Customer Reviews

USS Poseidon - Phantom Below

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Be warned ! This is the edited version of the movie that originally appeared on "here-tv"(the gay television station). This version does not contain at least two scenes where Adrian Paul and Mike Doyle are kissing (they are lovers). The movie was originally titled, "Tides of War." Another scene edited out is when Catherine Dent's character tells Adrian Paul's character that she has found the letters that he sent to Mike Doyle's character.
I rate this version of the movie 1 star for editing those scenes. The original version shown on here tv was a 5 star.

In all fairness, I watched the movie twice and realized it was the stiff, flat dialogue that drug the movie down. There were some good action scenes, and I liked the basic plot, so it's a shame there weren't a few more revisions to the script dealing with the characters. I think this could've been a fantastic action movie with just a little tweaking. The conversations made the actors sound 'stock'. This is a good example of why fantastic editors are worth their weight in gold.
Chrissy K. McVay - Author

Commander of a submarine, whose lover happens to be his XO are tracking a new type of submarine in the waters off of North Korea. One touching scene between the Commander and XO/lover. Adrian Paul does a good job as usual. Realistic setting. Gay was not an issue is this, don't ask/don't tell didn't come up.

So, I made the assumption that this was a submarine centered movie that would appeal to people with an interest in naval combat... and my god was I wrong. There is plenty of underwater 'action', sure, but it is the kind of random, unrealistic stuff you'd expect from a Sci-Fi channel TV movie. I'm not going to complain about the special effects and cgi, because I understand that it's a very low budget film, but I WILL complain about the complete lack of research done by the filmakers concerning the way a submarine operates.

It starts with a US fast-attack sub positioning for an attack on land targets in North Korea (not the normal role of a fast-attack sub). Then the action proceeds into several scenes of the sub being chased through steep, narrow underwater trenches, navigating with... magic?... certainly not active sonar... by an enemy stealth submarine (Hunt for Red October, anyone?? Except believe me, you'd rather just re-watch that movie than watch this one for the first time). There is no spatial sense of where each sub is... the crew keep calling out bearings which I realized near the end of the movie were literally random numbers between 0 and 359, not any meaningful directions (for instance, a sonarman says 'It's off to our starboard at bearing 190'. Think about that for a second. 190 is to the stern, port side. In other situations, a sub that was just shown to be 2000 yards behind the protagonists in a poorly rendered cgi cutscene, bumping on their towed array, is stated as being '5000 yards bearing 60 degrees'...) There is also never an attempt to face the target when firing torpedoes... apparently these are magic torpedoes that turn all the way around 180 and don't lock onto your own sub, I don't know. Oh, and they use GPS while 500 feet underwater.

Anyway, it's just a preposterous movie, and I really can't figure out who the target audience is anyway... maybe it was originally a decent 'drama', but the 'gay scenes' and any gay undertones have been edited out completely, and the majority of the time is spent on embarrasingly unrealistic combat which really will seem preposterous to anyone mildly acquainted with sub warfare.

I bought the movie beacuse Adrian Paul was in it. Adrian Paul fans will love it. He looked very good in the uniform and he played the role of the Captain very well. I read the other reviews for USS Poseidon-Phantom Below, and I did not know that there was supposed to be any gay element in the movie. That the commander had just lost his best friend in a tragic accident that he felt responsibility for as the captain was the only message that I got. It seems that the movie was edited from the origional,Tides of War. At any rate, the story could have focused more on the phantom submarine that hunted them but overall it was an enjoyable movie and well worth what I paid for it used.

Remember back in high school when students put on a play and all the students delivered their lines without any feeling or emotion? This movie is just like that.

Also certain aspects of the story just make no sense. For instance some people in the Navy (like the submarine's new executive officer) do everything in their power to keep Commander Habley from proving that there really is a North Korean sub out there with stealth technology. Why do they go to such extreme lengths to keep this stealth sub a secret? Their actions are never explained. Dont waste your time with this movie.

I originally saw this movie on the Heretv! network and loved it. Adrian Paul is a dream both visually and as an actor. However, the editing on this to convert the film from gay-themed to straight really ruined the movie in my opinion. It was choppy, and sometimes the storyline didn't make sense. Hopefully the original Heretv production will be released on DVD.

This movie borders on terrible. First, they can't even wear proper rank insignia. You've got Casper Van Diem, who's supposed to be a Captain, wearing Petty Officer Second Class insignia on his collar. Next, the Chief of the Boat, who's supposed to a Command Master Chief Petty Office, is wearing Lt.'s bars in one scene.

The movie is f***ing terrible.

Some people did not like this film but I did,It's a pretty good submarine film,sure it's no Das Boot or U-571 but it's still a good submarine movie starring Highlander's Adrian Paul. Adam 12's Kent McCord also appears. The depth charges sound pretty awesome in 5.1 surround and give your sound system quite a workout!!! A+

I like submarine movies.

Here the acting is wooden. The special effects are quite good. The story needs work. Overall the story is too short. It needs work eg whose mysterious submarine was it and what was its mission. The story could have used a few extra scenes.

Some of the twists are quite unbelievable eg the way they get the caption to go on the second mission and the way the XO behaves on the mission.


There are much better submarine movies out there but this is worth seeing.