Some blokes arrive in the sunken land of Atlantis, partly by accident, partly by design, and encounter despots and monsters. Shenanigans ensue.

Coming out of the spasm of activity whereby Doug McClure was the action-man protagonist in a number of similar British fantasy movies, this is not vastly different to the others. An adequate plot serves as a satisfactory row of hooks on which to hang a series of action sequences involving "special effects" of a type which was all we had at the time. And like the other films, the monsters are men in monster costumes, filmed in slow motion on miniature sets, which was a bit lame even then. There is one bit where a monster eats someone, and it is quite clear the considerable effort everyone has to go to in order to get out of the way and almost help the fellow into the monster's jaws. Nitrogen narcosis doesn't exist in journeying to and from this undersea realm, and octopuses have menacing roars. That sort of thing.

For all that, it is good natured and barrels along amiably enough. And Cyd Charisse, aged 57, shows that she still has a pretty good pair of pins.

Searching for treasures , a scientific , his son (Peter Gilmore) and Greg Collinson (Doug McClure) are double-crossed by their crew (John Ratzenberger : Cheers , among others) . Then , they're into a diving bell when are attacked by a sea monster and the sailors are dragged by a giant octopus . Later on , the ship-wrecked crew find inhabitants of the lost world of Atlantis , the lost continent written by Platon . It's governed by an alien race (Michael Gothard , Daniel Massey and Cyd Charisse) from Mars which wish to rule the human beings and the creation a totalitarian state . An incredible tale of terror and suspense...above and below the sea. From the depth of space they came to vanish beneath the sea...

This fantasy picture packs thrills , action , weird monsters , lively pace and fantastic scenarios . The monsters are the real stars of this production and its chief attribute . The tale is silly and laughable but the effects and action are quite well . Among the most spectacular of its visuals there are deeply shrouded caverns filled with monsters roaring menacingly towards the camera , the attack of a giant lizard on a fortress , and the futuristic backgrounds of Atlantis . Some illogical parts in the plot are more than compensated for the excitement provided by Roger Dicken's monsters , though sometimes result to be a little bit cheesy . Filmed in glimmer and colorful cinematography by expert cameraman Alan Hume on location in Malta and Pinewood studios , England . Evocative and stirring musical score by Vickers . This is the fourth collaboration between producer John Dark and director Kevin Connor who also made in similar style : ¨The land that time forgot (1975)¨, ¨All the Earth's core (1976)¨, ¨The people that time forgot (1977)¨, mostly starred by Doug McClure and with the craftsman Roger Dicken as the monster-maker . The film will appeal to kiddies who swallow whole and sit convulsed in their armchair.

What a great film! When ever I watch this movie, I sit with a big grin on my face. This was one of the first movies I saw at the cinema as a kid. This film didn't win any Oscars, but if there had been a category for FUN it would have won hands down. I don't thing this film was ever meant to be taken too seriously. Like many of Doug McClures movies, "At The Earths Core" and "The land that time forgot", made with a hint of tongue in cheek. Made before the onset of cgi effects, this film has an innocent, non-cynical feel. It has Monsters, the lost city of atlantis, guns, fight scenes and more monsters, what more can you ask for in a low budget sci-fi. Films like this are often belittled by people who cannot see beyond their De Niro's and Oscar nominations. The quality of a film, at the end of the day, is about it's entertainment value, hence 10 out of 10.