The Neptune Factor (1973)

If you want to watch a movie with a lot of sea creatures, this is it. Otherwise nothing else.

Not as exciting as the box cover artwork might suggest, with a painfully stilted characterisation by Ben Gazzara and capable supporting cast trapped in one-dimensional roles. The story concerns militant, officious salvage expert (Gazzara) contracted by an aquatic research team to recover a stricken underwater manned probe that has descended into a deep sea ravine. Gazzara makes it clear from the outset that his goal is only to locate the vessel for insurance purposes, except Mimieux's companion is one of those aboard and she ups the ante in spite of escalating challenges.Pidgeon and Borgnine have little opportunity to establish any characterisation, while Mimieux simply frets and affects anxiety to demonstrate her 'depth' of character. The friction between her and Gazzara is about the only palpable action in the whole picture. The special effects consist of intense magnification of gold fish and other aquarium species, while endless jolts and turbulence puts you in the environmental context. As far as dialogue goes, the technical spec consists mainly of references to rudder malfunction and oxygen saturation. Riveting stuff.Disappointingly, the film ends abruptly where it could have developed a more convincing, compelling climax. After waiting 95 minutes, the audience is treated to a Jules Verne moment in which 'giant' eels corral the probe's survivors as they run out of oxygen. But just as the action gains momentum, the film ends. Five more minutes of that encounter might have earned another star, but this underwater adventure is mostly talk and no action.

But having actually seen the movie in the theaters when it first came out, actually seen the mini review in Stars and Stripes back in the 70's, seeing it again in the next century brings back nice memories.(Potential spoilers) Sure, it uses a lot of modeling among regular fish to give the illusion of being gigantic ........... but what didn't in TV and movie productions 'back then'? I checked it especially because I wanted to remember again what it felt to be like a child of 11 or 12. At times, seen with the eye of an adult, parts were painful ..... but really, those parts were before they got underwater such as maybe some actor playing a little bit more of a deck hand here, a little too much emphasis on a small emblem there, things that make one grimace .... but that grimace was brief.And yes, the physics at points may be quite impossible ..... but movies are meant for fun, not to be studied and torn apart under a microscope (all puns intended).It's a nice return to the dreams generated by it, by Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Primus, Fantastic Voyage, and probably other shows of 'back then'. It is a children's movie (rated G), for children to think about the future they can be in.

A B+ movie that was a very good attempt to do in the ocean what Kubrick did for space. The filming on location and in the well-designed Ocean Lab underwater set reminded me of Jacques-Yves Cousteau's "World Without Sun" (1964). The plot may have been thin, but was clearly well intended and thought out in a somewhat scientific chain of thought that would be worthy of Walt Disney's concept of the "Plausible IMPOSSIBLE". The special effects were non-existent in this film (20th merely distributed it) but with the resources they did use, the film was enjoyable as a little excursion. Special Effects don't make a film; an interesting plot does. The plot here is an old and tried one in the movies: the disaster flick. When I saw this film on the big screen, the story did succeed in capturing my interest. Will they find the missing scientists? Did anyone survive? Do they all make it back? When the story entices the viewer to ask these questions and wondering at what will happen in the next 60 seconds -- as this film actually DOES do! -- then the producer and director succeeded at what they were trying to do. I enjoyed this film so much; I stayed in the theater and sat through it a second time! A good film -- if they ever decide to do a remake, I hope they give it a budget that will include good special effects. After all, when they re-made "IT! The Terror From Beyond Space," they had a hefty budget and retitled it ALIEN. Two and half stars out of five ain't bad.