Unfortunately Sub Down isn't on the air any time soon.
Programme Information
It might have been simpler in the Cold War, with the bad guys wearing red with a little gold hammer and sickle, but the dynamics since the fall of the Berlin Wall are a whole lot more interesting. The Americans are, of course, their own worst enemy - Congressmen have ordered a nuclear attack sub to take aboard a group of scientists and the Navy doesn't like it.
The civilians, Tom Conti, Stephen Baldwin and Gabrielle Anwar (the beautiful tango-ing girl from Scent Of A Woman) do not fit well with the sailors on board (Chris Mulkey, Tony Plana). There is already tension between the two factions - Captain Kirsch is married to Conti's ex-wife.
Kirsch raises the stakes further by going head to head with a Russki. "Range is a thousand yards and closing fast." There's a lot of talk of "steady as she goes" and at 25 yards, the Russian pulls out of its collision course. The Americans celebrate by pinging surf music at the opposition.
The real tension doesn't kick in until the civilians go out on a mission in the tiny submersible attached to the submarine. The submersible's sonar interferes with the American mother ship's own listening apparatus, and the Russians take advantage of the confusion and move in. After a collision between the two ex-Cold War craft, it's up to the civilians to take control of a damaged American vessel and bring the sailors to safety.
For action junkies, there is enough collision, fire and flood to keep you entertained. For those who like some background to their nuclear fistfights, there is an attempt to grapple with the problems of an armed service dealing with the needs of peacetime. If you don't subscribe to either of those, Conti and Baldwin are an engaging pair of fellows and Anwar is a sight for sore eyes.
Director of photography Hiro Narita has direct experience of this military and intelligence world. He worked in the Pentagon at the height of the Cold War as a graphic designer.
Film
(2 Star)
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