I signori della guerra di Atlantide

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.

Altantis is found.

This movie begins so well in the first 30 minutes or so (the diving bell under attack, the octopus attacks the ship) but once we get to Atlantis the film becomes less pleasing.

The diving bell footage will bring back memories or Irwin Allen's Voyage to the Botttom of the Sea series and the full-scale octopus all over the ship would have to go down as one of the best filmed moments of 1970s sci-fi cinema.

On top of the first 30 minutes, is a rich and lavish music score that brings the whole thing to life.

But as I said above, the quality is not maintained and you almost get the feeling that another less experienced director took over the flick once they all get to Atlantis. Too bad.

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.

"Harrihausen stop-motion animation in all its choppy glory". Where? I didn't see any, it all looked like sock puppets, guys in rubber suits and wood and canvass models to me, standard Amicus/Rice-Boroughs effects. If they had have used stop-motion the effects would have been a lot better, take the Empire Strikes Back made three years later or the Golden Voyage of Sinbad made four years earlier. Please, please don't say the effects were good for the Seventies, because in all fairness King Kong which was made 45 years earlier has better effects and there currently appears to be a trend to excuse anything made before the advent of CGI as "Good effects for their day". As if Spielberg would have used guys in suits a la Godzilla to make Jurassic Park if CGI hadn't have been around in 1992! It's a fun film, however, and very enjoyable, I liked it as a kid and like all the Amicus/Rice-Boroughs films I try to see them when they're on.

Warlords of Atlantis was the fourth sci fi movie to be directed by Kevin Conner and starring Doug McClure.

In this one, McClure is a member of a party who are searching for the lost city of Atlantis. When he and Peter Gilmore go exploring in a diving bell, they are attacked by a sea serpent and then discover a large peace of gold. At the same time, a giant squid attacks the ship and several members of the party are whisked away in the squid's tentacles. The squid then attacks the diving bell and everyone ends up in Atlantis, where they are welcomed by its inhabitants. Gill men are used as slaves, as are humans. On the way to the upper reaches of the city, a monster attacks, but retreats back into the water when attacked back. The party are then sent to a dungeon, apart from Gilmore, who seems to know a lot of information the Atlanteans would like to share. This is where we learn the Atlanteans are actually from Mars. Two monsters then attack the city and McClure and the rest of the party escape, rescue Gilmore and manage to get back to the diving bell, despite being attacked by some rather unfriendly fish and more monsters, one of which eats a man. They get back to the ship, which is then attacked and sank by the giant squid. Through all of this, McClure falls in love with one of the human slaves, who also helps with the escape.

This movie also stars Shane Rimmer (The Spy Who Loved Me, The People That Time Forgot), musical star Cyd Charisse (Singin' In the Rain), Lea Brodie and Daniel Massey.

I find this movie rather enjoyable and have seen it several times. A treat.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.