Down Periscope

Down Periscope is a 1996 American submarine/military comedy film from 20th Century Fox, produced by Robert Lawrence, directed by David S. Ward, that stars Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, and Rob Schneider. The film co-stars Bruce Dern, Harry Dean Stanton, William H. Macy, and Rip Torn.

Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge fights to save his naval career while also being saddled with a group of misfit seamen brought together as the crew of his first command, USS Stingray, a rusty, obsolete World War II-era diesel submarine recommissioned to participate in a special naval war game.

Plot
Lt. Commander Thomas Dodge is being considered for a third time for submarine command. He has previously been passed over for his unorthodox command methods, a "brushing" incident with a Russian submarine, and a genital tattoo he acquired on shore leave, while drunk, following the incident. Another selection denial will result in Dodge being dropped from the Navy's command program. Rear Admiral Yancy Graham, who dislikes Dodge, especially speaks out against Dodge's command promotion.

Vice Admiral Dean Winslow, ComSubLant, likes Dodge and his unorthodox methods. He taps the Lt. Commander to participate in an upcoming war game to test the Navy's defenses against attack from diesel-powered submarines Russia has recently been selling off to America's adversaries. Dodge is given command of the World War II-era Balao-classdiesel-powered submarine USS Stingray. Dodge's orders are to "invade" Charleston harbor without being detected and, if successful, to sink a dummy ship in Norfolk harbor with two live torpedoes. Dodge is reluctant to participate, but he offers Winslow a wager: If he successfully completes both tasks, Winslow will give him a proper submarine command. The admiral agrees to seriously consider it, if Dodge succeeds, while also telling him to "throw out the book" and to "think like a pirate".

Admiral Graham, who boasts he has never lost a war game, handpicks a "crew from hell" for Stingray: hot-tempered, uptight Lt. Martin Pascal as the Executive Officer; crusty civilian naval contractor Howard as Chief Engineer; rebellious Engineman 1st Class Brad Stepanek; sharp-eared Sonarman 2nd Class E.T. "Sonar" Lovacelli; compulsive gambler Seaman Stanley "Spots" Sylvesterson; former college basketball player Seaman Jefferson "R.J." Jackson; shock-addled Electrician's Mate Nitro; and not-so-Culinary SpecialistSecond Class Buckman as Stingray's cook. Graham also selects Lt. Emily Lake to serve as the sub's Diving Officer as part of a special program to see if women can successfully serve in submarines.

Using unorthodox tactics and taking advantage of an Atlantic storm, Dodge and his crew sneak into Charleston Harbor and set off signal flares. Upset at losing the first part of the game, Graham reduces the war game containment area by half without Admiral Winslow's authorization. Failing to penetrate Norfolk Harbor, Dodge leaves the containment area, heading out to sea and cutting off all contact with the Navy, causing Pascal to attempt to take command of Stingray. The crew does not support Pascal, and so Dodge charges him with mutiny. Wearing mock-buccaneer outfits and talking like pirates, Dodge and crew force the blindfolded Pascal to walk the plank into the raised net of a fishing trawler that will take him ashore.

Graham assumes personal command of submarine Orlando, in which Dodge had previously served as Executive Officer. Dodge employs an incredibly dangerous maneuver to sneak past the ships and aircraft protecting Norfolk and to get a head start on his opponents. Orlando locates and chases Stingray down, but before a shooting solution is obtained, Dodge is able to fire his two live torpedoes at 900 yards (820 m) into the target ship at Norfolk, winning the war game for Stingray.

Returning to port, Graham is chastised by Admiral Winslow for his actions and denied a promotion. Winslow informs Dodge that he will now be placed in command of a new Seawolf-class submarine with a proper crew. Dodge respectfully requests that his entire Stingray crew be transferred with him. Dodge dismisses his crew to begin a well-earned shore leave. As Dodge and Lake leave the dock, she poses a query now that they know each other: "What exactly is this 'tattoo' I keep hearing about?".

Cast

 * Kelsey Grammer as Lt. Commander Thomas "Tom" Dodge, Commanding Officer, USS Stingray
 * Lauren Holly as Lt. Emily Lake, Diving Officer
 * Rob Schneider as Lt. Martin T. "Marty" Pascal, Executive Officer
 * Harry Dean Stanton as Howard, Chief Engineer of Stingray
 * Rip Torn as Vice Admiral Dean Winslow, Commander, Submarine Force, US Navy Atlantic Fleet (ComSubLant)
 * Bruce Dern as Rear Admiral Yancy Graham, Blue Team leader of the war game
 * William H. Macy as Commander Carl Knox, Commanding Officer USS Orlando
 * Ken Hudson Campbell as Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Buckman, Stingray 's Cook
 * Toby Huss as Electrician's Mate Nitro "Mike", Electrician of USS Stingray
 * Duane Martin as Seaman 1st Class Jefferson "Stoneball" Jackson, Planesman
 * Jonathan Penner as Seaman Stanley "Spots" Sylvesterson, Helmsman
 * Bradford Tatum as Engineman 1st Class Brad Stepanak, Stingray's leading engineman and Admiral Winslow's son
 * Harland Williams as Sonarman 2nd Class E.T. "Sonar" Lovacelli, Sonar Technician
 * Patton Oswalt as Stingray Radioman

Production notes
The name of the film is a play on the title of the 1959 World War II drama Up Periscope and spoofs several titles in the submarine film subgenre, including the Cold War drama The Hunt for Red October.[3]

Down Periscope began shooting on May 6, 1995 and finished on July 27.[4]

USS Pampanito, a Balao-class submarine from World War II, now a museum ship and memorial in San Francisco, played the part of USS Stingray. The nearby Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet stood in for Naval Station Norfolk.

The film makes use of both standard US Navy stock footage as well as scenes shot specifically for the film. The target ship that is torpedoed and sunk, ending the film's war-game, is both naval stock footage of the USS Fletcher and a prop shooting miniature. Fletcher was one of the most decorated ships in US Navy history. Over the closing credits a music video is shown of the Village People and the film's cast performing "In the Navy" aboard the Stingray.

Release
Down Periscope had its US theatrical release on March 1, 1996.[4] The film grossed $25,785,603 domestically and $37,553,752 worldwide. The film was released five months later on home video on August 6, 1996.[4]

Reception
Critical reception for the film was generally negative. At review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score 12% from 33 reviews, with an average rating 3.8/10.[5]

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 furthermore 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."[6]