Movie Review: Destination Tokyo

I wanted to start off by saying that this movie wasn't what I was expecting for a WWII submarine film.

Sure, there are a lot of tense scenes in the second half when the American submarine arrives in Tokyo, and the film ends with a gripping sea battle as the crew tries to leave having accomplished their mission.

But before you get there, the film spends the first hour depicting their journey to Tokyo, and shows viewers what life is like on a submarine. The crew is a variety of characters from a family man captain (played by Cary Grant) to a would-be ladies' man and the slightly comical cook.

It's during this first half that the film really shines. Scenes like Cary Grant recalling his happiest moment is not sinking some Axis ships, but rather just spending time with his son, and the payoff later when his family's faces flashed before his eyes as the sub takes a beating later on just cements the believability of these characters.

Unfortunately, the movie is colored by some 1940s-styled propaganda, mostly whenever the characters talk about the Japanese, but whatever few Japanese characters appeared, they were played by Japanese actors and were not overly simplified.

This war film is more character-oriented, so action buffs may be put off by it. But fans of submarine films should enjoy this film and its realistic take on life underwater.