Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

source: Irwin Allen's Production of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Trailer—Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

This is an early 60's disaster adventure and a pleasure to watch. A number of reviewers complained that the science is wrong and the submarine looks phony, etc. Sure, but one must not forget that this movie is almost 60 years old and that scientific knowledge and film props in those days were in its infancy. As a sci-fi and/or an adventure movie it fits the bill perfectly and I am glad to have seen it for the very first time in 2019. If present day movies were made to this caliber, films would be much more enjoyable, as the mumbo jumbo today is also out of this world!

. . . that says "Any film written, produced and directed by one person will be a stinker." This film is no exception. It is not science fiction but science rubbish. The Van Allen belt catching fire is as likely as the force of gravity going rusty. The "world famous scientist" admiral makes his crucial calculations on a slide rule. When he asks the captain "Just exactly where are we?", the captain turns to a map of the world, jabs his finger at the South Atlantic Ocean and says "We're right here, Sir." The conventional submarine chasing them EXplodes because it has gone too deep. When the captain orders the engine room "All stop," the sub comes to a dead halt. And so on, ad nauseam. It would be funny were it not for the truly frightening message that underlies the plot, namely that in any global crisis a US commander may take it upon himself to "save the world," and his chosen solution will be to nuke the problem. Half a century later we still hover on the brink of that precipice today.

Irwin Allens 1961 submarine flick. Although the special effects are on the antiquated side the film when it came out in 61 was state of the art. The movie led to the TV series of the same name but with a different cast. Once again Peter Lorre is on a futuristic submarine on a dangerous mission (as in Disney's 1954 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea) The world is teetering on destruction from a force of nature. The submarine Seaview with its genius Admiral Nelson aboard played by Walter Pidgeon knows how to save the world. However there are those who don't want him to succeed. All in all a good Sci Fi feature. Best if viewed in letter box. Barbara Eden is included in the cast and as always is gorgeous. Frankie Avalon, Michael Ansara, Joan Fontaine co-star. Also look for Howard McNear best known for playing Floyd the barber on the Andy Griffith show as a congressman onboard to check out the submarine.

This film was a good science fiction film for the era it was made in. I know a lot of people talk about the fact that it has a lot of scientific inaccuracies, but I prefer to take it for what it is, a great adventure film. Also, the characters may be stock but I like them for what they are. This definitely is a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

I had ordered Voyage to The Bottom of The Sea on DVD and at 3:00 in the morning I found myself watching it. Okay, the idea of the Van Allen radiation belt catching on fire is silly, but it's just the premise for a really good sci-fi adventure film that I wish I could've seen in the theaters on a wide screen. But the rich colors on the DVD and Dolby sound is a good substitute for the real thing. In looking at it, I can't help but compare the movie with the series that followed as there are some of the actors from the movie who ended up in the show. Seeing this Lee Crane constantly arguing and second-guessing Admiral Nelson is a little disturbing, yet the movie inspired one of the best sci-fi series of the '60s. And the movie itself, like Fantastic Voyage, shows great creativity. Irwin Allen is always being underestimated by people with 60 second attention spans, but this movie shows how much of a creative artist that Allen was. I gladly give this movie 8/10

Now this is sci fi, I like to see. An underwater adventure, involving a powerful nuclear submarine that moves like the great blue whale. Only a different color. I first saw the lunch box when I was in New York, and there was the title, the sub, and the menacing red octopus attacking a mini-sub. The cast of the movie were perfect. I would later remember that Barbara Eden("I Dream of Jeanine") and Michael Ansara(The Blue Djinn) have their memorable roles 4 years later on TV. She really puts on a show in the break room when the Lt. plays his trumpet down hard! The scenes are amazing, and I think that octopus is really a minor threat in the movie. He looks too uncooperative. The special effects are good, and the backgrounds, are OK. This movie is one of the best in scifi. I wouldn't disagree with anyone about it! Rating 4 out of 5 stars.