Disappointment for a huge fan!

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Taught WWII naval dogfight between US destroyer captain Robert Mitchum and German U-Boat commander Curt Jurgens. The Nazi's are certainly the bad guys, but they are treated with a surprising amount of respect, which was unexpected, though I suppose this picture was made 12 years after the war, so maybe that was enough time for Germans to be good again. Directed by song and dance man Dick Powell, he's crafted a tight muscular war film that I would rank as the best submarine picture up to this point.

Dick Powell's "The Enemy Below" is one of the most intensely suspenseful military movies of all time as well as one of the best World War II movies ever made. The movie is based on a novel by D.A. Rayner who served in the British Royal Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic which is where the movie and the novel was set but the movie itself was shot in the Pacific Ocean on actual Navy ships, and instead of using British characters American characters are used for this movie. Robert Mitchum stars as Captain Murrell who is in charge of a Navy destroyer that is monitoring the Atlantic Ocean for enemy activity with a sonar radar and then Murrell and his crew soon find out that there is a German submarine underwater before the Germans find out that there is an American destroyer above them, and then an intense battle starts between two very experienced military minds of Murrell and the German captain (Curd Jurgens) which could produce deadly results, which makes the movie all the more suspenseful thanks to Wendell Mayes' expertly written script. The movie does present an anti-war sentiment on both sides which is a common feeling these days thinking that governments send soldiers to the battlefield for nothing but to die and get money out of it which is an understandable view but people like me who are neutral when it comes the situation of war only support the cause of war depending on the circumstances and our very own national security. But now enough about politics and back to the movie, I found the performances to be very effective throughout the movie especially from both Mitchum and Jurgens. As well as Powell's magnificent direction, but like most movies they don't come without their flaws because like humans being imperfect movies aren't always perfect either. The problem I had with this movie were minor because with the battle scenes I didn't find the music very fitting with the events that were unfolding throughout the movie which made the movie a little less suspenseful than it should have been. Otherwise it was a really enjoyable and very entertaining movie to watch.

"Das Boot," "Run Silent, Run Deep," "The Hunt for Red October," submarine movies are a favorite sub-genre of war movies, and, among these undersea films, "The Enemy Below" ranks with the best. Tautly directed by actor-director Dick Powell, the film depicts a strategic cat-and-mouse maneuver between the captain of a German U-boat and the captain of an American destroyer escort in the South Atlantic during World War II. The two captains engage in a war of strategy, which leads to growing mutual respect, although neither has ever laid eyes on the other. Torpedoes, depth charges, and zig-zag evasion are deployed in a deadly game of marine warfare, and the film's special effects won an Oscar, although they are unimpressive by contemporary standards. The fine screenplay by Wendell Mayes, adapted from a novel by D. A. Rayner, the crisp editing by Stuart Gilmore, and Curt Jurgens's sensitive performance as the German captain all merited Academy attention, but were overlooked.The two captains engaged in a battle of wits to the death are seasoned veterans and carry baggage from their pasts. The American captain, well played by Robert Mitchum, helmed a freighter that was torpedoed and sank with his new bride aboard; he spent days adrift on a raft and only recently returned to active duty aboard the escort ship, which has largely avoided action until now. Curt Jurgens displays considerable depth as the war weary German captain, who disillusioned by the new German order. Both captains have sounding boards nearby to verbally express their inner thoughts. Mitchum talks with the ship's doctor, played by Russell Collins, while Jurgens bares his soul to his shipboard friend, Theodore Bikel.The drama moves back and forth between the surface ship and the submarine below as each captain tracks the movements of his foe, attempts to anticipate his next move, and out maneuver him; they play a high risk game of chess with the loss of their ships and the lives of their crew if checkmated. "The Enemy Below" is engrossing throughout its relatively short running time; the tension builds both above and below the surface; suspense mounts, and viewers will be drawn into the drama until the end. For fans of submarine films and of Robert Mitchum, "The Enemy Below" is essential viewing, and all viewers will likely come away with a new appreciation of the talents of Curt Jurgens.

The South Atlantic during World War 2. The US destroyer USS Haynes spots and engages a German U-boat. The U-boat is commanded by Captain Von Stolberg (played by Curd Jurgens), a wily veteran U-boat commander. The captain of the Haynes is Lt Commander Murrell (Robert Mitchum), a Naval Reserve officer who was previously in the merchant marine. Because of this background, some of his crew doubt his abilities. he soon proves them wrong and a battle of wits ensues between the two adversaries. Great WW2 naval drama. Pretty good portrayal of submarine and anti- submarine warfare. Suspenseful and engaging. Also shows a good balance between the US and German sides.Great performances from Robert Mitchum, as the US captain, and Curd Jurgens, as the German captain. Good supporting cast too.