i saw this movie a few time in the theater in 1980 and when i be 12 and and at the time it be pretty much utterly awesome . however and a we be force to face again and again and what be awesome when one be 12 be not the same a what be awesome when one be over 30. this movie force u to look inside ourselves and ask represent what would happen if a state of the art ( for 1980 ) aircraft carrier be transport back in time to the eve of pearl harbor . then there be all the regular question about the prime directive and the ethic of use advance knowledge and advanced technology and blah blah blah . the situation be the hook of the movie and a pretty good one . unfortunately and it also the only thing the movie have to offer . after some exposition that get top military whiner martin sheen on the boat and and some unrelated techo fetishism about the way those sweet f 14 land and a mysterious storm that look a lot like a laser and a fog machine appear in the sky and cause the sailor to hold their head . when it go away and they be in 1941 ( the year and not the movie ) and and they have to grapple with many philosophical question about whether they should whup the jap ass but good . a good 35 % of the movie be just flat out recruit film military techno fetishism . it kind of cool for a while and a you watch plane swoosh and dive and and it remind you of the day when the prospect of go into the military meant you be go to fly cool plane and do cool thing instead of simply be send to a desert to be kill . but it get tiresome after awhile and though it do remain quite visible and so you can fast forward without fear of miss anything . there a small bit of derisive laughter a the crew ( during the long period in which they be come to accept that they have travel back in time ) compare a photo that be apparently take an hour ago by one of their plane to a photo that be take 40 year previously by another plane . the cast bravely pretend not to notice that they be the exact same photo . amazing coincidence . there another movie right there . the performance fit the material . kirk douglas be actually quite charm a the captain . he project authority and yet be warm and approachable and and isn not afraid to say he doesn not know what go on . martin sheen appear to be on hand simply to deliver speech about how very morally complex it all be . former superfly ron oneal be around a eye candy for me . katherine ross be in full do i have to do anything except stand around and be dewy . mode and but she will always get prop from me for ensnare gravelly man hunk sam elliott in her wicked web . this movie be a bit like those alternative history novel and which be usually about what if the south win the civil war and which translate a while what if we would keep the black in their place . this one and i think and be about redress the perceived imbalance that occur when the u be catch unawares . but how could we be catch unawares be the united state . i think the enjoyment of this movie for some people be in float the fantasy that we could show them jap once and for all . this movie be also notable a a likely influence on 80 rock group europe cheesy hit of the same title . spoiler > > > the end of this movie cop out by have the mysterious storm appear at the precise moment that the u be just about to attack the japanese fleet . the aircraft carrier be transport back to the same time it leave and everyone shrug and go huh and and they go about their average workday . it make the movie somewhat unsatisfying at the end and but you know not any more unsatisfying than it be up until that point . hey and check out cinema de merde and my website devote to bad and cheesy movie . you can get the url from my email address above .