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Warlords of Atlantis
Warlords of the Deep / Seven Cities of Atlantis / Tauchfahrt des Schreckens / Tauchfahrt des Grauens
UK 1978
produced by
John Dark, Kevin Connor for EMI Films
directed by Kevin Connor
starring Doug McClure, Peter Gilmore, Shane Rimmer, Lea Brodie, Michael Gothard, Hal Galili, John Ratzenberger, Derry Power, Donald Bisset, Ashley Knight, Robert Brown, Cyd Charisse, Daniel Massey
written by Brian Hayles, music by Michael Vickers, special effects by George Gibbs, John Richardson, monsters by Roger Dicken
review by
Mike Haberfelner
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Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
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Somewhen in the 19th century: Adventurer Greg (Doug McClure) and nerdy
professor's son Charles (Peter Gilmore) are to try out the new diving bell
developed by Professor Aitken (Donald Bisset). And after being attacked by
an underwater dinosaur, they discover a statue made of gold seemingly
guarding the entrance to wherever. They have the statue hoisted aboard
their boat, but when the greedy sailors (Hal Galili, John Ratzenberger,
Derry Power) see the golden statue they shoot the professor, cut the line
to the diving bell, and ... are attacked by a giant octopus that drags
them and their captain Daniels (Shane Rimmer) underwater, on its way
snatches the diving bell, and suddenly they all find themselves stranded
on an underwater beach, and are soon taken captive by Atmir (Michael
Gothards) and his guards, and brought to one of the cities of Atlantis.
There they are incarcerated, except for Charles, who thanks to his
intellectual capacities is brought to the high council of Atlanteans, led
by Atsil (Cyd Charisse) and Atraxon (Daniel Massey), where he is to be
made one of them, as they are actually Martians who use their mindpower to
influence the course of history of humankind. What they don't tell him is
that "becoming one of them" means he has to die. Meanwhile,
Greg and the others find out that most of the Atlanteans are actually
survivors from shipwrecks (or their descendants) who have been taken
prisoner and forced into labour or guard duty, and they have been
surgically provided with gills, which makes escape impossible.
Fortunately, Greg has made friends with beautiful Delphine (Lea Brodie),
who helps them escape, and then sea monsters attack. Greg and company
decide to make a run for it in the diving bell, but Greg insists to save
Charles first, and since he's the only one capable of steering the diving
bell, the others reluctantly agree. And with chaos erupting, our heroes
somehow manage to save Charles and make it to the diving bell - and
Delphine, who cannot leave Atlantis, is dying a heroine's death covering
their getaway. Back on the surface, Greg and Charles learn about the
sailors' treachery, when another giant octopus attacks and sees that the
baddies get their just desserts ... Before this movie, director
Kevin Connor had alrady done 3 lost world movies for Amicus
with Doug McClure in the lead or co-lead, The
Land that Time Forgot, At
the Earth's Core and The
People that Time Forgot, and while that studio had by 1978 as good
as folded, Warlords of Atlantis is pretty much a continuation of
what has begun with the earlier movies, an under-budgeted yet
effects-heavy spectacle that certainly can't be blamed for narrative
finesse, but some of its (however recycled) ideas and most certainly its
monsters appeal to one's inner child. Sure, while competently made, by
1978 the age of the blockbuster had already become and this B movie in
period settings felt a bit out of place, and a bit clunky compared with
the likes of Jaws and Star Wars
(not so much in story but in execution), but somehow its still pretty
great, somewhat irreverent fun to watch for sure. No masterpiece by any
definition of the word, but rating high on the nostalgia scale for sure.
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amazon.com
eThaiCD.com
find Warlords of Atlantis at adultvideouniverse.com
