Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

ActuallyGlimmer The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

dougdoepke Though this actioner contains genuinely suspenseful moments, its main appeal is now largely historical. Researchers looking for grade-A propaganda films from WWII would do well to view this unabashed Warner Bro's entry. All the clichés of the period are present, from the boastful Romeo (John Garfield) to the lovable wise-cracking cook (Alan Hale Sr.) to the no nonsense captain (Cary Grant) to the fresh-faced kid (Robert Hutton, a disturbingly real presence in an otherwise super-slick cast), replete with the usual rites of passage, etc.. The only missing ingredient in an otherwise formula plot are standard references to Brooklyn. Needless to say, all hands perform heroically, almost bloodlessly, such that submarine warfare appears ultimately no more dangerous than a particularly tense and turbulent ocean cruise where lifelong friendships can be formed. If this sounds cynical, it's because as an adult I view the film far differently than I did as a boy. I now understand that claims from a particularly odious slice of racist dialogue about Japanese being unable to love their women ("They don't even have a word for it") amount to opportunistic and poisonous nonsense that can leave permanent scars. And while such demonization may have motivated wartime audiences, the implications of this and other anti-Asian canards produced an ironical ricochet effect in Vietnam. Moreover, there's a lesson here for those contemporary audiences subjected to similar demonizations. Ironically, the popular deceit of today may turn around and produce the grim reality of tomorrow.

LeonLouisRicci Talky and Overlong WWII Submarine Movie that was Made in the Middle of the War and is Heavy on Sentimentality and Propaganda. These Sub Crew Members are Cut out of All Stripes from the American Flag and make No Bones about Speechifying and in One Case, John Garfield, Extreme Braggadocio about Babes.Cary Grant Plays Against Type as a Super Serious Commander with Nerves of Steel and a Countenance of Concrete. The Overbaked Story is Ludicrous but Entertaining as the Sub Slips into Tokyo Harbor Unimpeded. The Battle Ensues on the Way Home and the Climax is Bombastic and Filmed with some Gravitas and Impressive Detail.The Failings in the Film are the Flashbacks, Religiosity, and Norman Rockwell Portraits of these Patriots, plus the Enormous Length. This Type of Heavy Handedness is best Served in Small Doses. But Patient Viewers and Gung-Ho Types will get Their Rewards and it can be Satisfying and Enjoyable if Viewed in Context.

pingshar Destination Tokyo is big slap in the face for those who died in the Pacific War.Yet again, Hollywood rewrites history to make it look like America alone won the Second World War! This really is an awful movie that spectacularly distorts the history of the Battle of the Pacific (just as U-571 distorts the history of the Battle of the Atlantic) and, as a proud Briton, I find it downright insulting to my nation and it's efforts during the Second World War. Britain didn't need America's help. We had everything under control, thanks to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's peace treaty he personally negotiated with Herr Hitler. But no, America had to interfere. All we had to do is sign a peace treaty with Tokyo, too, and there would have been no war. But America couldn't leave well enough alone.Destination Tokyo is filled with historical inaccuracies, and totally ignores even the basic historical facts concerning the true story of the War. And with all of the other factual errors, distortions, and cultural stereotypes, this is about as far from being even a semi-accurate depiction of the war at sea as you will ever get.Das Boot sets the standard by which all submarine movies are judged. And Destination Tokyo is just another second rate Hollywood knockoff of Das Boot, like U-571 (see my review of U-571). It has to be criticized that they tried to copy the German film, which was so successful, with the difference that the heroes are Americans. What's wrong with having Germans or the Japanese being the heroes, Yanks? They fought, too, you know! It's not just all about you, America. If you want a movie that has no basis in reality and just panders to national stereotypes and American patriotic jingoism, then you'll probably enjoy this movie - Just remember that what you are watching is complete fiction and not in any way a representation of true history. However, if you want something that accurately depicts submarine warfare during the Second World War, you'd be far better advised to watch Das Boot instead.The CGI effects are pretty lame, too. They were made in black and white. I guess they are trying to pretend this film was made during the Second World War. Spoiler alert:Britain defeated Japan and won the Second World War.

gkeith_1 My take on this movie:I reviewed the Cary Grant movie, "Sylvia Scarlett", a long time ago. I love Cary as the music hall fool in "Scarlett" or as the comical leading man opposite K. Hepburn in other movies. "Tokyo" was sooooo serious. Cary did a good part, and gave his men a lot of confidence. Garfield was funny. Hale was hilarious.Technology: All the heavy by-hand and by-eye reactions to the enemy approaching would nowadays be done by computer and in cyberspace. Cary would not have gone inside to make the phone call. He may have excused himself to go off to the side and call on his BlackBerry. Maybe he would have texted, if that were possible from so far away.Racist language is annoying to listen to, even considering 1943 and the time period. Japs and Nips are screechingly uncomfortable words. I know that many Japanese Americans at that time were put into internment camps, to protect them from American paybacks for Pearl Harbor. I thought of that as I watched this movie, since during coursework for my recent American History degree I studied what happened to the Japanese Americans during World War II. Nowadays, people have to tell their children that these racial epithets are no longer used -- before the younger ones watch these dated movies.Hale in the barber chair was hilarious. He would never sit back far enough for the barber to cut much of his hair, but at the end he declared his hair looked great. I also like Hale in "Robin Hood" and "Adventures of Don Juan" with Errol Flynn. Remember that Alan Hale was the father of Alan Hale, Jr., the skipper of TV's classic "Gilligan's Island".Garfield, with all his blowhard loser-in-love stories, was getting monotonous. He is always a joy to watch and to listen to, however. He played the part well.Cary was only around 39, but looked 49. Was he a heavy smoker like so many of those old time stars, ending up with a heart attack and cancer? At any rate, he had a lot of responsibility as the skipper in this movie.That's about all. No singing or dancing in this movie. Drat. Not even Katharine Hepburn. Cary was not able to use his English music hall background in "Destination Tokyo".Oh, yes. In my theatrical censorship class, I researched Cary regarding Mae West, in "She Done Him Wrong" (see my review). She said she originally discovered Cary Grant. He was 11 years younger. That was just right for her. In that movie, he turns down her advances. He was like a little sparrow being pounced upon by an aggressive tiger. She says, "Come up and see me." He says he's too busy. She says, "I'll tell you your fortune." Cary wants to run away and hide somewhere. Poor Cary. What have they done to my little English boy?, to sort of quote a phrase.12/10