After ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning’s Epic Submarine Scene, Denzel Washington Needs to Return for the Sequel to This Intense Thriller

Classics like The Hunt For Red October and Das Boot may have stood the test of time, but there have been relatively few modern entries in the subgenre of submarine thrillers. Even if audience reception to both films was mixed, both Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning and Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning featured incredible submarine action sequences that showed what was possible with new developments in technology. Although the subgenre is often associated with the Cold War, Crimson Tide provided a modern update on what a submarine thriller could look like, and featured two incredible performances from Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman.

Directed by the late great Tony Scott, Crimson Tide stars Captain Franklin Ramsey, a decorated Commanding Officer who is assigned to patrol the ocean with pre-emptive nuclear strike codes, as an ongoing civil war in post-Soviet Russia could result in armed militants gaining access to nuclear technology. Washington co-stars as Ramsey’s Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Ronald Hunter, who remains skeptical about the notion of a prepared atack; while he recognizes the danger that armed rebels could have for the rest of the world, Ron knows that utilizing nuclear technology could initiate a much wider conflict. Although it’s often cited as one of the best submarine thrillers ever, Crimson Tide’s forthcoming sequel needs Washington to return to make it an event on the level of Top Gun: Maverick.

It’s the Right Time for a Sequel to ‘Crimson Tide’

While not every great film requires a sequel, Crimson Tide ends in a way that could reasonably invite subsequent installments. Since the film concludes without a nuclear war being initiated, it is still grounded in a version of reality that somewhat resembles the world today. There have certainly been enough real global conflicts revolving around the accessing of nuclear technology in the years since Crimson Tide was released that could inspire a sequel storyline. However, the reason that a Crimson Tide sequel would be so exciting also has to do with the expansion of technology. Thanks to the advances in practical filmmaking, Top Gun: Maverick was able to create more immersive ways of shooting its aerial combat scenes, which in many ways topped what Scott was able to do with the original. Considering that producer Jerry Bruckheimer is on a hit streak thanks to the success of F1, which also featured immersive action cinematography, it would be exciting to see these new inventions applied to underwater set pieces.

The term “legacy sequel” has been diluted by many unnecessary franchise continuations that didn’t generate enthusiasm from audiences, but Crimson Tide has grown in its reputation in the three decades since its release, and is now remembered as one of the best achievements in Scott’s entire filmography, which is no small statement. Perhaps the most genius decision that Bruckheimer and his creative team made with Top Gun: Maverick was to make it a generational film that introduced two eras of movie stars, as Tom Cruise got the chance to share the screen with up-and-coming actors like Miles Teller and Glen Powell. It would be exciting to see Washington in the same position, as he is at the point in his career where he could expertly play a mentor character.

Denzel Washington Needs To Return for a ‘Crimson Tide’ Sequel

Washington’s return to a Crimson Tide sequel would feel like an event, as he has rarely appeared in sequels, and has only returned to reprise his role for all three films in The Equalizer franchise. Considering that Washington is one of the few living actors that can still generate anticipation based purely on his name, it would be interesting to see him return to the realm of big-budget, blockbuster filmmaking; while Washington has done some of the best work of his career in recent years with Fences and The Tragedy of Macbeth, they haven’t earned the same level of attention as his blockbuster action roles in the 1990s. It also might give Washington the chance to have his “movie star moment” in the same way that Cruise did with Maverick. At 70 years old, Washington won’t be able to do action films for that much longer, so going out on a high note by reprising one of his most iconic roles would certainly do his career justice.

One of the most emotional aspects of Top Gun: Maverick was the way in which the sequel tied in the legacy of Val Kilmer as Iceman, and incorporated the actor’s personal health struggles into the storyline. A sequel to Crimson Tide has the possibility to do the same for Hackman, whose death has cast a shadow over the industry at large. Although Hackman retired after a career of great work, it would be impossible to craft a sequel to Crimson Tide that did not in some way acknowledge what a seismic impact he has had on the film industry since his emergence in the “New Hollywood” era. Washington’s return would be exciting enough on its own, but the notion of him getting to bid farewell to a beloved co-star would allow him to show why his strengths as both a dramatic actor and a movie star are simply unparalleled.

Crimson Tide

Release Date

May 12, 1995

Runtime

116 Minutes

Writers

Michael Schiffer