The film follows the crew of U-96, a German U-boat (an attack submarine) as it patrols the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Second World War. It's a trying and claustrophobic movie experience with easily one of the most bleak endings ever put to celluloid. Never flashy but always engrossing, "Das Boot" is also a long haul - and we don't mean the length of the ship. The uncut version of the film clocks in at close to five hours!
    3/8

    In the Navy: Action on the High Seas

    "Das Boot" - "The Perfect Storm" and "Poseidon" director Wolfgang Petersen clearly has some hang-ups about the ocean. His first aquatic tour de force was a doozy - the 1981 submarine epic "Das Boot." The film follows the crew of U-96, a German U-boat (an attack submarine) as it patrols the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Second World War. It's a trying and claustrophobic movie experience with easily one of the most bleak endings ever put to celluloid. Never flashy but always engrossing, "Das Boot" is also a long haul - and we don't mean the length of the ship. The uncut version of the film clocks in at close to five hours!
  • "Top Gun" - While you may not immediately think of boats when you think of "Top Gun," Tony Scott's bromantic dogfighter flick is about US naval aviators, after all. Tom Cruise is "Maverick," a hot shot F-14 Tomcat who must balance a romance with his instructor, the loss of a friend, and his own personal shortcomings to become "Top Gun" at the Navy's elite Fighter Weapons School. Director Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer were given unprecedented access by the US Navy for the filming of "Top Gun" -- no CGI here. Every jet and ship is the real thing, something that would be unheard of in a modern Hollywood blockbuster. Let's just hope they go this route if the long rumoured "Top Gun 2" ever gets off the ground.
    4/8

    In the Navy: Action on the High Seas

    "Top Gun" - While you may not immediately think of boats when you think of "Top Gun," Tony Scott's bromantic dogfighter flick is about US naval aviators, after all. Tom Cruise is "Maverick," a hot shot F-14 Tomcat who must balance a romance with his instructor, the loss of a friend, and his own personal shortcomings to become "Top Gun" at the Navy's elite Fighter Weapons School. Director Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer were given unprecedented access by the US Navy for the filming of "Top Gun" -- no CGI here. Every jet and ship is the real thing, something that would be unheard of in a modern Hollywood blockbuster. Let's just hope they go this route if the long rumoured "Top Gun 2" ever gets off the ground.
  • "The Hunt for Red October" - The film that introduced audiences to Tom Clancy's go-to character, CIA analyst Jack Ryan, also introduced them to the world's only Scottish-Russian submarine captain. Ryan is played by Alec Baldwin (the character would subsequently be played twice by Harrison Ford, once by Ben Affleck, and next by Chris Pine), while the sub's captain, Marko Ramius, is played by Sean Connery, who refuses to put on a Russian accent like the rest of the cast. The film follows the attempted defection of the crew of a cutting-edge Russian sub - Red October - to the United States at the end of the Cold War. Ramius' actions could start World War 3, so the CIA sends Ryan to help the veteran commander.
    5/8

    In the Navy: Action on the High Seas

    "The Hunt for Red October" - The film that introduced audiences to Tom Clancy's go-to character, CIA analyst Jack Ryan, also introduced them to the world's only Scottish-Russian submarine captain. Ryan is played by Alec Baldwin (the character would subsequently be played twice by Harrison Ford, once by Ben Affleck, and next by Chris Pine), while the sub's captain, Marko Ramius, is played by Sean Connery, who refuses to put on a Russian accent like the rest of the cast. The film follows the attempted defection of the crew of a cutting-edge Russian sub - Red October - to the United States at the end of the Cold War. Ramius' actions could start World War 3, so the CIA sends Ryan to help the veteran commander.
  • "Under Siege" - If the criterion for this list is that there be a boat and some kind of action, then the Steven Segal classic "Under Siege" definitely qualifies. When the recently decommissioned battleship USS Missouri (also featured in "Battleship") is taken over by a band of mercenaries who wish to unleash its nuclear arsenal, it's up to Chief Petty Officer and former Navy SEAL Casey Ryback (Segal) to stop them with an assortment of knives and martial arts. Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey lead the bandits, and in Jones' case, it's a rare instance of somebody "out-crazying" Busey in a movie. Oscar worthy stuff (not really).
    6/8

    In the Navy: Action on the High Seas

    "Under Siege" - If the criterion for this list is that there be a boat and some kind of action, then the Steven Segal classic "Under Siege" definitely qualifies. When the recently decommissioned battleship USS Missouri (also featured in "Battleship") is taken over by a band of mercenaries who wish to unleash its nuclear arsenal, it's up to Chief Petty Officer and former Navy SEAL Casey Ryback (Segal) to stop them with an assortment of knives and martial arts. Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey lead the bandits, and in Jones' case, it's a rare instance of somebody "out-crazying" Busey in a movie. Oscar worthy stuff (not really).
  • "Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World" - Navies have been around a long time. For almost as long as mankind has had boats, we've been putting dudes with weapons on board them. Modern warships use diesel engines and nuclear reactors to power themselves, but there was a more romantic time when vessels were powered only by the wind. "Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World" is set in such a time, during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century. Based on the novels of Patrick O'Brian, the film stars Russell Crowe ("Gladiator") as Captain Jack Aubrey, commander of the British corvette HMS Surprise. The ship is ordered to find the French privateer vessel Archeron and "Sink, burn, or take her a prize." Not a single pirate in sight; just solid high seas adventure.
    7/8

    In the Navy: Action on the High Seas

    "Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World" - Navies have been around a long time. For almost as long as mankind has had boats, we've been putting dudes with weapons on board them. Modern warships use diesel engines and nuclear reactors to power themselves, but there was a more romantic time when vessels were powered only by the wind. "Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World" is set in such a time, during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century. Based on the novels of Patrick O'Brian, the film stars Russell Crowe ("Gladiator") as Captain Jack Aubrey, commander of the British corvette HMS Surprise. The ship is ordered to find the French privateer vessel Archeron and "Sink, burn, or take her a prize." Not a single pirate in sight; just solid high seas adventure.
  • "Run Silent, Run Deep" - One of the most realistic depictions of submarine life and warfare until "Das Boot" was released in 1981, 1958's "Run Silent Run Deep" is a sub movie that echoes Melville's famous tale of "Moby Dick." Commander P.J. Richardson (Clarke Gable) is a veteran submarine captain whose last boat was sunk by a Japanese destroyer in the Pacific. With a new boat and a new crew, Richardson sets out to hunt and destroy the Japanese ship, but his single-minded obsession quickly puts him at odds with his new second in command, Lt. Jim Bledsoe (Burt Lancaster). The film is one of Gable's last and best performances, and Lancaster is no slouch either. "Run Silent, Run Deep" is as much about the battle between the two men for control of the ship and her crew, as it is about Richardson's blind quest for vengeance.
    8/8

    In the Navy: Action on the High Seas

    "Run Silent, Run Deep" - One of the most realistic depictions of submarine life and warfare until "Das Boot" was released in 1981, 1958's "Run Silent Run Deep" is a sub movie that echoes Melville's famous tale of "Moby Dick." Commander P.J. Richardson (Clarke Gable) is a veteran submarine captain whose last boat was sunk by a Japanese destroyer in the Pacific. With a new boat and a new crew, Richardson sets out to hunt and destroy the Japanese ship, but his single-minded obsession quickly puts him at odds with his new second in command, Lt. Jim Bledsoe (Burt Lancaster). The film is one of Gable's last and best performances, and Lancaster is no slouch either. "Run Silent, Run Deep" is as much about the battle between the two men for control of the ship and her crew, as it is about Richardson's blind quest for vengeance.
"Battleship" - As Peter Berg's explosion-stravaganza "Battleship" briefly alludes to, the titular war vessels featured in the movie don't really get much use anymore. The whole airplane and submarine thing sort of rendered the massive ships useless, which is why taking a battleship up against an alien vessel that can both fly and submerge just seems like a bad idea. Fair enough, Taylor Kitsch: The "museum" ship is your last line of defence. But come on, where's your historical perspective? Oh right, this is a summer movie from the same producers as "Transformers" that is based on a board game. Logic doesn't enter into this action packed equation.
"The Final Countdown" - "Battleship" isn't the first movie to combine science fiction with the United States Navy. The 1980 sci-fi film "The Final Countdown," starring Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen, might take that crown. While on a routine patrol, the state-of-the-art aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is mysteriously transported back to late 1941 and given an opportunity to change history. It's the day before the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbour. With full knowledge of how the Second World War plays out and a 39-year technological advantage, the Nimitz and her crew could easily stop the attack from ever happening. The only question that remains: Should they?
"Das Boot" - "The Perfect Storm" and "Poseidon" director Wolfgang Petersen clearly has some hang-ups about the ocean. His first aquatic tour de force was a doozy - the 1981 submarine epic "Das Boot." The film follows the crew of U-96, a German U-boat (an attack submarine) as it patrols the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Second World War. It's a trying and claustrophobic movie experience with easily one of the most bleak endings ever put to celluloid. Never flashy but always engrossing, "Das Boot" is also a long haul - and we don't mean the length of the ship. The uncut version of the film clocks in at close to five hours!
"Top Gun" - While you may not immediately think of boats when you think of "Top Gun," Tony Scott's bromantic dogfighter flick is about US naval aviators, after all. Tom Cruise is "Maverick," a hot shot F-14 Tomcat who must balance a romance with his instructor, the loss of a friend, and his own personal shortcomings to become "Top Gun" at the Navy's elite Fighter Weapons School. Director Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer were given unprecedented access by the US Navy for the filming of "Top Gun" -- no CGI here. Every jet and ship is the real thing, something that would be unheard of in a modern Hollywood blockbuster. Let's just hope they go this route if the long rumoured "Top Gun 2" ever gets off the ground.
"The Hunt for Red October" - The film that introduced audiences to Tom Clancy's go-to character, CIA analyst Jack Ryan, also introduced them to the world's only Scottish-Russian submarine captain. Ryan is played by Alec Baldwin (the character would subsequently be played twice by Harrison Ford, once by Ben Affleck, and next by Chris Pine), while the sub's captain, Marko Ramius, is played by Sean Connery, who refuses to put on a Russian accent like the rest of the cast. The film follows the attempted defection of the crew of a cutting-edge Russian sub - Red October - to the United States at the end of the Cold War. Ramius' actions could start World War 3, so the CIA sends Ryan to help the veteran commander.
"Under Siege" - If the criterion for this list is that there be a boat and some kind of action, then the Steven Segal classic "Under Siege" definitely qualifies. When the recently decommissioned battleship USS Missouri (also featured in "Battleship") is taken over by a band of mercenaries who wish to unleash its nuclear arsenal, it's up to Chief Petty Officer and former Navy SEAL Casey Ryback (Segal) to stop them with an assortment of knives and martial arts. Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey lead the bandits, and in Jones' case, it's a rare instance of somebody "out-crazying" Busey in a movie. Oscar worthy stuff (not really).
"Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World" - Navies have been around a long time. For almost as long as mankind has had boats, we've been putting dudes with weapons on board them. Modern warships use diesel engines and nuclear reactors to power themselves, but there was a more romantic time when vessels were powered only by the wind. "Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World" is set in such a time, during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century. Based on the novels of Patrick O'Brian, the film stars Russell Crowe ("Gladiator") as Captain Jack Aubrey, commander of the British corvette HMS Surprise. The ship is ordered to find the French privateer vessel Archeron and "Sink, burn, or take her a prize." Not a single pirate in sight; just solid high seas adventure.
"Run Silent, Run Deep" - One of the most realistic depictions of submarine life and warfare until "Das Boot" was released in 1981, 1958's "Run Silent Run Deep" is a sub movie that echoes Melville's famous tale of "Moby Dick." Commander P.J. Richardson (Clarke Gable) is a veteran submarine captain whose last boat was sunk by a Japanese destroyer in the Pacific. With a new boat and a new crew, Richardson sets out to hunt and destroy the Japanese ship, but his single-minded obsession quickly puts him at odds with his new second in command, Lt. Jim Bledsoe (Burt Lancaster). The film is one of Gable's last and best performances, and Lancaster is no slouch either. "Run Silent, Run Deep" is as much about the battle between the two men for control of the ship and her crew, as it is about Richardson's blind quest for vengeance.

By Will Perkins