DOWN PERISCOPE
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1996 Michael John Legeros
(Fox)
Directed by David S. Ward
Written by Hugh Wilson, Andrew Kurtzman, and Eliot Wald
Cast Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider, Harry Dean
Stanton, Bruce Dern, Rip Torn
MPAA Rating "PG-13"
Running Time 93 minutes
Reviewed at General Cinemas at Pleasant Valley, Raleigh, NC (2MAR96)
==
This cornball combo of CRIMSON TIDE and STRIPES plays far better than it deserves to. Television star Kelsey Grammer-- known to millions as the beloved Sideshow Bob on "The Simpsons"-- makes his feature-film debut as an unorthodox military officer who must win a war game to prove that he's worthy of his own command. Sound familiar? (Among other things, he must whip a misfit crew into shipshape shape. Yawn. The same plot is used in Jonathan Lynn's SGT. BILKO, which stars Steve Martin and opens later this month.)
DOWN PERISCOPE takes about 45 minutes to get up to laugh-out-loud speed. Grammer's subdued performance is hard to fathom at first, but an extended "silent running" sequence-- near the middle of the movie-- marks the transition from "mildly amusing" to "infectious fun." The bland ensemble cast finally begins to gel over a couple of good sonar gags and one hilarious bit of flatulence. (Some semi-serious submarine stalking is also fun, despite the obvious stock footage. Think Tom Clancy lite.)
Grammer considerations aside, the rest of the cast is exceptionally unexceptional. Even Rip Torn's Admiral doesn't add much, though he *does* get to growl the memorable line: "I want a man with a tattoo on his dick!" (Don't ask; it's a plot point.) The jokes directed at Lauren Holly-- as the lone female crew member-- are equally non- PC, but who can argue with a movie that has the chutzpah to include both a rallying rendition of "Anchor's Aweigh" and a music video of Kelsey Grammer and the Village People singing "In the Navy?"
I won't ask any questions.
Grade: C+
--
Mike Legeros - Raleigh, NC
legeros@nando.net (h) - legeros@unx.sas.com (w)
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