The Neptune Disaster

source: The Neptune Disaster

*** May contain spoilers *** ...but when I watched it in 1973, it was one of the several 60's/70's films that got me into scuba diving. Reviewing it, 44 years hence, and with over 1500 dives under my belt, I'm amazed by the excellent underwater macro photography --probably done in an aquarium- with the extremely limited technology available at the time. No need to repeat the plot here but be only advised that the first two thirds of the movie will put you to sleep --and if you happen to know 1.01 about dive physiology and physics will surely get you angry at the goofy plot; guys diving to depths that would require a week inside a decompression chamber, etc... On the other hand, remember this was filmed at a time when diving was deemed adventurous and heroic. LOL! At the 2/3 mark, the "action" --consisting of macro shots of little tropical fishes, make you take an imagination leap where you are a one inch scuba diver, dropped inside a tropical aquarium full of small critters that usually feed on the likes of you- is probably even more boring. This film requires discipline for you to go to the end credits; however, seeing that there are people cheering the latest Alien franchise production, the creators of this amateurish movie deserve at least an accolade for the effort. Unless you cannot get your hands on a so-so reading or comedy, just skip it.

In the late 1960s I discovered the Lincoln Arts Cinema on West 57th Street in Manhattan - my sister and I went there to see THE LION IN WINTER when it came out. Subsequently I went by myself or with others, in particular to see the series of re-released films of Charlie Chaplin in the early 1970s. But all things are ephemeral, especially buildings and businesses. The Lincoln Arts Cinema eventually went out of business. One of the last productions I saw there was a double bill (a rarity) of THE NEPTUNE FACTOR with a comedy (possibly RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER, but I am not sure). It was a sign of the times that this showcase for single film classics or would-be classics ended up doing a double bill. Also that one of the films was THE NEPTUNE FACTOR. I rarely went to science fiction movies, so it must have been the comedy that I really wanted to see. In any event, for some reason this "inner space" story lingered in my memory rather than the other film (even if it was the Sellers' movie). For one thing it intrigued me to watch a movie about underwater exploration (deep sea at that). The period was one when there were too many submarine disasters: the "Thresher", the "Scorpion", the "Dakar", the "Minerve". So there was a realization of the potential for total disaster as we explored or traveled in the seas. The real achievements in underwater exploration were still in the future (it was another decade before Dr. Robert Ballard located the wreck of the "Titanic"). So the potential for an interesting film was there. Regrettably the movie was not that good - but it does make one want better films on the subject. At some near future date there is an underwater station set up on the ocean floor. An earthquake occurs, and the crew is trapped. So the government sends a team with a submarine to do a difficult rescue. The team is headed by Walter Pidgeon and Yvette Mimieux, and it sends the submarine under Ben Gazzara and Ernest Borgnine to the rescue. What follows in the film is a kind of special effects travelogue of what the rescue crew sees under water, and how they overcome various obstacles until they finally locate the toppled tower of the underwater lab - just in time (of course) as some monster of the deep is attacking (I recall it does get one of the endangered crew, who is fighting it to save his comrades). The photography was the best part of the movie - it did make the viewer take interest in that portion of the globe that covers three fifths of our planet. But as is rightly pointed here on the thread it did not really show the bizarre lifeforms of the deep sea - creatures that rarely see sunlight. Of course, the real problem is that deep sea photography (before Dr. Ballard's descents, two and a half miles down) were extremely difficult - and impossible for a commercial Hollywood film. So one has to allow for this failure while enjoying the fish and fauna that is seen. The performers try hard, particularly Borgnine, who attempts some comic relief. A reviewer on this thread mentions Gazzara's performance as wooden. I hesitate to go that far (he seemed more tired than wooden), but I have seen him to far better effect in THE STRANGE ONE and other performances. Pidgeon was in his film dotage - trotted out as an authority figure of one type or another at the time, with his aged appearance erasing memories of the good looks of thirty years before in MRS. MINIFER or HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY. In his later years every time I saw Walter Pidgeon's performances (unless the film script gave him some good moments) his thickened pursed lips always made me think him a caricature of himself. In the end, the interest in the subject matter is the best thing going for THE NEPTUNE FACTOR, coupled with the photography (even with it's limitations). So I give it a "5" out of a possible "10".

This is a great movie. It is very scary. It has great acting. It also has great specail effects. It also has a great story line. 4.5 is underrating this movie. I give it 9 out of 10. Great movie.

This is an adorable little kids movie from the '70's. 5 stars is pushin it for this one, though. It's not bad but its by no means good. It's just really endearing, in its own out-dated way. So, OK, you've got Ben Gazarra, Ernest Borgnine, and superhuge seahorses in an undersea adventure/race-against-time-kind of thing. I wonder if the guys and 'bots over at MST3K ever got a hold on this one? It would be perfect material for them. It's lame in a wonderful way. If you like Benny Gazzarra, and/or Ernest Borgnine, and would possibly be interested in seeing them marvel at superhuge seahorses when they're in this superdeep sea rift, then I think you should see this movie. No. I urge you to see it.

An earthquake under the ocean floor hits a lab on the seabed. As a result, it's umbilical cord to the surface ship is severed and the lab tossed over a sheer underwater cliff. Now it is so deep that conventional divers cannot reach it, so the only hope is a deep water submersible, the Neptune. Despite the film being about an ocean disaster, it's amazing just how static and dull the movie is. I think the main problem is pacing...not acting, as the actors are generally a very accomplished group of professionals. Too often, the director chose to portray the film in the least exciting manner....and I had to really struggle to pay attention or even to care. By the way, although I don't recommend anyone see this movie, scuba divers might enjoy watching some of the diving sequences...especially when the DIve Master is thrashing about in the water like he just got his certification yesterday!

I think it's safe to state that I never, in my entire life, tried so desperately hard to like a movie; - yet failed. "The Neptune Factor" stood on my must-see since many years because there were several indicators looking positive and promising. I love adventure/disaster movies from the 70s. I worship films with aquatic monsters, regardless of how trashy and cheesy they look. Heck, I'm even on a personal mission to track down every single movie in which Ernest Borgnine starred. Well, if I'll ever achieve something in this lifetime, I sincerely hope it's discouraging other people to watch this piece of dreck! The simple and honest truth is that "The Neptune Factor" is a film of monumental, unsurpassable and indescribable dullness! I still don't fathom how the story of a deep-sea rescue mission, for a manned research lab lost due falling into an ocean floor crack following an earthquake, can possibly be this boring, and yet I just witnessed it with my own eyes. These people are supposedly racing against the clock to save their friends and colleagues' lives, so the very last things I expect are 10,000 scenes moving at sea-snail pace or characters endlessly looking at each other and sipping coffee. After a full hour of infuriating and talkative tedium, the four-headed submarine finally descends into the unexplored abyss and you subconciously develop a tiny bit of hope that the film might improve. Alas, "The Neptune Factor" instead becomes even more pitiable and imbecilic, because director Daniel Petrie begs us to believe that optically enlarged and utterly harmless sea animals (sea horses, anemones and even a god-damn goldfish) are viciously lurking, bloodthirsty monsters. How retarded do they think we are? Not even Walt Disney movies dared to pull this off! And as for you, Mr. Borgnine, I'm sorely disappointed!

Not a bad effort, really, given that the film was made during the age of Cousteau. Underwater filming of deep ocean life had not been accomplished. Now we know what it looks like way down there, so the fish tank 'special effects' really ruin the story. The first sight of a clown fish is like a slap in the face! The film becomes a comedy after that! But really, this is only because science education (as miserable as it may be) has advanced SO MUCH on television. Now we can sit on our sofa and watch animal planet to get a better seminar on deep ocean life than marine biologists of the day received! So, if you're looking for a top-notch special effects masterpiece, the toy sub floating in the Monterey Bay aquarium's fish tanks probably won't cut it. Nevertheless, it's an entertaining few minutes, anyway. I say, watch it and try to forget about reality for a while. Pretend you're TEN!

Produced during the early swell of the 1970's disaster movie cycle, this Canadian-made adventure film combines elements from that genre along with a little sci-fi. An undersea research lab investigating the cause of earthquakes gets some firsthand data when a tremor rocks the ocean floor, sending the lab careening into a deep crevice. On the surface, doctors Pidgeon and Mimieux, along with divers Borgnine and Rhodes, attempt to locate the lab along with its three inhabitants, one of whom is Mimieux's boyfriend. With time running out (the lab only has seven days worth of life support) and with no clues to the lab's whereabouts, they call in Gazzara, who operates a special deep water sub called Neptune. With considerable difficulty and conflict, they discover that the lab has slipped far beneath the normal realm of exploration, meaning the Neptune must go to places heretofore never witnessed by man. Once there, they find that the deepest recesses of the ocean contain massive, over-sized fish and sea life thanks to the warmth emitted from volcanic fissures, creatures which severely obstruct the crew's chances of retrieving the men they're searching for! Pidgeon is far beyond the peak of his talents here, often seeming befuddled and dispassionate, despite his inherent likability from decades of prior screen triumphs. Borgnine is markedly heavier than he was just one year earlier in "The Poseidon Adventure", though his stunt double is notably more slender. His performance is almost reserved in contrast to some of his more bombastic portrayals and he doesn't embarrass himself (even if he is not the first person who comes to mind as a deep sea diver!) Mimieux is attractive, but hasn't got much to do besides look worried, stunned and dazed. Gazzara is horribly miscast and gives a stoic, wooden performance topped off with an atrocious Atlanta, GA accent. Rhodes is another one without a lot to do, but he retains his likable persona. The film has been roundly criticized from its release to the present for its effects concerning the "giant" fish (actually regular sea life projected UP CLOSE against the portals of the Neptune) and that aspect of the film is definitely preposterous and poorly handled. However, there is still considerable tension and some otherwise fine miniature work and underwater photography. Another issue is the amount of light and clarity of the water at these murky depths and the premise that men can simply emerge from their vessels and scuba dive in pressures that intense. One thing that robs the film of emotional impact is the fact that the audience barely gets to meet the trapped technicians before they disappear and their plight is never shown through the duration of the film. Also, the finale is rushed and rather poorly handled. Continuity is an issue as well. Mimieux appears in a different wash and wear outfit nearly every time she appears, even in the same day. It's a miracle her clothes don't change within scenes. (Note the way she and Pidgeon seem to wear the same outfits whenever they're on deck, no matter which day it is.) More unbelievable than the giant fish is the presumption that Borgnine can shimmy in and out of his (oddly ragged considering how new everything else is!) scuba suit in the time allotted. A scene between Mimieux and Borgnine, which may have illuminated her relationship with the missing doctor and added a little more emotional depth to the story, was cut prior to release. Still, there's something endearing about the clean, bright sets, the earnest performers, the mysterious and unusual aspects of the storyline and the mostly effective effects. Though it can be a bit tedious at times, it should be a reasonably pleasant viewing for fans of the stars or for fans of 70's disaster flicks. Mimieux and Borgnine would reunite a few years later in "The Black Hole."

***Some spoilers*** This movie is not too bad. The cast is solid with Ernest Borgnine and Donnelly Rhodes particularly good. The story has enough moments of suspense to keep the viewer interested and enough plot to move the story along at a reasonable pace. A lot has been said about the (lack of) special effects. I'm not too bothered by this. They are no better or worse than other films from that era. The premise(giant fish at the bottom of the ocean) does not suspend our disbelief too much. The important thing here is the search and rescue of the scientists trapped at the bottom of a crevice and not the mutant fish. The final rescue happens too quickly but this does not hinder the film too much. Overall a good film to watch on a rainy Sunday. I give it 6 mutant fish out of 10.