Guerreros de la Atlántida

I don't know what people have against this movie. Okay, so some of the special effects aren't great, but to be honest I prefer films like this which have interesting plots, solid characters and imaginative scenery to the kind of effects-dependent trash Hollywood is currently churning out without care or interest.

The story involves scientists intending to explore under the ocean with the use of a diving-bell. However, after they find a gold statue they, together with most of the crew of their ship, are abducted by a giant octopus and taken to the lost undersea world of Atlantis.

This is a classic and highly entertaining film with good performances from the cast and atmospheric settings with appropriately haunting music.

This is the first time I've commented on a movie, and it's fairly appropriate to be writing about this one as this was the first movie my dad ever bought for our shiny new video recorder. Well, I must take after my dad in my movie taste, as I though this was (and still is) a very entertaining and enjoyable film. I don't really care if the acting is wooden (what else would you expect from good ol' Doug??), the premise was sound and the special effects were alright for the time. In all, this was generally quite a good film - don't let the snobs put you off it.

In 1973, British director Kevin Connor made the tidy and undervalued horror film, From Beyond the Grave with Peter Cushing. But it was the film that he made in 1975 that would signal the start of four Z grade creature features that would make him known to the discerning creature feature fan. That film was The Land That Time Forgot, where he was paired with American beefcake actor Doug McClure, and the marker that culminated with Warlords of Atlantis in 1978 was well and truly set.

Here with this, in terms of fun arguably the second best film of the four after At The Earths Core, Connor and screenplay writer Brian Hayles send McClure, Peter Gilmore and a few rough neck sailor types under the ocean, to where the lost cities of Atlantis be. All of which is a plot perfectly designed to create monster mayhem and meetings with an unknown race that speak perfect English! Into the fray comes giant octopus, various reptilian sea monsters, The Mogdaan, Zaargs and an attack by flying piranha critters. Sure the effects are up and down, even shoddy and befitting the Z grade budget, but oh what fun it is.

The cast also contains John Ratzenberger, who would go on to be a household name playing Cliff Clavin in the long running show, Cheers. Another notable name on the cast list is Cyd Charisse who earlier in her career had appeared in Singing In The Rain and Brigadoon. But it's McClure who is always the main attraction in these pictures. Obviously brought in to keep the American audience in mind, it's somewhat inspiring watching Dougie manfully work thru the movie as if it's a masterpiece of the genre. That none of the Connor/McClure collaborations are genre high points is irrelevant, no amount of dopey effects and string assisted creatures can detract from the fact that ridiculous can sometimes be hugely entertaining. And that is exactly what Warlords Of Atlantis is. Now, where did I put my jar of pickles ? 7/10

!!!!! MILD SPOILERS !!!!! In my review of AT THE EARTH'S core I said that the best of these Doug McClure gets attacked by rubber monsters in a 1970s British movie was THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT . If this holds true - And it's been years since I saw that movie - then WARLORDS OF ATLANTIS is certainly the second best in the genre Written by former DOCTOR WHO script writer Brian Hayles the story has some imagination even though no one is going to confuse it with a documentary . An eclectic ship's crew is abducted by a giant octopus and taken to the ancient city of Atlantis which is ruled by an alien civilisation which is engaged in a war of attrition against giant rubber monsters . One of the abductees Professor Aitken is wanted by the aliens for his superior intellect while the others will be used as slaves . It also turns out the abductees must be converted into gill breathers within a few days if they are to survive their new environment . Naturally upon hearing this the ships crew don't want to stay in their new home An entertaining enough story and unlike AT THE EARTHS CORE the production values are fairly good since location filming involving oceans and caves are used . There is the old bug bear of actors standing in front of obvious back projection trying to look scared at a rubber glove pocket but that's not enough to ruin the movie , in fact that adds some charm and the script has the temerity to point out that mankind's greatest achievements have come out of fighting one another in terrible wars . There are one or two plot holes like why do the aliens consider Professor Aitken a man of superior intellect since he would have no understanding of space travel or Einstiens theory of relativity , in other words he's a cave man compared to the aliens . You also can't help but notice that when the characters escape Atlantis Delphine the female lead has been rather superfluous to the plot But these minor flaws are never enough to totally ruin the movie for a discerning audience and I have noticed how many comments on this page centre around " I saw this when I was a kid and I'd love to see it again so please bring it out on DVD " It's probably nowhere as good as you remember it from 20 years ago but it still remains a fairly entertaining movie

Searching for treasures , a scientific , his son (Peter Gilmore) and Greg Collinson (Doug McClure) are double-crossed by their crew (John Ratzenberger : Cheers , among others) . Then , they're into a diving bell when are attacked by a sea monster and the sailors are dragged by a giant octopus . Later on , the ship-wrecked crew find inhabitants of the lost world of Atlantis , the lost continent written by Platon . It's governed by an alien race (Michael Gothard , Daniel Massey and Cyd Charisse) from Mars which wish to rule the human beings and the creation a totalitarian state . An incredible tale of terror and suspense...above and below the sea. From the depth of space they came to vanish beneath the sea...

This fantasy picture packs thrills , action , weird monsters , lively pace and fantastic scenarios . The monsters are the real stars of this production and its chief attribute . The tale is silly and laughable but the effects and action are quite well . Among the most spectacular of its visuals there are deeply shrouded caverns filled with monsters roaring menacingly towards the camera , the attack of a giant lizard on a fortress , and the futuristic backgrounds of Atlantis . Some illogical parts in the plot are more than compensated for the excitement provided by Roger Dicken's monsters , though sometimes result to be a little bit cheesy . Filmed in glimmer and colorful cinematography by expert cameraman Alan Hume on location in Malta and Pinewood studios , England . Evocative and stirring musical score by Vickers . This is the fourth collaboration between producer John Dark and director Kevin Connor who also made in similar style : ¨The land that time forgot (1975)¨, ¨All the Earth's core (1976)¨, ¨The people that time forgot (1977)¨, mostly starred by Doug McClure and with the craftsman Roger Dicken as the monster-maker . The film will appeal to kiddies who swallow whole and sit convulsed in their armchair.