U-4000 - Panik unter dem Ozean

This movie could have been a classic 60s sci fi if it wasn't for the ridiculous creature costumes. The miniatures of the submarines and the underwater city are really good, but the costumes for the creatures look they won them at a carnival fair. The movie is also really slow at points, like when they walk through the underwater land for five minutes! Other than that though the movie is decent, the acting is okay and the plot is interesting. I would say only watch this if you have no other Japanese sci fi movie to watch.

Another memory from my childhood! I was about 7 or 8 years old when I saw this film and it really freaked me at this time! Recently, I watched "Ido zero daisakusen" again and it had great nostalgia-values!! Giant rats, bat-like creatures... this flick directed by Godzilla´s spiritual father Ishiro Honda has everything a great Japanese monster movie needs! Plus the great performances of Richard Jaeckel, who made some extraordinary alien-experiences in "The Green Slime" as well as Cesare Romero, unforgettable as sneering bad guy Joker in the 1960s Batman-series! The biggest surprise however was the appearance of Joseph Cotten, an actor that also starred in the Orson Welles-classic "Citizen Kane" or Carol Reed´s "The 3rd Man"... so he´s next to Russ Tamblyn or Raymond Burr a further US-actor who can add a Japanese Sci-fi movie to his filmography. "Atragon II" may be a little bit cheesy compared to nowaday´s standard (Which Asian monster flick from those days is not?!?), but all the multimillion Dollar CGI-F/X can´t deal with the great naive charm this film delivers! A cult classic!!!

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Latitude Zero; here's the breakdown of my ratings:

Story: 1.25 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.25 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.25

TOTAL: 6.25 out of 10.00

I don't know which movie came out first, as both got released in 1969, but the similarities between Latitude Zero and Captain Nemo and the Underwater City are astounding. Though I will admit, I prefer the more fantastical Latitude Zero.

One reason is the script. The writers give the audience more plot, extra intrigue, and additional science fiction elements. When the story begins, we watch a bathysphere containing two researchers and a journalist get lowered into the ocean to study the Cromwell Current. But an underwater volcano has other plans for our intrepid trio when it erupts and tears the sphere away from its tether. Luckily for the threesome, a high-tech submarine is in the area, and Captain McKenzie dispatches divers to save them. But the waters don't run calm for our accidental tourists as McKenzie subs them to his submerged Utopian city. Unfortunately, the mad doctor Malic spots the Alpha on his radar and dispatches his attack sub, the Black Shark, to intercept. But thanks to Captain Mckenzie's and his second in command's skills, they reach the safely of the city. Once in the metropolis, their eyes behold wonders that stagger their minds. The overabundance of diamonds grabs the greedy attention of reporter Perry Lawton. While the two scientists are interested in the technological advancements that Latitude Zero possesses. Though the question is, will our human-weary Captain give our three explorers the chance to go topside? And, what has Dr Malic got in mind for the good Captain and his underwater haven? The one element of the story that could have been more robust is the individual's characteristics. For example, the Captain is a stoic and steadfast man whose opinions are tough to change. Yet, his traits aren't as strong as his ideals; his personality needed to be tough and less of a playful pussycat in his dandy apparel. And the two scientists needed more substance to their personalities. But as an adventure story goes, it's not too shabby.

Where Latitude Zero excels over the Hollywood flick is the imaginative use of special effects. Director Ishero Honda has a superb eye for detail, and the SFX interweave beautifully with the live-action sections. There's a lot of modelling work; this is on par with Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds and has a similar style. One scene stood out to me most. When the Captain docks the Alpha, you see the model submarine moored against the harbour wall, and in front of them is a real ambulance and performers. This mixing of two distinct media types was tricky to pull off credibly in the 60s. And though the scene is only a few seconds long, the effect is flawless. The worst creations are the mutated flying bat-people. They're not scary, not in the slightest - you only want to set them free to fly away. It's also funny that Malic engineered this Bat-Man and Bat-Woman because Cesar Romero plays Malic - think about it - The Joker Made Bat-Man and Bat-Woman! However, I did love the flying lion. This pussy cat really can bank and dive. I was waiting for him to complete a loop-de-loop or a victory roll. The best came when he landed and began his growling attack. You can tell it's a bloke in a costume, but the garb is that good, and the bloke's actions aren't too terrible that the outrageous scene actually works - I loved it. Honda keeps everything bright and colourful throughout all the onscreen mayhem and inventiveness. For the most part, he uses a standard filming style but will slip in one or two gems, like the montage of the city, we see both genuine and model buildings, and then we zoom out and see we're looking at a model of the metropolis, as we then pan to our heroes and the Captain. His pacing of the movie keeps the storytelling at an agreeable tempo.

The actors aren't the best thing about the movie. In fact, I only chose to watch the picture because Richard Jaeckel and Cesar Romero stared. And these two actors are the best in their portrayals. Romero is ideal as the mad-scientist Malic - and his performance isn't that reminiscent of The Joker. His insanity is more sedate and a little scarier. And, Jaeckel does a decent job at portraying the reporter Lawton. He adds a smug kindness to his character that works well. Patricia Medina, who plays Malic's other half, Lucretia, surprised me. She was strong, sexy, and a woman you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of - good thing her bo was mad.

Everything considered I would joyfully recommend Latitude Zero to anybody looking for a movie to put a smile on their face. And if you're a Sci-Fi B-Movie fan and have yet to watch LZ, run and find a copy as this is a film you guys and galls shouldn't miss.

Shoot that darned flying lion, then take a look at my IMDb list - The Final Frontier to see where I ranked Latitude Zero.

Take Care & Stay Well.

This truly is the father of modern day Power Rangers, Star Blazers and much,much more. Not only does this have great US actors, but has all the classical features we now see in everyday television and movies. Example: People dressed up in Bat creature costumes, Flying submarines, etc. In contrast to todays movies with would seem to be rather lame, but overall if you take the total context of what is being shown you'll love it. It is not every day that you see great actors interacting with special effects creatures and under the direction of a great Japanesse director. Remember this try as you might you can not see this movie today due to it's being shelved back in Japan. I have tried to obtain it, tried to get various TV stations to play it all to no avail.

I appreciate Honda Ishiro. For all the movies he made, he found his most lasting fame with tokusatsu and kaiju, and just as some are more famous than others, some are unexpectedly fantastic. Sci-fi lark 'Latitude Zero' doesn't count among the man's most well-known pieces, and it may not necessarily be one of his foremost successes either, but there's a great deal to admire here in every capacity, and it's easy to get swept along for the ride. Why, just the fact of this being a joint production between Toho and U. S. company National General is a tiny bit of a marvel, particularly when one takes into account the multinational cast (Joseph Cotten! Cesar Romero!), and the fact that this was an unlikely instance of a Toho flick filmed in English. Once we start digging into the substance there's so much more to take in, and while the sum total may not altogether demand viewership, it's solidly enjoyable on its merits, and remains an enchanting viewing experience.

Composer extraordinaire Ifukube, a common collaborator of Honda, contributes a score just as superb as we'd ever assume of him. Rich, flavorful, and dynamic, the themes cover a spectrum even wider than usual for Ifukube as we get everything from thunderous and dramatic chords of action and turmoil, to soft, delicate phrases of awe-inspiring mystery and wonder. Even if his music here is not so remarkable and memorable as other examples, as ever it is impossible to imagine the picture without it. That's one definite highlight, and for that matter the first to greet us, but there's also no getting around how gorgeous the production design and art direction are. Tremendous detail was poured into every set, and often texture, too, and by this measure alone the feature is a sight for sore eyes. That's to say nothing of choice filming locations, the costume design, hair and makeup, props and vehicles, and so on. And then there's the effects. Darling of the industry as Tsuburaya Eiji rightfully is, he's an icon fairly mentioned in the same breath alongside select others like Ray Harryhausen and Stan Winston, and with many instances here we again see why. The volcanic eruption at the beginning is itself a treasure, and once we factor in models and miniatures, composite shots, moving earth or water, fire and explosions, smoke, stunts, special makeup, and more, it's safe to say that Tsuburaya is another reason to celebrate this film in one measure or another as we're taken on a rather otherworldly journey.

Granted, it's not as if everything in 'Latitude Zero' represents the total top of the line. In this case the creature effects leave a bit to be desired as the suits worn by actors portraying giant rats, bat men, and Malic's "griffin" are oddly subpar for the bodies of work of either Honda or Tsuburaya. Speaking of suits, the wardrobe provided for women is often a bit tiresome, for this is one of those genre efforts where "futuristic" equates to revealing clothing for women (but not for men). Meanwhile, though none of the acting is outright bad, the least that can be said is that this is a title in which the performers mostly don't get an opportunity to illustrate their earnest skills. A small moment between Romero and Patricia Medina is a rare counterexample, but for the most part the actors are gleefully hamming it up and overacting, recalling, say, contemporary 'Star Trek.' Granted, this is no specific mark against the cast, nor Honda - in fact, as they work from Sekizawa Shinichi's screenplay, adapting Ted Sherdeman's serial, one readily recognizes the fun-loving, adventurous vibes of unremitting genre fare of past eras. Indiana Jones, Fantomas, Flash Gordon, pulp novels and comic books, two- or three-reel westerns, science fiction of the silent era: these are the true kin of this production, more than any movies of the 50s and 60s, and so the direction, acting, all the most simplified or unabashedly forthright facets of the writing, and even the most obvious effects are maybe not so gawky as they may outwardly seem. Admittedly, though, that still doesn't mean the results are perfect, and it takes some getting used to.

Yet looking for minutiae to criticize in such flicks is kind of beside the point, isn't it? Fanciful as the story is, and for as much as this sometimes asks of us as viewers in different ways, 'Latitude Zero' is just here to have a good time. That it happens to involve some very familiar and esteemed names is sort of just a bonus as it tells an interesting and compelling story with strong scene writing. I find no especial fault in Sekizawa's writing as he embraces the tenor of the material, nor in Honda's direction as he brings the tableau to bear. We can harp on those bits and bobs that don't meet the same standards as what we've seen before from these folks, but does that really matter so much anyway? The whole may not be a complete must-see, but it's entertaining, and well made more than not - with some elements being altogether exceptional - and that's all it needs to be. Curiosities and all, I'm glad I took the time to watch, and if one is open to pictures of this nature, I'm pleased to give 'Latitude Zero' my warm recommendation.