Os Titãs Voltam à Luta na Atlântida

I think this is a great movie, well paced, good special effects considering the budget restraints and a novel idea, of an alien race seeking to build a dictatorship state with which to enslave the world. Another charming aspect I liked about the film is that it doesn't take itself to seriously and I love the scene of the monsters attacking the city. Great puppetry! Also as its good to see Peter Gilmore in a different role other than James Onedin side be side with Trampas Doug Mclure. Strange bed fellows indeed. Never realised that it was Kevin Connor - he directed land that time forgot, that directed this movie until much later. Probably explains why I liked Warlords in the first place.

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.

"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.

Currently MGM has released The Land that Time forgot, and The People that Time Forgot, on one of their Midnight Movies Double Feature DVD's. I have purchased this DVD and have enjoyed it immensely.

The films are based on the classic writings of Edgar Rice Burroughs. And while the dinosaurs look fake by today's standards, the stories and characters are really enjoyable. Most of the other miniature work is also impressive for this time period.

Hopefully they will release the other two movies in this series, At the Earth's Core, and Warlords of Atlantis, on another Midnight Movies Double Feature DVD. I would be very interested in purchasing it.