Terror Beneath the Sea

I like the simplicity of it. You couldn't intentionally make a movie like this; it's just some kind of magic that falls into place, but the audience has to go along with this kind of accidental wackiness or it will fail to entertain.

Okay Japanese rubber suit/monster flick. Mad scientist plans to rule the world with his fishmen/water cyborgs from his underwater base. Sonny Chiba in an early role is the hero and American Peggy Neal plays the girl in trouble. Best viewed late at night with Attack of the Mushroom People.

This is a fun adventure flick that conjures up feelings of nostalgic Japanese horror. It's not scary but will keep you in stitches during the viewing and long afterwards. This film would fit nicely into a "films so bad...they're good!" library. It's worth at least one viewing if only for the laughs and the special effects.......oh, they're great!

YOU, thinking of Japanese monster horror, will likely picture either Godzilla or some kind of bodily mutilation, likely involving lots of tentacles (both fair).

YOU probably think you've seen it all.

But YOU have yet to experience the mid-point somewhere in between: a thrilling, chilling, underwater adventure so sixties it's hip! It's now! And how! Behold: the delightfully nostalgic, charming murk that is... TERROR BENEATH THE SEA!

(bum bum buuuuummm!!!)

SHRIEK in terror,as you attempt to uncover the (not so mystifying) mystery of the strange marine sightings interrupting underwater torpedo tests!

CRINGE at the gloriously wooden overacting, especially the nearly unbearably whiny Peggy Neal, and one navy sergeant bearing an uncanny resemblance to Bradley Cooper!

GROOVE to the funky James Bond vibe of the underwater base, matching uniformed minions, and cackling megalomaniac foe, all given a swingin' sizzle by the slam-banging jazzy adore!

GASP at the strange, eerie underwater creatures - like the Creature of the Black Lagoon with his face caught in a vice! Then HIDE YOUR EYES from the stop motion transformations creating the abominations (see? We promised bodily mutilation!)...which would likely be more memorably grotesque with a higher budget, so the actors weren't left looking like they have shredded condoms all over their faces.

PUZZLE at the fish-men being referred to as cyborgs, and how their actions are controlled by an outrageously 60s wall dial. But don't sweat the details - the film sure doesn't.

CHEER as dashing martial arts star Sonny Chiba finally (finally!) gets to unleash some whoop-ass in a fantastically campy explosive finale, after spending too much of the movie frowning and being imprisoned - even if he does more shooting than martial arts-ing (boo).

You ask yourself: are your nerves (or attention span) up for the spectacle, the pizazz, of this frightfully fun creature feature?? Well, there's only one way to find out. Take the plunge with Sonny and Peggy. Steel your nerves. And uncover the outrageous odyssey that is... TERROR BENEATH THE SEA!

-5/10

While this movie has all the elements that make old sci-fi movies suck,it somehow doesn't suck. The creature from the black lagoon has been cloned and is now in Japan,so of course two reporters must investigate.They immediately go scuba diving because what is a movie without scuba diving?I swear I can't remember the last time I saw a movie without scuba diving.Of course one of the reporters is a woman and wouldn't you know it...she sees the monster first.Two times when the camera cuts to him it's extremely clear that he's not underwater.As the woman swims away they superimpose the monster over her.Not content with nearly being killed, they must investigate further.That's when they discover that a guy has figured out how to transform humans into any form he wants.He explains how but then they just put what looks like a few human organs sewn together into a guy and the transformation begins.It's long,tedious and boring and the woman gasps constantly at the extremely slow process.At one point the guy even gets tiger feet before becoming a CFTBL clone. Did I mention that this guy has made a whole army of these things? And that he calls them cyborgs even though they have nothing robotic about them?And that he controls the entire army with a big knob that has settings like "work" and "fight"?And when he needs them all to stop he has to make a pa announcement so the guy standing next to him can turn the knob. I'm sure I didn't mention that he looks like Kevin Spacey in sunglasses.How do I even know who that is?? You would think that one of the monsters having his armpit "skin" ripped open would be the funniest thing in the movie but you'd be wrong.The funniest, and therefore best part of the movie, is all the underwater fire.What?I didn't mention that most of the movie takes place under water?Or that this guy has built his own Epcot center in the ocean? Doesn't matter. All that matters is this movie has more underwater fire than you will see everywhere else for as long as you live.