Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Greenes Please don't spend money on this.

Borgarkeri A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Peter Swanson After the first 20 minutes of this film I was wondering why TCM only rated it 2 1/2 stars; after seeing the whole thing I want to know how it got more than 1 1/2. The early part of the film is as-advertised, the story of a Captain and crew trying to get a well-worn destroyer ready to serve in WWII. About 40 minutes into the film the crew picks up a drifting lifeboat, which turns out to contain 2 sailors, 2 pregnant woman, and 20 infants. The story degenerates rapidly into 1940s claptrap, with overlarge doses of idiotic humor, sentiment, and just plain wrong use of Naval terminology and procedures. The most prominent example: when a raft tied to the deck goes adrift in a storm, the Executive Officer -- second in command of the ship -- and the senior Chief are assigned to tie it down. That task would go to the LEAST senior people on board, not the most senior. The last chapter of the story, wherein an ancient tin can out-maneuvers and destroys a Japanese battleship, is unbelievable, but at least contains interesting action. I'm afraid that Stand By For Action was a real waste of a very talented cast.

edwagreen What saves this routine film is the sharp sudden comic turn when the babies show up. It is at this point when Charles Laughton shows his mettle. From the beginning of the film, I thought that Laughton had been terribly miscast.While Brian Donlevy is in solid form, kudos must go to Robert Taylor, especially when he is confronted with the infants on board.Until the arrival of the babies, the film was quite dull at best. Walter Brennan plays his usual role as a dedicated enlisted man. Amazingly, he recovered real fast to sink that Japanese ship.What weakens this film is that there is no really romantic interests in it. Yes, we could have had it despite the misery that World War 11 brought as well as the human sacrifices that had to be endured.

MartinHafer This movie is in many ways reminiscent of several of Robert Taylor's previous films--in particular A YANK AT OXFORD. Like YANK, in this film Taylor is a bit of a "pretty boy" who is more concerned with sucking up to the navy brass and parties than ever going into action. However, with a decrepit old destroyer about to be re-commissioned, his commanding officer (Charles Laughton) assigns him to be the first officer--and help him be a REAL navy man. At first, Taylor thinks this is beneath him and balks at the assignment, but through the film he (not surprisingly) proves he's made of tougher material and by the end of the film Taylor achieves a truly impossible deed--taking out a Japanese battleship with this lowly destroyer.While there is a lot of predictability about the plot and some silly clichés concerning picking up some women and babies, this film has a lot going for it. First, there are four exceptional actors all at the top of their game (Robert Taylor, Charles Laughton, Brian Donlevy and Walter Brennan). Second, the action scenes were generally exceptional in quality. While some of the scenes were obviously models (particularly before the big battle), most of the special effects were exceptional and really felt and looked real. Third, while formulaic, it was GOOD formula and featured exceptional dialog for a WWII propaganda film. All these elements worked together to make a very enjoyable film.

tresabejas What at first blush appears to be a throw-away Navy propaganda film, released in Dec 1942, turns out to be a very easy-to-watch tale of war at sea with some moments of excellence, particularly the scenes with Charles Laughton as the crotchety Admiral Thomas. The commissioning of the destroyer Warren includes a rousing speech by Laughton in which he inspires the new crew with a dramatic re-telling of the story of John Paul Jones giving his "I have not yet begun to fight" speech aboard the Bon Homme Richard. Off-beat plot twist includes the Warren finding a life raft filled with babies and pregnant women. The final act of the movie is an exciting depiction of the bravery of the Warren in single-handedly sinking a Japanese Battle Ship to save an entire convoy (naval convoys and battle are somewhat dated but still interesting and earned an Academy Award Nomination for special effects). Robert Taylor turns in a passable job as our hero, the spoiled LT. from Harvard. Brian Donlevy is also good as the seasoned CPT from whom Taylor learns much and later becomes his friend. Appearances by stalwart actors Chill Wills and Walter Brennan. Second half of the movie has lots of sea-battle action.