Where to watch Danger Beneath the Sea
2 Stars
Commander Miles Sheffield is a rising star in the US Navy, patronized by Admiral Eugene Justice, to the silent envy of many, including his XO and Chief on his first command mission aboard a nuclear submarine, the Lansing. This maiden voyage also turns out to be the ultimate challenge: a failed Korean nuclear missile causes a disastrous explosion which knocks his means of communications out of order, so he fears to be incommunicado in a nuclear war against an unknown enemy. Now his rivals believe his inexperience and unwillingness to man battle stations amount to desertion in war time, and plan a mutiny: they have the doctor skip him for necessary iodine shots so he’ll be too sick to resist when the XO seizes command- his loyal supporters must get it back fast, for even the admiral sees no alternative then have the nearby Mako hunt them down to eliminate them before they start World War III…
Casper Van Dien, with his square jaw and clean-cut appearance, plays the stoic captain of a naval vessel in the 2001 thriller ‘Danger Beneath the See’. This film unabashedly imitates ‘Crimson Tide’ in both its plot and attempted style. I believe it was produced under the TNT Studios banner, which was known for creating genre films that premiered on cable television, often attracting large audiences. Van Dien appeared in several movies for TNT, and ‘Danger Beneath the Sea’ stands out among them. It’s worth noting that I had watched ‘Crimson Tide’ just a week before revisiting this film, making the comparisons between the two even more pronounced due to the close proximity of the screenings.
Two key plot points set *Danger Beneath the Sea* apart from *Crimson Tide* and other submarine tales. The first is the presence of a claustrophobic crew member who panics aboard the submarine—this harrowing concept could have been explored more thoroughly and deserves further attention. The second notable detail involves the captain and his executive officer being exposed to radiation. The XO persuades the medical officer to inject the captain with an anti-inflammatory instead of iodine, essentially leading to the Van Dien character’s death.
In contrast to *Crimson Tide*, where both Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington portray characters who believe they are making the right choices, *Danger Beneath the Sea* presents a clearer moral landscape: the captain is the hero, while the mutinous crew members are depicted as the villains. Despite not being wholly successful, this made-for-TV submarine thriller is slightly above average, showcasing some compelling aspects of its story.
Directed by: Jon Cassar
Written by: Lucian Truscott IV
Starring: Casper Van Dien, Gerald McRaney, Stewart Bick