Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Pelted with radioactive meteorites, the Earth’s Van-Allen belt has caught fire and threatens to roast us all; unless, of course, mankind can find a way to put it out - and fast! That’s right cult fans, it’s ’60s sci-fi time and the disaster classic, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea!

Performing final tests under the ice at the North Pole, the eminent yet enigmatic scientist Admiral Harriman Nelson - the most famous scientific mind of his generation - is putting his new nuclear submarine ‘SeaView’ through its paces. Though his detractors have hailed his latest project “Nelson’s Folly�, it seems that the sub is performing brilliantly, and stands to usher in a new age of deep-sea exploration.

When, in the midst of its final test, the SeaView is bombarded by falling chunks of ice, the crew hurriedly surface to find the aforementioned Van-Allen belt ablaze. And with the temperature at the pole running at 135 degrees Fahrenheit and climbing, it won’t be long before the ice caps are melted and the Earth is flooded. Worse still, at the present rate of temperature rise, the entire human race will be burned to a crisp before they need even search for their floaties.

Armed with an audacious plan and the necessary calculations to support it, Nelson races back to New York for a specially convened United Nations scientific summit. However, with the majority of the world’s scientists convinced that the fire will burn itself out before the human race is obliterated, Nelson’s plan to use a missile to extinguish the blaze is unilaterally condemned as madness. Convinced that he’s right, and with no time to lose, Nelson ignores his international critics and steams towards the exact location from which his plan must be enacted...

Written and directed by Irwin Allen, the undisputed master of the disaster film during the ’60s and ’70s, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is a classic science fiction adventure that literally provides something for everyone. The film is certainly more fiction than science, with the unbelievably spacious SeaView even containing its own shark tank, not to mention the ludicrous disaster premise, but this is cheesy ’60s adventure on a grand scale. Nelson and his crew meet more obstacles in their simple trip to the Pacific than many a P&O cruise could boast; meeting and overcoming marooned evangelists, underwater mines, attacks by enemy submarines, two attempts at sabotage, mutiny and murder attempts, and not one but two attacks by giant many-legged sea creatures. All the while the ruthless Admiral Nelson pushes his crew to breaking point; embodying both the hero and the villain of the story.

There is no disputing that viewed in our day and age, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea certainly has a cheesy, B-grade feel, but that just seems to add to the film’s appeal; helping to sweeten the incredulous plot. There’s rubber sharks, a giant squid that looks straight out of a Japanese kaiju movie (making a sucking sound like the dregs of a milkshake), and painfully obvious optical effects. The exposition is poorly written, and there’s lots and lots of standing around and talking sternly, but then again there’s Barbara Eden to look at. And despite all this, the film rises above its limitations and is as entertaining as you always remembered it. With little or no violence, only a small amount of blood, and no swearing, this is a film that the whole family can enjoy. If only the delectable Ms Eden could have at least shown a little of that I Dream of Jeannie midriff...

For evidence of Fox’s respect for their sci-fi back catalogue, you need look no further than their release of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea which, despite screening over 40 years ago, looks pretty darned fabulous; being comparable in video quality to many contemporary titles. Presented at the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, the anamorphic image is amazingly clean, sharp and crisp; displaying as much detail as the ’60s panelled sets allow. In terms of film artefacts, there's the odd speck here and there, but really nothing noticeable; truly amazing given the age of the film. The colours are also superb with the beige and grey interiors of the SeaView, the red leather trim, and the cold blue-greens of the underwater sequences looking wonderful. There’s no hint of colour-bleeding, and saturation is right on the money. Supporting the colour is perfect black level, and what shadows can be seen display a reasonable amount of detail (again considering the age of the film).

In terms of MPEG artefacts there is little to tell. There are several instances of pixelation, both macro-blocking and chroma noise, but they are hardly to be noticed. There is also the occasional instance of posterisation in one or two of the undersea shots, but at all other times - in particular during the many instances of steam and smoke - this annoying artefact is nowhere to be seen. All in all, this is a fantastic job from Fox, and I’d be surprised if Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea has looked this good since 1961.

In terms of audio, Fox have provided a Dolby Digital 4.0 remix of the original stereo source material that represents a fairly unremarkable, yet faithful translation of the film’s original soundtrack. Despite the addition of a surround track, the majority of the soundstage remains forward, with all voices and foley effects (dominated by the clacking of early computers, and the pinging of the SeaView’s sonar) emanating from the front three channels. Some simple channel separation is also present; mainly to handle voices from off-screen. Despite moving across the front of the soundstage, the dialogue is always clear and distinct, and there are no lip-sync issues. The surround channel is used primarily to fill out the overly dramatic score (this is early ’60s sci-fi after all), although the level is quite low compared to the front channels. All in all, a perfectly reasonable compliment to the film.

Static menus with a nautical feel provide access to a single extra - the obligatory theatrical trailer. Presented at an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the trailer gives away every single one of the film’s major plot points, and is taken from a rather dirty print. There’s some retro value in it, but little else.

Seen through the eyes of today’s spoilt sci-fi fans, Irwin Allen’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea certainly sports some cheesy special effects and an incredulous plot. And yet, as a classic of the genre, it remains as entertaining as ever. As a child I loved watching this film and the subsequent television series, and it was certainly a delight to revisit it. With Fox’s wonderful transfer onto DVD, if there was ever a release of Voyage that fan’s should own it is this one. Enjoy!