Latitude zéro

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.

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.

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!!!

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.

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.