Pretty refreshing to watch this directly after some of Scott’s later work. It’s still too bombastic and artistically plain to call it great art, but I enjoyed the strong 90s stamp when watching it. I love how you can tell Cruise and McQuarrie studied this film for the opening scene of MI7. The solid acting and spectacle elevate a predictable, by the numbers script with weak characters. Still, the writing stands out because it doesn’t rely as much on cheese as a lot of other 90s entertainment. It’s more about the tension, which if fine because you can take the premise seriously (although I have next to no actual knowledge about submarines). I was impressed by how tactile everything taking place outside of the submarines looked. However, because of the weaker writing, it does take a while to get there. It’s not the type of film you could call a slow burn either, it’s just boring when it isn’t being operatic. Overall, a perfectly fine dad movie.

5.5/10