The Return of Captain Nemo

I know this film was shown on local TV when I was a kid, but I can't remember whether I watched it or not; seeing it now, considering how utterly forgettable it is, I still don't know – so I counted it as a first viewing! There have been several films featuring the title character, a creation of visionary French author Jules Verne; these include: 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954; with James Mason in the role), MASTER OF THE WORLD (1961; Vincent Price), MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (1961; Herbert Lom), CAPTAIN NEMO AND THE UNDERWATER CITY (1969; Robert Ryan) and THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND OF CAPTAIN NEMO (1973; Omar Sharif).

This version stars Academy Award winner Jose' Ferrer. However, even if the premise itself isn't half-bad – awakened from suspended animation in his submarine, "The Nautilus", and finding himself in modern times, Nemo adopts all his ingenuity to aid the U.S. Navy in defeating megalomaniac scientist Burgess Meredith – it emerges as easily his most infantile adventure yet! For instance: five seconds into the film, Meredith's assistant – donning a steel mask – rants that "The World Shall Be Ours!"); equally hilarious are the zealous gesticulations of the similarly decked-out midget, whose task it is to fire The Professor's all-important "Delta Beam" - and how about those android-type minions aboard Meredith's vessel who never seem to do much of anything?!

Ferrer manages to maintain his dignity throughout, but Meredith is an embarrassment (in what is virtually a retread of his Penguin characterization from the 1960s BATMAN TV series and film) where the budget was so tight – mostly invested in bland production design and shoddy special effects, no doubt, and both evidently influenced by STAR WARS (1977) – that, apparently, they couldn't even afford him a decent costume (he looks positively idiotic wearing a tie in a sub)! The supporting cast includes Mel Ferrer (playing a saboteur in the vein of Joan Fontaine from another Irwin Allen production, VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA [1961], and who engages in a swashbuckling routine with his namesake inside the engine-room of "The Nautilus"), Lynda Day George (unsurprisingly, she's the only female character around) and Horst Buchholz (as the King Of Atlantis – for whatever reason, Nemo is obsessed with locating the famed Lost Continent).

By the way, having been reduced from a three-part mini-series for theatrical exhibition, the film obviously feels choppy – though one is still able to discern where one episode ended and another began.

This show had a pretty good premise. It took the Jules Verne's legendary character of Captain Nemo and placed him in the modern day facing various threats to mankind. If C.B.S. who broadcast this as a mini-series back in the 70's had any sense, they would have made it into a regular series. Also, I know the science is pretty bad, but this was an action packed show.

This is sort of a "1930s Serial as done by Irwin Allen". Imagine what Republic or Mascot could have done with 1970s movie technology. Superb special effects, the acting ranges from good to hammy, the dialog often inane, the premise preposterous, but if you don't take it too seriously, it's fun, a good rainy/snowy afternoon entertainment. It does contain one of my favorite movie scenes however. When the two Navy officers awaken Captain Nemo and he starts to talk about his crew and his ship, one of them says: "But Captain Nemo was a character in a book by Jules Verne!" To which he replies: "Had it perhaps occurred to you that that writer was a biographer as well as a novelist?"

Captain Nemo is still alive in 1978.

The Amazing Captain Nemo (aka three episode TV series The Return Of Captain Nemo) is an odd ball mix of TV's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964), TV's Batman (1966) and Star Wars (1977). This show is totally unique. There has never been anything like this ever before where these three classic titles all come together so well.

I was just 12 in 1978 when this appeared on Australian TV in 1978. I had spent the last few years of my life watching Irwin Allen sci-fic TV like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Lost In Space but they were all afternoon re-runs of something that was made in another decade. Nemo was NEW!

Even today I remember the constant TV advertising that played for seven days and seven nights before the show screened! Then on a Saturday night it appeared and one of the characters even mentions the year as being 1978, which really pushed the point that it was current. I seem to remember enjoying the show at the time but I was perhaps a bit too young to like the well spoken lines of Jose Ferrer as Captain Nemo and Burgess Meredith as the Batman-ish bad guy. Seeing the sub encounter a force field and having the crew get frozen in time was interesting to a 12 year old. But now let me move on to my adult reaction ....

Never dull for a second.

Outstanding Richard LaSalle score.

The not perfect submarine miniatures do the job (better than having CGI).

The acting/dialogue from the whole cast is first class. Not a single dud cast member, they all shine!

It has a sense of playful fun not seen in Irwin Allen's City Beneath The Sea (1971) and other Allen TV movies.

Don't expect the Captain Nemo of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954) or the Mysterious Island (1961). This is Jose Ferrer's fun loving version of the character that reminds me of his work in the movie Cyrano de Bergerac (1950).

In a nutshell: don't listen to the critics of this film (aka three episode TV series), who cares if Irwin Allen took his name off it, if you love Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and 1966 Batman, you will love this 1978 take on Captain Nemo!

After a century of being in cryogenic suspension, Captain Nemo : José Ferrer is revived by two US Navy divers : Burr DeBenning , Tom Hallick . Then Nemo is transported to San Francisco , being assigned the mission to stop a megalomaniac Professor , Burguess Meredith, who attempts to bomb the capital Washington and other cities in the World . Along the way , Nemo goes on his search for the lost city of Atlantis , delated a hundred years by his long time in stasis by suspended animation, and he even he meets an Atlantis prince : Horst Bucholz. His goal was Atlantis , but first he must conquer the menace of the depths ¡ .

Silly but agreeable adventure movie with thrills , action , full of fun and amusement , including some spectacular sets . It is a thrilling movie with some psychotronic elements , blending fantasy , science-fiction , cheesy conversation , and underwater adventures . This is a corny and camp amusement with a nonsensical plot , mingling embarrassing stories as atomic missiles, Atlantis , underwater fights . The pic results to be a rip-off from other films as "The lost City of Captain Nemo" in which takes partiallly its plot and the submarines war , as the villains appearing are in "Batman" series style , as well as " Irwin Allen's Voyage to the bottom of the sea" by copying the scale model subs and similar sea scenes . Main and support cast are acceptable . Jose Ferrer is pretty well as a serious Nemo who will fight at whatever cost to detain the villain Professor and his ominous purports . While Burguess Meredith overacting as a mad scientist threatening the World in exchance for several million dollars , and he will stop at nothing to get it. Secondary actors are decent such as Horst Buchholz , Tom Hallick, Burr DeBenning , Linda Day George , Warren Stevens , Peter Jason, Mel Ferrer , among others. The scale model submarine utilizad in shooting was originally constructed as one of the Seaview , as both of them bear remarkable resemblance .

This condensed theatrical rendition based on a TV series was regularly directed by Alex March. Other films in which shows up this mythical literary personage are the following ones : 20.000 leagues under the sea 1954 by Richard Fleischer with James Mason , Kirk Douglas Peter Lorre. Mysterious island 1961 by Cy Enfield with Herbert Lom, James Craig , Joan Greenwood , Michael Callan . Captain Nemo and the Underwater city 1969 by James Hill with Chuck Connors , Robert Ryan , Nanette Newman, . The Mysterious Island 1973 by Juan Antonio Bardem with Omar Shariff, Rock Battaglia , Gerard Tichy . Mysterious island 2005 by Russell Mulcahy witb Patrick Stewart , Gabrielle Anwar , Vinnie Jones , Roy Marsden and 20.000 leagues under the sea 1997 by Rod Hardy with Michael Caine , Patrick Dempsey , Mia Sara , among others .