Warlords of Atlantis
                                                                                     
Director: Kevin Connor
Year: 1976
Rating: 6.5
Aka - Warlords of the Deep

Damn, that poster alone should get this film more respect than it seems to. Most of the reviews seem to be ho-hum but I thought it was good pulpy fun. Doug McClure was the go-to man for medium budget fantasy adventure films in the 1970s. The Land That Time Forgot, At the Earth's Core, The People That Time Forgot and this one. I don't know why. If he has a lot of acting skills, it passed me by. If he has charisma, I must have been out that day. But he did sort of have an All-American chiseled chin look and a lot of teeth. That must have been worth something. These films don't rely on his acting skills though - he is just a place mat for all the nifty special effects in the films. And no matter where he goes- to the bottom the ocean, into the past, to the center of the earth, you can count on him finding a beautiful girl who falls for him. It's a talent I don't share. The first three films mentioned above were directed by Kevin Connor as is this one and they were produced by the British studio Amicus. By the time they got to this one, Amicus was out of business, so they turned to EMI.



The plot is pure gonzo nonsense as they throw in aliens, an underwater city, monsters and rascals. It is a rare minute that something is not happening. The monsters particularly are well done and great fun. The special effects guys - John Richardson and Roger Dickens between them worked on films as diverse as Harry Potter, When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, The Land that Time Forgot, Aliens and a few Bond films. They certainly didn't have much of a budget here but they do a lot with it. The second giant octopus attack on the ship is brilliant. As good as Harryhausen, I would say. The flying fish with sharp teeth is a terrific scene as well and the attack on the city by these armored sloth-like creature was fine. So how did McClure get in a mess like this?



He has built a bathysphere that is lowered down by cables from the ship for his friend Charles (Peter Gilmore) and Charles's father. This seems to take place around the turn of the century and they are on a sailboat to get to their destination with a small crew. Unknown to everyone else, the father and son are looking for Atlantis. Yes, Atlantis. Down Charles and Collinson (McClure) go. For reasons I never quite understood, Collinson's design has no bottom. Of course, he probably wasn't planning on a giant eel like creature poking its head in with its biting teeth. A few electric shocks takes care of that. Then they find a large gold statue and send it up. That was a mistake because the crew decide to keep it and cut the cable and shoot poor old dad. Then the octopus attacks the ship and drags the men into the water. The bathysphere goes out of control and ends up . . . in Atlantis - as do the crew.



To be met by guards who look like mackerels standing up with spears. They are led to the wonderful city of Atlantis - but it is not below the water - it is on land with the sky above surrounded by mountains - quite confusing. Turns out not to be so wonderful after all - it is run by a species of elite Martians who are trapped on earth and who have plans for mankind. Not good ones. There are also the worker bees aka slaves who the octopus has dragged off of ships and delivered by hands. And the monsters attack the city. It is just nutty and fun. The octopus stole the show. Cliff from Cheers is one of the crew men. The babe was Lea Brodie.