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 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)
Rated: PG for mild violence and language.
Runtime: 105 mins.
Director: Irwin Allen
Writer: Irwin Allen
Cast: Waler Pidgeon; Barbara Eden; Frankie Avalon...complete cast
Genre: Science Fiction
Memorable quote: "If God ordains that Man should die without a fight, then why does He give us the will to live?"
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| Reel commentary: ...So many more of Irwin Allen's pictures are better representatives of his vivid imagination and brilliant mind than the sometimes-laborious Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea..........full review |
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by Frank Wilkins
In one form or another, Irwin Allen had a hand in some of the most memorable disaster flicks of the '60s and '70s. With credits like The Swarm, The Towering Inferno, Poseidon Adventure, and the Lost in Space television series there's no doubt that Allen had a unique vision and it's safe to say that he was the master of the genre. Arguably, one of his most memorable and successful films was Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. And I'm not sure why! So many more of his pictures are better representatives of his vivid imagination and brilliant mind than the sometimes-laborious Voyage.
A new atomic submarine led by the brazen Admiral Harriman Nelson (Walter Pidgeon) is on a dangerous mission to save the world from radiation caused by a baffling meteor belt that has positioned itself over the world and is raising the Earth's temperature to dangerous levels. A quick solution is needed to turn the course of nature but, as usual, the world's leaders can't come to a conclusion as to the best method for neutralizing the threatening phenomena.
Admiral Nelson hatches a brilliant plan involving nuclear warheads that is almost unanimously rejected by the world's leaders. But the film was made during the height of the Cold War and in pro-America fashion typical of the era; he plans to steam the futuristic sub to a strategic location to blast the meteor belt with an atomic missile.
The rising radiation causes a communication blackout leaving the sub on its own to battle the hazards along the way. Giant squids, floating mine fields, enemy submarines and even embedded politicians fail to slow the sub on its dangerous mission.
The charm of most sci-fi disaster flicks comes in the things that make them science fiction. Plenty of fake-looking creatures, implausible premises and catchpenny acting are what we look for when watching films from this genre. And while, for the most part, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea delivers, large portions of the movie are filled with heavy dialogue that oftentimes becomes downright boring. Children and adults of all ages should love these films, and while its subject matter never goes over the top with this regard, Voyage gets a bit too deep and heavy for most youngsters to understand and for most adults to care about.
Barbara Eden stars as Lt. Conners, and Frankie Avalon is Lt.Jg. Danny Romano, the object of her affection. Any attempts at creating likable or memorable characters are wasted, as that's not what Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is about. It's about the things that should make this another representative of the disaster flick genre created by the Master, but with Voyage, Allen strays a bit too far off course.
Frank Wilkins
Screen formats: Widescreen Anamorphic 2.35:1
Sound: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English 4.0; English 2.0 mono; French 2.0 Mono
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Other Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access; trailers.
The movie comes as a double feature on one DVD disk accompanied by Fantastic Voyage. The video is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescren. The audio is in 4.0 surround but is never a major player in the film. Mostly muted underwater sounds and a subdued soundtrack don't give the surround speakers a good workout but I never really missed it. The film takes place almost entirely in water and appropriately music and sound are a secondary concern.
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Complete Cast:
| Walter Pidgeon......... |
Admiral Harriman Nelson |
| Joan Fontaine.......... |
Dr. Susan Hiller |
| Barbara Eden........... |
Lt Cathy Connors |
| Peter Lorre ........ |
Commodore Lucius Emery |
| Robert Sterling ........ |
Captain Lee Crane |
| Michael Ansara ........ |
Miguel Alvarez |
| Frankie Avalon ........ |
Lt(jg) Danny Romano |
| Regis Toomey.......... |
Dr. Jamieson |
| John Litel........ |
Vice Admiral B.J. Crawford |
| Howard McNear .... |
Congressman Parker |
| Henry Daniell .... |
Dr. Zucco |
| Skip Ward. .... |
Crew Member |
| Mark Slade |
Seaman Jimmy 'Red' Smith |
| Charles Tannen |
CPO Gleason |
| Del Monroe |
Kowalski |
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