Product Description

World War II submarine the U.S.S. Copperfin must complete a secret mission in Japanese waters. Film is as much about the relationship between the naval men as it is about their heroic mission. John Forsythe's film debut.

DVD Features:
Featurette
Theatrical Trailer

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4959 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2004-06-01
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Black & White, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 135 minutes

Features

• World War II submarine the U.S.S. Copperfin must complete a secret mission in Japanese waters. Film is as much about the relationship between the naval men as it is about their heroic mission. John Forsythe's film debut.Running Time: 135 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: NR Age: 012569573222 UPC: 012569573222 Manufacturer No: 65732

Amazon.com
The offbeat casting of Cary Grant as a submarine captain pays off in this tense WWII underwater picture; he ably trades in his sophistication for the sweaty close quarters of an action movie. The mission? Infiltrate the mined harbor of Tokyo itself, a feat bookended by a brief confrontation in the Aleutians and a depth-charge chase through the open sea. Skipper Grant is supported by the usual stock crew of Navy melting-pot types, with John Garfield drawing duty as the resident dame-crazy fantasist. (Somebody forgot to put the saltpeter in his chow, apparently.) The solid action alternates with dialogue that tends toward the schmaltzy or jingoistic (the movie's become somewhat notorious for its unusually nasty propagandistic jabs at the Japanese enemy). Destination Tokyo was the directing debut of Delmer Daves, who would later excel in smart Westerns such as 3:10 to Yuma. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

Superb submarine thriller
Cary Grant gives a creditable performance as the Captain of the USS Copperfin, a submarine sent to Tokyo Bay, in order to gather information for the coming Doolittle Raid. Aided by a superb cast,including the inimitable John Garfield as a skirt-chasing torpedoman, Dane Clark, who portrays an embittered sailor with a grudge against the Axis powers, and the always rock solid Alan Hale as "Cookie" the loveable, big bear of a mess cook. This movie does have a bit of a propagandist speech, which most movies of the genre in the 40's did. The fact-based appendectomy lends a sense of added drama to the story. This rates as one of the best submarine films ever done.

Submarine Drama
Destination Tokyo is a fine dramatic action film about life aboard an American submarine during WWII that is sent on a mission that puts them into Tokyo Bay. Cary Grant stars as the captain who wishes he could be with his wife and children and who has the total respect of his crew. It's a good performance, not typical of the character that you expect to see Grant playing. Members of the crew include John Garfield, who has a story about every girl he's ever met; Dane Clark, an intense sailor with a reason for hating the enemy; and Alan Hale as the cook, providing much of the film's humour (as he often did in other movies). The film has a series of tense episodes, and mixes the drama and action well. Other than saying that it could have been shortened, the movie is quite good, and it must have had a strong impact on audiences during World War Two who were able to see what life on a submarine may have been like.

Exellent, all around
I first saw this movie in the galley of the U.S.S. Silversides - the very submarine whose exploits the movie chronicles (the name was changed to "Copperfins" for the movie.) The story is well-written, and (mostly) true. The lone crewman who was ever killed was not knifed by a rescued Japanese pilot, but they did perform an appendectomy in the galley. Sure, it's an American wartime rah-rah, stir up people's patriotism effort, but it's still fine entertainment with just the right touch of humor. A must-see.