Kelsey Grammar played 'Fraiser' for 20 years across 'Cheers' and the character's spin-off show, winning lots of acclaim along the way. And quite rightly, nobody delivers a line like Grammar! The downside of this though is that its very difficult to prove to people that you can play anyone different. This film is a failed attempt at him doing so.There are laughs to be found, they're just quite spread out. The film is also not helped by a particularly slow opening 5-10 minutes, which do nothing to differentiate between 'Frasier Crane' and Grammar's character here.It's undemanding, fairly amusing fun, but Grammar will always be known for the character that made his name.

My kids love watching this film. They (aged 15, 13 12) all enjoy this humorous, but undoubtedly inaccurate, representation of the submarine service in the USN. We have watched together numerous submarine films (e.g. Operation Petticoat, The Hunt for Red October, Crash Dive and numerous others) but this is the submarine film to which they always want tor return. It is certainly not the best comedy film ever made but it has an enduring charm that should give a greater score than the 6.0 average score awarded. The characters are likable and unlikeable as is appropriate to the script, the single love interest is minimised (as is suitable in a film about a serving military vessel) and there are numerous amusing sidelines. My kids would award at least 8 out of 10.

Down Periscope (1996): Dir: David Ward / Cast: Kelsey Grammar, Lauren Holly, Rip Torn, Rob Schneider, Harland Williams: Washout comedy that gives new meaning to low budget. Kelsey Grammar has a dream that unfortunately doesn't involve pulling the plug on this project. He wishes to command his own submarine and crew, which he eventually does but the sub is a rust bucket. Among the crew is Lauren Holly who wishes to become the first female submarine commander for the Navy. The crew play mean spirited pranks on her such as stealing her bra. Title indicates unsuccessful misfits but we already know that they will be rewarded for putting up with each other. David Ward, who previously made The Program, directs this film like a really bad sitcom with a budget of all of five dollars. Grammar is basically reciting his Fraser role. We know that he will gain respect in the conclusion but nobody really cares. We also know that Holly will prove herself and become higher rank and nobody cares about that either. Rip Torn and Rob Schneider are wasting time when they could be looking for better film projects. Harland Williams appears to be under a worst joke than drinking urine in Dumb and Dumber. It regards underdogs or underachievers, which pretty much sums up the screenwriter's ambition when penning this dreadful sinker. This film should be sunk…down a toilet. Score: 1 / 10

I love this comedy every time I see it. But I am confused about the timing of the infamous tattoo. Admiral Graham (Bruce) said that Dodge (Kelsey) got so drunk as an ensign that he had "Climb Aboard" tattooed you-know-where, and then he added that only three years ago Dodge brushed up against a Soviet sub. But Dodge told Lake that he got over the brushing incident by getting drunk and a tattoo, (which he didn't recommend), and he began explaining the tattoo at the end of the movie by saying that it happened after the Murmansk incident. But that would mean that he was many years past being a mere ensign (no disrespect). Still, an excellent movie, and Holly Lauren, later the Director at NCIS, looked great as a busty blonde, didn't she?