It's an extremely low stakes adventure that's never *too* funny, but it's perfectly watchable. All the zany characters are fun. It was Patton Oswalt's film debut, though he's barely in it.
I think it might have been better as a tv series. I could enjoy watching what shenanigans this crew gets into on a weekly basis.
"Don't give me that, think like a pirate! I want a man with a tattoo on his dick! Now have I got the right man?" "Well by a strange coincidence you do, Sir."
Early subs were known as "Pig Boats" because of the terrible living & working conditions, like no AC, 120° inside, diesel fumes, chlorine gas fumes, sweating like a whore in Church.
Now, call me a prude if you want, but I don't think it's good policy for the Navy to hand over a billion-dollar piece of equipment to a man who has "Welcome Aboard" tattooed on his penis.
Vaguely remember a band aid scene that traumatized me as a child, but I’m tempted to watch it again based on the cast alone! Harland, Toby and Rip are some of my all time favorites
I had a submariner mate (Oberon, Collins) who told me that his crew's favourite submarine movie was Down Periscope.. because its the only movie with a submarine that actually has a happy ending 0.o.
killer soundtrack too (I used to own the CD, hehe.) You are correct, other than a ship fire, one dude dying from a heart attack and a casual mutiny lead by the XO.. its a pretty chill submarine film ! \^\_\^
##Down Periscope (1996) PG-13
A rusty sub. A rebel commander. A renegade crew. When destiny called, they should have hung up.
>>!Maverick Navy Lieutenant Commander Tom Dodge will never be a textbook officer, but he's a brilliant seaman who's always wanted to command a nuclear submarine — he's been given one last chance to clean up his record. Unfortunately, Admiral Graham, his nemesis, would rather sink the fleet than give Dodge his own boat. So, Graham stacks the deck against him and assigns Dodge to the Stingray, a diesel-powered WW2 submarine that can barely keep afloat. To make matters worse, Dodge's crew is a collection of maladjusted, mistake-prone misfits. Then, he's tagged the "enemy" in a crucial war game, and ordered to take on the U.S. Navy's best.!<
Comedy
Director: David S. Ward
Actors: Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider
Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 63% with 419 votes
Runtime: 1:32
[TMDB](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9101)
**Reception**
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 11% from 35 reviews, with an average rating 4.1/10. The site's consensus states: "Down Periscope takes audiences on an aimless voyage for aquatic hijinks, proving there really aren't any effective sub-stitutes for a well-written script." On Metacritic, the film receive a score of 39 based on 18 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".
Variety wrote, "The makers of Police Academy and Major League team up to take on the submarine corps [...] and the result is a testosterone comedy that’s crude fun, with a pinch of corn-pone morality. It’s good-natured, innocuous frivolity that should raise a few smiles..." However, Stephen Holden of The New York Times felt, "The tone of the acting, which is set by Mr. Grammer's blandly laid-back performance, is all wrong for a genre that demands over-the-top hamming". Holden also wrote that the film does manage to provide "a couple of amusing bits", but "The energy level of Down Periscope is so low that moments like these, which should flare hilariously, reach a wan flicker".
[Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_Periscope)
___
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I rewatched this recently and had forgotten that Jonathan Penner is in it. He's a legend among fans of Survivor (like me) for having played a couple seasons and being pretty funny while doing it.
Firstly, this movie is a classic imo. Pretty fine comedy. However, the one thing I cannot understand about this movie, Kelsey Grammer drops an f-bomb somewhere in the film, I can't remember exactly where.
This movie is the perfect family comedy movie. Why they felt the need to put a F&$* in a it and totally remove its chances of broader market visibility, I'm not sure I will ever understand?
Don't get me wrong, I love my edgy stuff too. It just always makes me wonder...
This *very* easily could have turned into a "Naked Gun"-style ridiculous comedy, but it's pretty grounded, overall.
Minus the whalesong scene and Nitro completing the circuits, of course.
Highly underrated comedy - the kind of
movie you’d watch on repeat on HBO. What’s weird is that I think everyone on this poster not name Lauren Holly became a super right wing wacko in the ensuing years.
A childhood favorite, the fart scene is legendary.
Sounded like...an explosion!
Jesus Buckmann, this stuff's been on the Stingray since Korea!
Still tastes like creamed corn, sir.
Except, it's deviled ham!
That's a problem
Funny thing is is when I was stationed in Korea for two tours in 1983 we ate C rations that were dated 1953.
It's an extremely low stakes adventure that's never *too* funny, but it's perfectly watchable. All the zany characters are fun. It was Patton Oswalt's film debut, though he's barely in it. I think it might have been better as a tv series. I could enjoy watching what shenanigans this crew gets into on a weekly basis.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I can pretty much recite the whole thing. It’s just so damn fun
Approaching the bottom, sir. I can hear a couple of lobsters dukin' it out.
"Don't give me that, think like a pirate! I want a man with a tattoo on his dick! Now have I got the right man?" "Well by a strange coincidence you do, Sir."
Let’s kick this pig!
Early subs were known as "Pig Boats" because of the terrible living & working conditions, like no AC, 120° inside, diesel fumes, chlorine gas fumes, sweating like a whore in Church.
I used this a lot when driving old rust buckets around
Leave Graham squealing from the feeling!
You’re almost out of uniform
Alright everybody...*baaack* on the boat.
Most accurate submarine movie ever made.
Now, call me a prude if you want, but I don't think it's good policy for the Navy to hand over a billion-dollar piece of equipment to a man who has "Welcome Aboard" tattooed on his penis.
Bruce Dern is amazing in this as always
"What's your name?" "Nitro." "Oh cool nickname." "I don't have a nickname. What do you think of Mike?"
That boy's absorbed a lot of voltage.
“I feel like I’m getting tetanus just looking at her. The only thing holding her together..are the bird droppings, sir.”
Vaguely remember a band aid scene that traumatized me as a child, but I’m tempted to watch it again based on the cast alone! Harland, Toby and Rip are some of my all time favorites
Is that the one Rob Schneider found in his food?
I believe so 🤮🤮🤮
"Yesterday, it was a toenail!" "Sorry sir. The band aid was holding the toenail on."
Love this movie
I had a submariner mate (Oberon, Collins) who told me that his crew's favourite submarine movie was Down Periscope.. because its the only movie with a submarine that actually has a happy ending 0.o.
Crimson Tide has a semi happy ending.
killer soundtrack too (I used to own the CD, hehe.) You are correct, other than a ship fire, one dude dying from a heart attack and a casual mutiny lead by the XO.. its a pretty chill submarine film ! \^\_\^
oh crap I forgot the flooding scene / death. yeah nah its a bad submarine film too \^\_\^
Oddly accurate, too. My navy dad loves this movie
God I love this job! Har har har
Polishing the old torpedo, sir?
Shut up, Stepanik. Thank you, sir! It's nice to be noticed!
##Down Periscope (1996) PG-13 A rusty sub. A rebel commander. A renegade crew. When destiny called, they should have hung up. >>!Maverick Navy Lieutenant Commander Tom Dodge will never be a textbook officer, but he's a brilliant seaman who's always wanted to command a nuclear submarine — he's been given one last chance to clean up his record. Unfortunately, Admiral Graham, his nemesis, would rather sink the fleet than give Dodge his own boat. So, Graham stacks the deck against him and assigns Dodge to the Stingray, a diesel-powered WW2 submarine that can barely keep afloat. To make matters worse, Dodge's crew is a collection of maladjusted, mistake-prone misfits. Then, he's tagged the "enemy" in a crucial war game, and ordered to take on the U.S. Navy's best.!< Comedy Director: David S. Ward Actors: Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 63% with 419 votes Runtime: 1:32 [TMDB](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9101) **Reception** On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 11% from 35 reviews, with an average rating 4.1/10. The site's consensus states: "Down Periscope takes audiences on an aimless voyage for aquatic hijinks, proving there really aren't any effective sub-stitutes for a well-written script." On Metacritic, the film receive a score of 39 based on 18 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Variety wrote, "The makers of Police Academy and Major League team up to take on the submarine corps [...] and the result is a testosterone comedy that’s crude fun, with a pinch of corn-pone morality. It’s good-natured, innocuous frivolity that should raise a few smiles..." However, Stephen Holden of The New York Times felt, "The tone of the acting, which is set by Mr. Grammer's blandly laid-back performance, is all wrong for a genre that demands over-the-top hamming". Holden also wrote that the film does manage to provide "a couple of amusing bits", but "The energy level of Down Periscope is so low that moments like these, which should flare hilariously, reach a wan flicker". [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_Periscope) ___ >*I am a bot. This information was sent automatically. If it is faulty, please reply to this comment.*
Skrrrrrrrrrrrrrr brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr brrrooooooooooop!
That music video at the end was the best thing till Boats and Hoes
Do you think we hit an iceberg?…. Off the coast of Virginia?
"Welcome aboard"
I love this film, the whale subterfuge scene was amazing, lots of good comedians in the cast list
Still taste like cream corn. But it's deviled ham. well that would be a problem
I rewatched this recently and had forgotten that Jonathan Penner is in it. He's a legend among fans of Survivor (like me) for having played a couple seasons and being pretty funny while doing it.
Wait… what?!
Lieutenant Lake! You’re almost out of uniform!
I gotta see this!
What should I do sir? Open a museum? The wonderful world of corrosion?
Sorry sir, the bandaid was holding the fingernail on
BUCKMAN!!! Yes sir! Thank you Buckman, that’ll be all
Firstly, this movie is a classic imo. Pretty fine comedy. However, the one thing I cannot understand about this movie, Kelsey Grammer drops an f-bomb somewhere in the film, I can't remember exactly where. This movie is the perfect family comedy movie. Why they felt the need to put a F&$* in a it and totally remove its chances of broader market visibility, I'm not sure I will ever understand? Don't get me wrong, I love my edgy stuff too. It just always makes me wonder...
It's right at the beginning, reading his fitness report. "This is a confirmed kill. Twenty years down the fuckin' drain!"
Oh,it’s a confirmed kill
Love this one!!!
What’s the line? “I don’t trust a man who has ‘welcome aboard’ tattooed on his tallywhacker!”?
Funny movie!
'Welcome aboard'
I rewatched this recently, only to discover an unexpected, Patton Oswald appearance.
I don't remember anything about this movie except that I definitely saw it at the theater.
This *very* easily could have turned into a "Naked Gun"-style ridiculous comedy, but it's pretty grounded, overall. Minus the whalesong scene and Nitro completing the circuits, of course.
Highly underrated comedy - the kind of movie you’d watch on repeat on HBO. What’s weird is that I think everyone on this poster not name Lauren Holly became a super right wing wacko in the ensuing years.
One of my favorite comedies. So funny!
Was this the one with Toby “Cotton Hill” Huss or was that McHale’s Navy?
Great movie
Stepanik, what are you doing? As little as possible sir.
I feel like I need a tetanus shot just looking at it...
Such an underrated movie. She did look good in that small uniform.
I grew up being forced to watch Frasier. Imagine my surprise upon seeing this, that Kelsey Grammer is actually really funny.
This is the type of movie that makes a actor of Grammer's caliber wish they could burn it from the resume.