The Final Countdown (1980)

Again Time Travel, and again the Time Travel Paradox. The film (unrelated to the well-known pop song) tells the story of the USS Nimitz, a modern aircraft carrier that - during a heavy thunderstorm - passes through a time warp and ends up near Pearl Harbor, on the eve of the Japanese attack. Should Captain Kirk Douglas and his crew take action, prevent the destruction of Pearl Harbor and change history?

The Final Countdown was produced on a limited budget; as a result the special effects are awful, but the US Navy (who reportedly liked the premise) gave permission to shoot scenes on the actual aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. We get several spectacular scenes of planes landing on the aircraft deck and crew members serve as extra's, which adds to the feeling of authenticity. 

But what about the story? Well, Captain Kirk and his staff have elaborate discussions about the situation. Is it real? Is it possible to intervene? As one of the characters puts it:

"If I go back in time to kill my grandfather, how could I ever be born, and if I was never born, how could I ever go back in time?"

In order words: if we alter history, what would happen to us? Or to our relatives, friends and allies? The attack on Pearl Harbor gave US President Roosevelt an excuse to enter the Second World War, and provided him with a perfect argument to convince isolationists. How would WWII have progressed without US involvement? How would post-war Western European countries have looked like? Would they have suffered a Nazi dictatorship? Become Soviet satellite stated maybe? As said, these problems are never discussed, only vaguely hinted at by the introduction of the fictional character of a US senator (played by Charles Durning) who shares Roosevelt's views and wants the USS Nimitz to intercept the Japanese fleet.

The direction is workmanlike and with its lackluster special effects the film may look like an extended episode of The Twilight Zone, but thanks to some clever plotting and some good performances it's remarkably enjoyable ... until the finale, or better: the lack of it. Movies about the time travel paradox often have a sort of cop out ending, and this one's no exception: after careful consideration Captain Kirk takes a decision and we seem to be heading for a spectacular showdown, but no, all of sudden he has second thoughts and withdraws his decision. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.

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The Final Countdown (1980, Don Taylor) - Cast: Kirk Douglas (Capt. Yelland), Martin Sheen (Lasky), Katherine Ross (Laurel Scott), James Farentino (Wing Commander Owens), Charles Durning (Senator Chapman), Sonn Tek-Oh (Simura), Alvin Ing (Lt. Kajima)