pop quiz represent youre a part of the modern armed force in peacetime on routine manoeuvre and you find yourself throw back in time with a chance to change history . what do you do . well and if youre a hollywood studio and you change the japanese g. i. s in g. i. samurai ( aka timeslip ) to the crew of an american aircraft carrier and have them debate stop the attack on pearl harbour for 90 minute and then go home and hope that no one remind you that japan do it first and with more ball in 1979 with this sonny chiba movie . but unlike it hollywood counterpart the final countdown and this see it premise through represent throw back 400 year into the japanese feudal war and it peacetime soldier decide that their best hope of get back lie in provoke history by try to change it by join with a warlord to conquer the country cue lot of tank and helicopter vs. samurai action and include a very impressive unrelenting 25 minute battle sequence feature a cast of thousand inflict serious damage on each other . and yes and there be decapitation . of course and thing do not go a plan and and even superior firepower doesn not stand up as well a hop to thousand of soldier . even before that and the soldier be fall out with each other into those who want to go home and those who want to go to war and those who want to rape and pillage for the hell of it . impressively directed and surprisingly well think through and the soft rock and country and western song be sometimes a distraction and especially when they feature english lyric sing by japanese singer who audibly can not pronounce the word let alone speak the language and but it a forgivable flaw in a surprisingly good sci fi actioner . optimum uk dvd be a good transfer of the uncut 138 minute version .