Kapitän Nemo

'Captain Nemo and the Underwater City' is a film about a crew who is shipwrecked and then picked up by Captain Nemo in an underwater city where they must remain and never tell anyone about the underwater city. The film explores the underwater city and the way that the people live here. It's like a utopia, and the underwater life is quite imaginative. I was hoping for a little more scenes about the city and the way that people live here, but the story is taken over by a few of the crew who try to escape with gained knowledge.

The special effects are a little to be desired. In fact, some of the acting itself is also a little laughable. It's got its flaws, and it is one of those films where you can sit back and poke some fun at the characters and events in the film.

I saw this in the theater as a kid and loved it. The story about people living a Utopian existence in a domed city underwater sticks with me today. I'm not sure how I'd feel seeing it again, when the so-called 'good guys' in the movie are so anxious to get back to their own world that they endanger the underwater city and steal a submarine. But it's a fun movie with good sets, great miniature work on the subs, the cities, and the giant sea monster. I wish this was released on DVD as the sets and sub were quite neat looking.

A neat aspect of this movie is that they tried for a bit of science "fact". For example, the most common material in the undersea city was gold, because they used a process to pull gold out of sea water.

I wonder if those people are still living down there to this day? :)

Despite having Captain Nemo and the Nautilus, this does not appear to be a sequel or prequel to "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea". Instead, it takes a few story elements and weaves an all-new tale--one where Nemo seems like a pretty cool guy and all the people from the Earth's surface are total jerks! Talk about role reversals!

The film begins during the US Civil War. A ship from America to England is foundering in a storm. Eventually, when it sinks, six of the passengers are rescued by a passing submarine--Nemo and his Nautilus. At first Nemo is very brusque and gloomy, but soon he warms up to the passengers--announcing they are on their way to Nemo's underwater paradise. And the place IS terrific--like Heaven on Earth. Yet despite the people being kind and the city being paradise, most of the rescued people behave like boorish jerks. Two only see ways to exploit the city and cannot appreciate anything of its beauty. One is an angry claustrophobe who tries to destroy the city simply because he will not be allowed to return home since Nemo wants to keep the city a secret. Another is a Senator who is on a diplomatic mission and he insists on completing his mission--even though his country is in the middle of annihilating itself. And the final two are a mother and child who don't seem like total jerks! There is quite a bit to like about this fantasy film. I much prefer seeing a kinder, gentler Nemo and his hopeful vision for the future. Plus for 1969, the special effects and underwater scenes are pretty nice (aside from the silly monster). And, the story and acting are pretty good. My biggest complaint about the film are the characters from the surface. While it is hard to believe that they would not love this wonderful kingdom, the fact that they seem so unreal--like caricatures--that bothered me. Again and again, they were offered kindness and friendship yet they acted horribly--and for little discernible reason. Greed alone did not explain all this, though the film does amply illustrate that humans suck. I which these people had been more complex--it might have made the film a lot more enjoyable. However, despite this, the movie is a nice adventure--well worth seeing.

By the way, at one point in the film, Nemo tells the guests that they are 10,000 leagues under the surface. Judging by the types of fish you see and the few scenes where you can see light from the surface, the city (if it were real) is about 100 feet or less from the surface.

Sequel to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (the Disney version) and prequel to "Mysterious Island" (1961 version) relating the further adventures of Jules Verne's Captain Nemo and his submarine community. As in those two films (and the Jules Verne novels by the same name), shipwrecked survivors are rescued by Captain Nemo and in this case, taken to his underwater city. Robert Ryan is no James Mason and brings the plot to a sleeping halt with his monotone delivery and wooden appearance and Chuck Connors is terribly miscast as the head of the survivors, however director James Hill ("Born Free") excels at filming nature and the film comes alive whenever people interact with animals such as a shark attack. Jules Verne stories are always fascinating and some of the set design is inspired (including an underwater resort-style swimming pool shared by children and penguins!). Really fun to watch as a trilogy since the story line holds together from one film to another (despite different producers and film studios!)

Shipwreck survivors are rescued by an authoritarian ruler of a secret underwater city during the 19th century. Nice underwater photography, enough action and special effects to offset wooden acting and less-than-sublime script. (Rating B+)