Opiniones de usuarios

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.

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.

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.

This is one of the finest of the non-Godzilla epics by Ishiro Honda and Toho. It definitely has all the elements that make for a great film great story, great action and an interesting twist at the end. What really stands out is the fact that Honda pretty much took a near impossible situation in working with several American actors who didn't speak Japanese and was able to do a decent job in directing them. However, the thing that really was interesting about this film was the fact that this film marks what probably is the first and only time that Akira Takarada and the late, great Akihiko Hirata are heard speaking English with their own voices after years of being dubbed. This film is definitely one of the finest to come from Toho.

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.

This is a bigger budgeted film than usual for genre director Honda (with more evidently elaborate sets) – though the special effects still have that distinctive cheesiness to them (witness the giant bats and rodents on display). It also utilizes a surprising number of American actors: Joseph Cotten playing the visionary scientist looks ill-at-ease and frail (but, then, his character is supposed to be 204 years old!), an innocuous Richard Jaeckel is the photographer hero while, as chief villains, we get Cesar Romero and Patricia Medina (both essentially campy). As I've often said, I grew up watching English-language films dubbed in Italian…but hearing Hollywood actors in Japanese is another thing entirely!

LATITUDE ZERO feels like a juvenile version of a typical Jules Verne adventure, and is fairly entertaining on that level; indeed, it's preferable to Honda's low-brow variations on the monsters-on-the-rampage formula because of the inherent quaint charm of the set-up in this case. The plot involves the kidnapping of a famous scientist by Romero – he was intended to establish himself in the underwater, technologically advanced city devised by Cotten (to which the world's foremost minds are being recruited). We're treated to plenty of silly battles between the rival subs, but the most amusing scenes are certainly the raid on Romero's cave – in fact, Cotten doing somersaults and fending off men in rubber suits (via flames and laser emitted from his glove!) must surely count as the nadir of his acting career; the other elder in the cast, Romero, is more in his element – after all, he had been The Joker in the BATMAN TV series and movie of the 1960s! Cotten has a scantily-clad blonde physician on his team, and is assisted by a hulking Asian; Romero, on the other hand, is flanked by an Oriental femme fatale – who, however, ends up getting a raw deal for her efforts (the girl's brain is eventually transplanted into a hybrid of lion and condor…which is among the phoniest-looking creatures you ever saw!). Apparently, a 2-disc set of this one from Media Blasters streets on this very day!!

I bought this movie only to make my Toho movie collection more complete. A very different Toho film, where we have actors Joseph Cotton and Akira Takarada as the leads, journeying into another world and another dimension below the sea, where everybody seemed to be living in peace. But, the peace is threaten by a mad scientist, played by Cesar Romero. Monsters appear in this film, in the form of gigantic rats and lions.

This movie is somewhat dull and not as exciting as earlier Toho sci-fi movies of the 60s. The monster scenes and human characters were dull. To the casual sci-fi viewer, this movie would probably be an OK viewing pleasure. But to the faithful Toho sci-fi fans, this movie does not quite cut it. It does have some action in it, but it is just a far departure from the usual Toho.

Grade D+

The print is zoomed in and squeezed to fit into the 16 x 9 ratio. Just look at any circular object, they look like eggs. Furthermore it looks like a drop frame transfer which gives a stuttery look due to decreased frames. It's very hard to relive and enjoy a nostalgic childhood favorite with two MAJOR distractions.

Interesting note: "Suitamation" acting Legend Harou Nakajima play the Winged Lion in this Film, Nakajima was Godzilla for the first 20 years of Godzilla Movies, He also portrayed such Giant Monster legends as, Rodan, Varan, Mougera (The Mysterians) and the front section of Mothra.

That's what I love so much about this film, what other Movie can have the same actors that portrayed Godzilla & the Joker in the same scene!

I agree with the above Review, I have been a Daikaijuologist my whole life, and have seen just about every suitamation film Toho ever made, the suit work and miniatures in Latitude Zero have no rival & this is INDEED one of Toho's most underrated works.

This is the final collaboration of Toho's iconic kaiju team of Ishiro Honda (director), Eiji Tsuburaya (effects), and Akira Ifukube (music), but is far from their best work. The film follows three men (two scientists and a reporter) rescued by Capt. McKenzie (Joseph Cotton) in his highly advanced submarine "The Alpha" only to find out that their saviour is 200 years old and lives in the titular deep-sea utopia 11000 fathoms beneath the eponymous coordinate (where the equator crosses the international date line). On the trip to Latitude Zero, the Alpha survives an attack by a heavily armed submarine, The Black Shark, which is, commanded by Captain Kuroiga (Hikaru Kuroki) in the service of evil Dr. Malic (Cesar Romero) who is also 200 years old. After touring the idyllic abyssal city, the three rescuees end up accompanying McKenzie on a mission to rescue an atomic physicist kidnapped by Malic. Adventure ensues as the heroes penetrate Malic's secret island fortress and battle his army of giant man-bats, monster rats, and a surgically-engineered griffin, with the clock ticking as Malic prepares to practice his fiendish vivisection skills on the helpless scientist and his pretty daughter. As forgiving (and loving) as I am of Toho's tokusatsu movies, this one is generally ridiculous. The story makes no sense (unless the cryptic final scene means that the whole thing is some alternate reality) and there is little to explain who these fantastically advanced icosagenarians are or how the titular underwater city came into being. LZ 'technology' ranges from the reasonable (the Alpha), to the unlikely (the elevation belts and flamethrower/gas/laser gloves), to the preposterous (the hot tub 'bath of immunity' that makes you bulletproof). Malic's specialty seems to be bioengineering, but the giant rats and the lion look more like evil stuffed toys than actual animals and the 'man-bats' are ludicrous (note how the connection between their 'hand' and their wing changes depending on what the creature is doing). Even the most tired kaiju gimmick, the ability to suddenly increase in size, makes an appearance as Malic uses his "amplification serum" to make the griffin of suitable proportions to threaten a submarine. On the plus side, the underwater scenes are quite good (notably the opening bathyscaph segment), as are some of the images in the underwater city (such as the docking of the Alpha). The cast has lots of familiar faces from both American and Japanese cinema but the star power doesn't help. Cesar Romero essentially plays his iconic Joker character with a less maniacal laugh, Cotton's smug McKenzie is tiresome, Linda Haynes is terrible as the usually underdressed 'surprise, I'm a doctor' eye-candy, and Patricia Medina plays Malic's moll Lucretia, the typical sidekick who serves no purpose other than to have things explained. I don't know what I would have thought of this film when it came out and I was eleven (and probably representative of the target audience) - maybe I would have been impressed, but I doubt that it would hold the attention of a 'modern' eleven-year old. As far as adult viewers go: fans of this kind of schlock or those, like me, focused on their tokusatsu life-lists will find it worth watching, others, likely not.

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!!!

Based on a series of radio serials by Ted Sherdeman, Latitude Zero is a combination of utopian fantasy, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and The Wizard of Oz. It's kind of an odd mix. It doesn't really work. I am surprised at how good it looks, though. The budget was cut in half right before production because the American partner to Toho, Ambassador Productions, went bankrupt. With a distinct Star Trek The Original Series vibe (no idea if there was a direct influence or more of a general 60s scifi influence), Latitude Zero has a certain flare while also being kind of dull. At least Cesar Romero is having a ball, though.

Two scientists, Dr. Ken Tashiro (Akira Takarada) and Dr. Jules Masson (Masumi Okada), are joined by a reporter, Perry Lawton (Richard Jaeckel), for a descent in a bathysphere to investigate an undersea current. They get swept away, disconnected from the ship on the surface, and end up stranded on the ocean floor where they get picked up by Captain McKenzie (Joseph Cotton) in his nuclear powered submarine, the Alpha. There's a twist, though. Captain McKenzie represents no government. The Alpha has a plaque saying it was built in 1805. McKenzie also says that he's 200 years old. Considering the injuries to Dr. Masson, Dr. Anne Barton (Linda Haynes), the ship's doctor, recommends that they return to home base, the eponymous Latitude Zero, an underwater haven of scientific discovery, kind of like Galt's Gulch (I wonder if Ayn Rand was inspired by the radio serials...?).

Now, part of the plotting that makes no sense is that McKenzie's rival, Dr. Malic (Romero), has some kind of tracker on the Alpha that he uses to send his own submarine, the Black Shark, commanded by Kuroiga (Hikaru Kuroki). Why does the tracker suddenly start working? Well, there's never any mention of a tracker, actually, it's just that there's a map that Malic has where a little light goes on and off all of a sudden that is the Alpha's location. There's never talk of a traitor or mole or anything. It just kind of happens without explanation. Sure, whatever. Anyway, it does lead to the best part of the film, the extended chase between the two submarines, a special effects showcase that evolves a couple of times and works quite well.

And then we get to Latitude Zero, and it shares some of the same problems with Lost Horizon: portraits of perfect places are just not very interesting. Having McKenzie walk around, pointing at places on the large 3D map of the island with a metal pointer, and explaining how there are no bad things in this place while being dismissive of Lawton's skepticism is just not terribly appealing. I know this portrait appeals to some people who just love to see perfect places and wish they were there, but it's so dramatically inert that I just don't understand the reaction.

One of the weirdest parts of the film's structure is the central conflict between McKenzie and Malic. It's an eternal conflict, having fought each other for a hundred years, but the direct manifestation is the kidnapping of the newest addition to McKenzie's utopia: Dr. Okada (Tetsu Nakamura), on a ship from Japan to San Francisco. He is mentioned once in the first half, but he doesn't actually appear until the halfway point when Malic decides to kidnap him. This is the central plot mechanic of the whole thing, the entire justification for the goings on of the third act, but it gets introduced so late. It's weird.

Anyway, Malic does kidnap Okada and his daughter, taking them to his secret island, and McKenzie brings his new recruits along with him to rescue Okada. This is where the film's balance between silliness and weird doesn't really gel, and I think the problem is Joseph Cotton. Cotton takes all of what happens around him deeply seriously. In contrast is Cesar Romero who is having a ball chewing the scenery as the bad guy. The weirdness around them includes these gold-colored suits the good guys wear, the dialogue saying that they're gold/platinum alloy which ends up being magnetic despite neither metal being magnetic, a bath that makes them impervious to bullets for twenty-four hours, and...Malic's experiments combining creatures including punishing Kuroiga by cutting out her brain, putting it into a lion's head, and attaching wings to make her a griffin. It's weird how she doesn't end up following his orders in the finale, huh?

So, it's real silliness. It makes little sense. But a light tone (largely carried by Romero) helps a decent bit. Plus, it looks good.

I mean, this film is nonsense, but it entertains decently in the first and third acts. The strange directions of design that pretty much come out of nowhere are interesting and provide a decent guffaw. Watching Joseph Cotton take everything super seriously while dressing up very silly is also worth a watch to some degree. It's not good, though.

Nothing against Godzilla, but I think that this movie is Toho's best and very under rated. It's almost impossible to buy in North America. There is major high-tech sub action, multi-weapon gloves and really cool 60's sci-fi effects up the wazoo. The humor and acting are up to the usual Toho standards. If your vintage sci-fi nerd (like me), you'll love it!

Scientists are descending in bathyspere when an underwater volcano erupts. They are saved by a submarine commander on his futuristic sub the Alpha who takes them to a mystical and wonderful place named Latitude Zero, where the adventure is this action packed Japanese film begins.

Latitude Zero (1969) is a movie that I recently watched on a random streaming service. The storyline follows a journalist who falls off his vessel and is rescued by a submarine operator. The submarine operator takes him to an under water civilization where people never age. He claims to have a rival whom is a conquering pirate who also has an underwater submarine and doesn't age. The two rivals have been fighting for 200 years; and wouldn't you know, the journalist arrives just as the battle to determine whom will win this legendary duel takes place.

This movie is directed by Ishirô Honda (Godzilla, 1954) and stars Akira Takarada (Godzilla, 1954), Joseph Cotten (The Third Man), Cesar Romero (Batman), Richard Jaeckel (Starman), Patricia Medina (Fortunes of Captain Blood) and Linda Haynes (Rolling Thunder).

This is a very fun Ishirô Honda science fiction gem with an unbelievable cast. The models and toys used in this are absolutely awesome. The ships and submarines for the under water scenes are a lot of fun. The inside of the ship sets are amazing, as are the outfits, weapons and props. The creatures are inconsistent, as the person in the lion costume was horrible but the vulture and rats were cool. The background music has a classic science fiction feel and the storyline is worth following. The sound effects for the creatures are great and there's a nice twist at the end.

Overall, this is an underrated Ishirô Honda gem that is an absolutely must see. I would score this a 7.5/10 and strongly recommend it.

As was the norm in the 60's, Japanese filmmakers used old-time American actors to help market their films in the US and Europe. Such Hollywood classics such as Raymond Burr ("Godzilla"), Nick Adams and Robert Horton ("The Green Slime") made a second career by appearing in Japanese sci -fi.

Joseph Cotton ("Citizen Kane"), Cesar Romero (TV "Batman's" original Joker) and Richard Jaeckel ("The Dirty Dozen", "Spenser:For Hire", "The Green Slime"), were another three who appeared in this offbeat blend of sci-fi and fantasy.

Cotten has his hands full as a Captain Nemo-esque commander of the super sub Alpha (an odd coincidence, since he later played the famous submariner in MGM's "Captain Nemo and the Underwater City"), fighting against a mad scientist (Romero) with a penchant for splicing together mutant creatures to rule the world. Jaeckel plays the reporter tossed into this crazy conflict, which has little or no plot or character development, but is just your average no-brainer popcorn flick perfect for the fanboy in all of us.

A strange twist was the marketing of this film as a sequel to the live action version of the anime movie "Atragon", another super sub movie that bears absolutely no resemblance in design or plot to "Latitude Zero".

Latitude Zero is all kinds of bad, weird, and awesome at the same time.

It starts with a group, that includes 2 scientists and a journalist, engaged in an undersea investigation.

While they are diving...an underwater volcano explodes.

And, when they come to, they are on an advanced submarine belonging to the people from Mu (who are, in this case, benevolent).

Their sub is called the Alpha, and they are being hunted by the Black Shark (from the other side of Mu).

Apparently, it has been them who has been whisking away everyone- who has mysteriously disappeared at sea over the years- to their underwater Mutopia, where they help advance their peaceful race- who have allegiance to no nation; rather, all mankind.

Again, much like UFOs (further evidence of the kaiju worldbuilder's obsession with the phenomenon), the people of Mu hold the best technology back from humanity, in lieu of them finding a more peaceful way of coexistence.

Which acts as a form of social criticism about the nature of society and tenuous relationship between nation states.

The plotline is driven by the kidnapping of a Japanese doctor and his daughter.

The captain of the Black Shark has taken them in order to extort the recipe for the radiation immunity serum he has created, from the doctor.

When he refuses...the madman threatens them with his Island of Doctor Moreau style bat creatures...and tells them they will be the next ones to become one of his experimental creatures- his freaks of science.

To prove this, he turns his most trusted lieutenant into a chimera right in front of their eyes- in what is most hilarious fashion.

Before moving onto the good doctor...

All while the crew of the Alpha race through the dark side of Mu- evading giant kaiju rats...and battling the not-so-kaiju batmen...try to get to them...before it's too late.

When all is said and done, only the journalist opts to return to the surface world...where everyone he was just with is, only in different forms.

...If only he could prove it to them...

...Was it all just a dream?!

The special effects in this are of the so-bad-it's-great quality, and they seem to have damn near perfected the form- with the muppet lion, turned chimera, taking the cake.

The weirdest of the Showa era Tohos for sure.

Highly enjoyable.

8 out of 10.

Two very old men do battle do with each other with the use of fantastic hardware.

My favourite Japanese/American co-production ever made!

Those early scenes of Latitude Zero are very Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea-ish, in fact I almost felt like I discovered some long lost Irwin Allen production when recently viewing Latitude Zero for my first time!

The colourful lines given to Cotten and Romero are what stand out in my memory more than anything else. But the blinking light computer hardware and energetic musical score are stand outs. The land sets at the end are very impressive.

Please note, the later sections of the movie turn into this oddball horror show with a surgical operation like no other seen in the history of film. At one point I had to turn away from the screen.

The is a highly underrated movie and a nice mix of Japanese and American film making. For all fans of the 1966 Adam West Batman series as this is basically Romero doing The Joker without white make up.

I saw this film while it was in first run, back in 1969. Expecting an action film, what I recall seeing was one of the worst most laughable bombs in cinematic history. The special effects were amateurish and the acting dreadfully stiff. A Japanese movie with two has-been American actors edited in.

When I first discovered Mystery Science Theater 3000 back in the early '90s this film immediately came to mind as perfect fodder for a send-up. I don't know if they ever got around to spoofing it, but Joel and the crew should have.

Don't waste your time on this turkey.

I had a friend who would want to play the game 'Apartment Zero' which was his name for the game played by the characters in that movie. I would facetiously suggest that instead we play 'Latitude Zero'. The rules of Latitude Zero are: try to think of a 3rd person who was in the film Latitude Zero other than Cesar Romero and Joseph Cotten. ;)