The Final Countdown (1980): cast, story & where to watch
1980 · Film · ★ 6.6
Released in 1980, The Final Countdown is an action, war and science fiction film directed by Don Taylor, running about 103 minutes. “Trapped outside the boundaries of time and space... 102 aircraft... 6,000 men... all missing.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. 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.
Who’s in it. The Final Countdown stars Kirk Douglas as Capt. Matthew Yelland, Martin Sheen as Warren Lasky, Katharine Ross as Laurel Scott and James Farentino as Wing Commander Richard T. Owens, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, The Final Countdown has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $16.6M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo and YouTube TV and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Final Countdown page.
If you liked it. Fans of The Final Countdown tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The Final Countdown (1980)?
- In US, The Final Countdown is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV and Philo, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The Final Countdown worth watching?
- The Final Countdown holds an audience score of 6.6 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy action, war and science fiction. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in The Final Countdown?
- The Final Countdown stars Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Katharine Ross, James Farentino and Ron O'Neal.
- When was The Final Countdown released?
- The Final Countdown was released in 1980, with a runtime of about 103 minutes.