It's a George Pal film, who around this time in his career was playing fun with fantasy adventure films, even bringing some cartoonery and science into his equations. Atlantis, the Lost Continent is not a particularly good film, but it is a fun one if you have any sort of idea what to expect from this sort of production.

Plot basically pitches a Greek fisherman to the task of bringing an Atlantean princess back to the supposed mythical city of Atlantis. He does, and soon wishes he hadn't since he is not welcomed and Atlantis might be coming to the end of its existence.

It starts off pretty badly, cheese acting and scenes looking dreadfully cheap. Yet once we get to Atlantis things perk up, with an array of weird inhabitants and nutty religion marrying up with some nutty science. It's colourful, while the effects work ranges wildly from good to bad; which is the same as the screenplay come to think of it (studio interference and writers strikes hamstrung Pal no doubt). It's more "Z" grade than "B" schlock grade, and as has been noted by critics, it does indeed look like a cheap Roman adventure dressed up under a mythical name. Yet it is still pleasant enough of a viewing experience, with some nifty action scenes and the brisk finale ensuring that is the case. 6/10

Every since I was a boy, the works of George Pal has always been an inspiration. I can recall as a child, waiting patiently for his TV programs involving his enormously popular Puppet-toons. His films always touch the core of movie fans' imagination with such classics as, 'The Naked Jungle', 'The War of the Worlds' and my all time favorite, 'The Time Machine'. In this film, Pal reaches deep into the human Psyche and selects a fabulous story which originates in the ancient scrolls of Plato. Here a Greek Fisherman, Demetrios (Anthony Hall) nets a strange woman who claims to be from the mythical island of Atlantis. Unable to prevent her, she returns home where the Fisherman becomes a prisoner of the mightiest kingdom of all time. Promising himself, he will yet escape his chains, Demetrios meet Xandros (Jay Novello) an aging slave who made that claim years before. During his stay, he is not only permitted to witness the great wonders of Atlantis, such as a submarine and a powerful solar Laser, but is informed of it's impending doom by a sincere and penitent scientist/priest named Azor (Edward Platt). His stay is precarious and subject to change at the whim of Sonoy the Astrologer (Frank De Kova) and Zaren (John Dall) the chief adviser. The movie is entertaining and enjoyable, if slightly hampered by the personal ideology of the director who injects it into his work. Nevertheless, the films of George Pal, continue to fascinate audiences of all ages. Due to his expertise, this film serves to strengthen our continuous belief in the Legend of Atlantis. ****

Although cheesy and corny at times, this lavish George Pal spectacle still packs a punch today with some agreeable old-fashioned special effects and a little bit of everything in the plot. Sure, it's not a perfect film, but what is? Occasionally dated and sometimes juvenile, ATLANTIS, THE LOST CONTINENT more than overcomes its flaws with a story populated by interesting characters, plenty of incident and interesting factors in the plot.

The film begins as a romantic adventure yarn as a beautiful Princess - as played by Joyce Taylor, who is very good and charismatic in the part - falls in love with a simple Greek fisherman, a fresh-faced lean youth played by Sal Ponti as a fearless, indestructible hero type. Once the action moves to Atlantis, the plot thickens with the introduction of many supporting characters, each with their own motivations, and numerous sub-plots.

From this point there are plenty of ominous rumblings and omens which point to the demise of Atlantis, which of course is saved for the finale. Up until then we follow Ponti, as he becomes a slave and rebels against the cruel guard, as led by a young William Smith. There are some fun sword-and-sandal type battle sequences involving battles between guards and slaves which highlight the action. Meanwhile Ponti finds himself facing the gladiatorial "fire and water challenge", in which he battles a brute of a man in a pit of hot coals which is then flooded with water. Again, a rousing moment, the highlight being the point when Ponti sets his opponent's head aflame! Another plot strand involves John Dall's Zaren, the King's right-hand who is effectively running the show and plans to become master of the world by using a crystal-powered death ray to destroy all of the other countries. Dall is the kind of slimy, yet charismatic villain you just love to hate, and kudos to the scriptwriters for not portraying him as a bad guy at the beginning of the film - instead, it's a gradual process.

Yet another sub-plot involves prisoners being converted into beastmen by the evil scientists of Atlantis, and sadly this is the most juvenile and poorly-realised portion of the film, with silly makeup effects and a lack of the tragi-horror combination that the writer was looking for with the beastmen. Thankfully this unwanted element is kept to the background in the movie. The special effects and fantastic elements are kept to a minimum up until the finale, which is where the budget seems to have been spent, and boy does it show. As Atlantis cracks up, we're treated to spectacular shots of bubbling lava, exploding volcanoes, collapsing buildings, the city on fire, rubble and masonry crushing people, floods and the city sinking beneath the ocean. On top of all this, the death ray comes into play to destroy numerous ships and lives, before it finally skeletonises the bad guy and goes berserk, causing yet more destruction. A truly satisfying conclusion to the movie and worth waiting for.

Even in the quieter moments, there is much to enjoy in ATLANTIS, THE LSOT CONTINENT's colourful cinematography and imaginative set design, including a weird temple with a huge Minotaur statue. In all, this is a splendid - if minorly flawed - retelling of the classic legend and an all-round crowd pleaser, bolstered most by the likable leads and Pal's uniqely old-fashioned approach to the adventure.