C rimson Tide checks every box of a Simpson-Bruckheimer modern action-thriller classic—and offers a little-acknowledged bonus: an ace parenting clinic run by its clashing leads. These are nuclear submarine captain Ramsey, played by the redoubtable Gene Hackman, and his second-in-command Hunter, played by peak-Denzel Washington. These two heavyweights are paired in at a moment of the global nuclear crisis. Ultra-nationalists in Russia have seized control of the country’s nuclear silos; the U.S.S. Alabama is among the forces being positioned for a pre-emptive strike. Captain Ramsey’s usual XO has been sidelined by appendicitis, and this elite post has been filled by new-guy Hunter, who sits parked at port, saying goodbye to family, and flexing some dad skills. Seeing his son’s scared expression, he deploys tactical redirection. “I’m worried about T,” he tells the little boy, nodding to the golden retriever in back. “She doesn’t know what’s going on. She thinks I’m going away forever.” Thus promoted, the kid proudly smiles and promises to comfort the dog while he’s gone.