Trailers
Description
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.
Starring
Key opinion
Down Periscope is a divisive 90s comedy that earns high praise from nostalgia-driven fans for its ensemble cast and lighthearted spirit, while detractors find its humor forced and its parody elements ineffective. While some viewers celebrate its witty, character-driven charm and lack of vulgarity, others dismiss it as a lackluster entry in the sub-genre that fails to measure up to its predecessors like Police Academy.
| Acting | The ensemble cast, led by Kelsey Grammer, creates a charismatic and memorable crew dynamic that anchors the film's appeal. | |
| Direction | Director David S. Ward successfully manages a blend of slapstick and clever situational humor, evoking the spirit of 80s and 90s ensemble comedies. | |
| Originality | The film functions as a comforting, nostalgic piece of 90s cinema, with many viewers finding it highly rewatchable despite its narrative simplicity. | |
| Humor | The humor is polarizing; some find it witty and refreshingly devoid of teen vulgarity, while others perceive the jokes as strained, cheap, or consistently missing the mark. | |
| Acting | Opinions on Rob Schneider's performance are split, with some praising his standout presence and others finding his character irritating or mediocre. | |
| Screenplay | The script's status as a parody is debated, with critics disagreeing on whether it succeeds as a clever subversion of naval tropes or fails as a shallow, predictable comedy. |