The Final Countdown

Trapped outside the boundaries of time and space... 102 aircraft... 6,000 men... all missing.

1980 • 103 min • War · Action · Science Fiction

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Synopsis

During routine manoeuvres near Hawaii in 1980, the aircraft-carrier USS Nimitz is caught in a strange vortex-like storm, throwing the ship back in time to 1941—mere hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Our family guide

Best from age 10

Movie Knight Score

688 reviews

100 Reviewers · 1 · 51%
66 Audience · 687 · 49%

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is transported back to 1941, just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The crew faces a dilemma: intervene in history or let events unfold. This sci-fi action film explores the moral complexities of time travel and war.

Violence & peril: 4/10
Language: 2/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 1/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 3/10

Heads up

Historical war footage and themes
Perilous situations in a combat zone

What it models well

Duty and responsibility
Consequences of actions
Moral dilemmas

Talk about it after

What if you could change history?
The weight of leadership decisions
The impact of war on individuals

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Final Countdown. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

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Free

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Free with ads

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Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.

Top billed cast

Director: Don Taylor • Crew: David Ambrose, Thomas Hunter, Gerry Davis, Peter Powell, Peter Powell, David Ambrose, Thomas Hunter

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Pretty fun Twilight Zone-esque movie that was entertaining throughout. Always like the ideas of alternate history and while this doesn't quite change history in the end (and shouldn't given it was Pearl Harbor, not to mention when this movie was released, survivors were only in their early/mid 60s), still was a good time. On the downside, the actual travel through the portal was cheesy and cheap even for 1979/80.…
JPV852, TMDB Community