BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

hellholehorror When I say that this is unbelievable I mean that it is beyond belief how amazingly shocking this realistic and humane portrayal of the end of the earth is. This has to be one of the most powerful films ever made. Incredible emotional depiction of what could be. The only downside is that it is in America and only shows that side, it's overly patriotic and portrays America as the good guys. They were in the wrong just like everyone else. This amazing and powerful film is the most dramatic film that I have seen to date. Well worth watching but not for those looking for brain fodder. This is emotional and this is real. You will be thinking about your life and yourself when this film ends. I just hope that I never have to experience this for real.

Eric Stevenson Back in the late 1990's, disaster movies were all the rage. Unfortunately, most of them weren't good. It's hard to say that it's really a time where disaster movies declined, because they were never that good to begin with. Even if movies like the Airport series were popular in their day, something like "Airplane!" was so good, it killed the genre off. It seems like the only disaster movie in history that everyone has good memories of is "Titanic", and this movie. This film deserves to be praised for all the attention it brought to TV movies. They are still movies and even though they never hit theaters, they deserve to be remembered if they are really good.The actual destruction happens almost exactly halfway through the movie. What's really interesting is that the actual destruction only happens for three minutes. I guess nowadays you could compare this to a zombie apocalypse, only without the zombies. It's great to see all of the different characters that appear and even how they have little interaction. It really is realistic in that sense, as it shows all the individuals that are affected by something this big. The creepiest thing is probably at the end where they say this film probably DOWNPLAYED what a nuclear war would be like.The film ends the exact way I knew it would. There is no big happy ending and everyone is still where they were halfway through the movie. This is where it's easy to notice how good the film's pacing is. It is mentioned that there is a ceasefire meaning no more nuclear weapons. There's at least some glimmer of hope in this tragedy. It does in fact seem like the same thing would happen in real life. I have to recommend this film, if only because it tries very hard to send a sincere message and shows us how important the medium of television is. ***1/2

SnoopyStyle It starts with uneventful everyday life of various people around Kansas City as well as military personnel. There is elevating Cold War rhetoric. A struggle for Berlin gets out of hand as each move pulls both sides into an all-out nuclear war. Dr. Russell Oakes (Jason Robards) is a surgeon on his way to lecture at the university. He reaches the university hospital where nurse Nancy Bauer (JoBeth Williams) works. Professor Joe Huxley (John Lithgow) leads a group of students. Farmer Jim Dahlberg (John Cullum) and his family in rural Missouri changes from preparing for his daughter's wedding to preparing his basement to hide from the fallout. Hitchhiker Stephen Klein (Steve Guttenberg) finds shelter with the Dahlbergs.I remember a lot of hype about this movie at the time. The pre-nuclear stories run too long. The characters don't actually need to be colored in so much beforehand. The nuclear war can start much earlier after some simple introductions to the main characters. The tension ramps up after 30 minutes culminating in nuclear blasts at about an hour. It's reminiscent of some of the 70s disaster movie. There are some rudimentary special effects. They have a lot good big productions and great especially for a TV movie. It may have influenced some but it doesn't really deliver anything new.

AaronCapenBanner Nicholas Meyer directed this landmark TV movie that set ratings records 30 years ago. Story follows the events leading up to and beyond as tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union escalate out of control for various reasons, which lead to one or the other side launching its nuclear missiles, devastating both sides in nuclear fallout. The lucky ones die immediately(vaporization) the survivors must continue on amidst a ruined landscape and creeping radiation sickness, not to mention rampant anarchy. Set in the town of Lawrence, Kansas, this film is a most thoughtful examination of what could really happen in such a circumstance, even if characterization gets lost in the big picture. Not a masterpiece, but still holds up today.