make a military movie without official cooperation can be difficult . if the story doesn not require major air or naval asset and a script disapprove of by the top brass can be convincingly bring to the screen . two example both true story that the pentagon do not want to support be men of honor reflect the epidemic racism of the not that long ago navy and sgt . bilko and a film portray what some noncom do to earn extra income ( trust me and it a true story represent a real sgt . bilko work ( officially but not actually ) for me when i be an army officer . but when you need lot of plane and ship and you get ta have official help . and few movie have get more assistance than the producer and director and cast of the final countdown and now available on dvd and a sci fi recruit spectacular that feature on loan at taxpayer expense the huge carrier u. s. s. nimitz complete with crew . now that cooperation . kirk douglas skipper the supercarrier which be on pacific fleet maneuver . on board a some sort of efficiency consultant be a young martin sheen and not yet ready for the west wing . a mysterious and never explain weather phenomenon grip the mighty float air base and to the unfolding amazement of captain and officer and crew dawn the realization that the nimitz in sail not that far from pearl harbor on 6 december 1941. meanwhile a u. s. senator and play by one of hollywood deservedly decorate war hero and charles durning and be enjoy his yacht and also near pearl and while dictate to his lovely secretary and katharine ross . a brace of japanese zero sink the yacht and kill two passenger which then prompt the carrier c. o. to order trail f 14 tomcat to splash the enemy . durning and ross be rescue . without a word and this talented actor face do a comical double take when introduce to the ship executive officer who just happen to be black ( in 1941 a black navy man could only serve a a steward in the officer mess . that be it . period . ) the dilemma face douglas and of course and be a classic time travel conundrum . to interfere with the course of history ( the carrier air wing can make instant teriyaki of the six japanese carrier ) or to let event take their know and disastrous course . a chaste incipient romance between the nearly drowned damsel and the carrier commander air group compete with the white knuckle decision make struggle of the c. o. so much for the plot . what be on offer here be a demonstration of every aircraft type and fix wing and rotary and deploy on the vessel as well a demonstration of shipboard activity range from retrieve a damage jet to go to general quarter to . you name it . the technical adviser know they have a film crew pliant to every suggestion . the result be a genuinely exciting show a great warship go through it pace . and and unlike tora tora tora it doesn not appear that any genuine sailor be harm in the making of the movie . there one big problem . a science fiction story be usually utterly improbable and indeed impossible and but it internal logic be vital represent it must be consistent . spielberg understand that very well . watch the first couple of minute when sheen be greet by his employer lackey and the last minute when he debark from the nimitz . something be very and very off kilter . could the ceo of a great military industrial conglomerate have use top secret technology to send the carrier back to 1941 for . so what . this be a beautifully filmed adventure story and not a great film . the cast probably relish take over the carrier for a while and the real captain and never show and surely wish that the navy hadn not ban hard spirit from our ship in world war i. but all emerge unscathed in a genuinely entertaining romp through time . positive .