I shamelessly admit that the typical "disaster-movie" sub-genre of the 1970s is one giant guilty pleasure of mine! Why? I simply love those massively-budgeted popcorn blockbusters with their all-star casts, their meticulously detailed set-pieces, their over-the-top incredible stunt work and their non-stop spitfires of special effects. If you, like me, assume that "Gray Lady Down" is another great thrill-ride comparable to titles like "Airport", "Rollercoaster", "The Hindenburg" or whatever other mid-70s disaster movie, there's a fair chance you'll end up sorely disappointed. And here's why:
This film certainly has the astonishing ensemble cast of an entertaining disaster movie, but everything else in terms of action, spectacle and suspense is missing. In fact, it's a straightforward story about the troubled rescue mission of US Navy submarine that sunk after a collision with a cargo ship. The sub is balancing on the edge of a steep cliff, it's covered with heavy rocks and naturally there are several leaks through which the water is sipping in. The 37-headed crew can't do anything except wait, while the US Military council decides to put all hope on Captain Gates' experimental mini-diving device called the Snark. I think I would have appreciated this film a lot more if it had been called "A Snark's Tale".
The entire film, and particularly the whole rescue mission, is beyond tedious and unremarkable. Unlike in every other 70s disaster movie ever made, the action is monotonous and unbearably slow-paced. The characters in peril obviously cannot attempt to flee or make various other stupid mistakes. They are trapped in an underwater tin can with nothing but pathetic lines to say. Also, this type of film usually features a cast full of "regular" people with a wide variety of loathsome personalities. There always is a loud-mouthed but cowardly businessman, a stubbornly obnoxious authority figure, a docile but sexy damsel-in-distress, a helpless child (usually even with a horrible illness), or a wannabe heroic macho who makes every dangerous situation even worse. In "Gray Lady Down" we are stuck with only polished, disciplined and courageous US Navy Mariners. They are practically standing in line to sacrifice their own lives to save the others, and it's boring!
Charlton Heston is definitely one of the uncrowned kings of 70s disaster cinema, as he appeared in "Skyjacked", "Two-Minute Warning", "Airport 1975" and "Earthquake", but here he's given absolutely nothing to work with. He can't be his own heroical self and his performance is thus very mechanical. The supportive cast is full of great names (Stacy Keach, Ronny Cox, Dorian Harewood, Ned Beatty, Christopher Reeve, ...) but their roles are underwhelming. David Carradine is decent as the rebellious Snark-Captain, but he clearly feels more comfortable in his other completely different contemporary roles like "Death Race 2000" or "Circle of Iron".
This film certainly has the astonishing ensemble cast of an entertaining disaster movie, but everything else in terms of action, spectacle and suspense is missing. In fact, it's a straightforward story about the troubled rescue mission of US Navy submarine that sunk after a collision with a cargo ship. The sub is balancing on the edge of a steep cliff, it's covered with heavy rocks and naturally there are several leaks through which the water is sipping in. The 37-headed crew can't do anything except wait, while the US Military council decides to put all hope on Captain Gates' experimental mini-diving device called the Snark. I think I would have appreciated this film a lot more if it had been called "A Snark's Tale".
The entire film, and particularly the whole rescue mission, is beyond tedious and unremarkable. Unlike in every other 70s disaster movie ever made, the action is monotonous and unbearably slow-paced. The characters in peril obviously cannot attempt to flee or make various other stupid mistakes. They are trapped in an underwater tin can with nothing but pathetic lines to say. Also, this type of film usually features a cast full of "regular" people with a wide variety of loathsome personalities. There always is a loud-mouthed but cowardly businessman, a stubbornly obnoxious authority figure, a docile but sexy damsel-in-distress, a helpless child (usually even with a horrible illness), or a wannabe heroic macho who makes every dangerous situation even worse. In "Gray Lady Down" we are stuck with only polished, disciplined and courageous US Navy Mariners. They are practically standing in line to sacrifice their own lives to save the others, and it's boring!
Charlton Heston is definitely one of the uncrowned kings of 70s disaster cinema, as he appeared in "Skyjacked", "Two-Minute Warning", "Airport 1975" and "Earthquake", but here he's given absolutely nothing to work with. He can't be his own heroical self and his performance is thus very mechanical. The supportive cast is full of great names (Stacy Keach, Ronny Cox, Dorian Harewood, Ned Beatty, Christopher Reeve, ...) but their roles are underwhelming. David Carradine is decent as the rebellious Snark-Captain, but he clearly feels more comfortable in his other completely different contemporary roles like "Death Race 2000" or "Circle of Iron".