THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 8, 1996 TAG: 9603080783
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E9 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
SUBMARINE TACTICS offshore from Norfolk are at the center of ``Down Periscope,'' a comedy that was expected to be off-color, raucous and utterly tasteless. After all, it is co-written by Hugh Wilson who churned out the increasingly soft-minded ``Police Academy'' movies.
The surprising thing is that this submerged effort is uncommonly level-headed. It is even more surprising that there is some effort to make the Navy tactics somewhat plausible. For its genre, ``Down Periscope'' is remarkably un-wacky.
Kelsey Grammer (of TV's ``Frasier''), as he's presented here, is more a leading man than a comic. He's a mildly rebellious type who has been passed over for promotion constantly even though during the film's war games he's shown to be knowledgeable and even courageous. Given a rusty World War II diesel-powered submarine to command, he and his crew of misfits must compete against a super-equipped nuclear sub.
It's the old underdog plot as the misfits first beat the big guys in a mock attack upon Charleston, S.C. Then the trick is to maneuver through the entire nuclear armada in Norfolk harbor and embarrass the villainous admiral, played with menace rather than comedy by Bruce Dern. There is also a ``good'' admiral, played by Rip Torn.
There's much talk about the Norfolk location, but according to the credits, it was all filmed in California. Couldn't Kelsey and crew make the trip? The California location choice must have the Virginia Film Commission gritting its teeth. The film has been doing brisk business locally.
The crew includes Lauren Holly as the first woman dive officer on board a sub. She is the subject of many off-color comments, although, of course, she proves to be both competent and inclined to give the captain a kiss.
There is the requisite flatulence joke, and an electrician who pieces together wires by using his body as a conductor. There is a radio man who listens to whales.
The proceedings never run either silent or deep.
All this was to be expected. What was unexpected is that the film, under the direction of David S. Ward (``Major League''), actually takes itself seriously for scenes at a time. There is some hint that researchers even attempted to get the Navy jargon accurate. There is a surprising display of subs and other ships, as well as electrical equipment. Some of the vessels are obviously miniatures but, nonetheless, the film is visually ambitious.
Even Bruce Dern seems to be playing it seriously rather than going over the top as comic villains usually do.
Through it all, the TV star reacts blandly to indelicacies obviously intended to be more outrageous than they are.
The good news is that ``Down Periscope'' is more classy and ambitious than you'd expect. (In fact, it's almost an adventure rather than a comedy). The bad news, to prospective hellraisers, is that it's persistently bland. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
MOVIE REVIEW
``Down Periscope''
Cast: Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider, Ken Hudson
Campbell, Harry Dean Stanton, Bruce Dern, Rip Torn
Director: David S. Ward
Screenplay: Hugh Wilson, Andrew Kurtzman and Eliot Wald
Music: Randy Edelman
MPAA rating: PG-13 (some language, mildly off-color)
Mal's rating: Two 1/2 stars
Locations: Columbus, Lynnhaven 8, Surf-N-Sand, Kemps River in
Virginia Beach; Janaf in Norfolk; Cinemark Movies 10, Regal
Greenbrier in Chesapeake
by CNB