The Neptune Factor

A short budget underwater movie packing cheap FX to make regular-size fish seem like deep-sea giants , little emotion , and being nothing special . The Scientist Project Neptune team is doing oceanographic research under control of commander Dr Andrews (Walter Pidgeon). Then an underwater ocean lab is missing in a earthquake . After the catastrophe they're trapped too deep for divers , the only chance to rescue them is an aquatic research team by means of an advanced submarine . It is sent down to find the remains of the lab on the ocean floor a new US Navy mini-sub . In search for their colleagues the crew is piloted by the demanding Cdr Blake USN. Blake (Ben Gazzarra) , Chief Diver MacKay (Ernest Borgnine) , Diver Cousins (Donnelly Rhodes) , and beautiful Dr. Jansen (Yvette Mimieux) . Along the way they find risks , periculous adventures and outrageous beings of marine wildlife.

Low budget disaster movie with submarine adventures carried out by a brave team of an experimental deep-sea sub , thrills , sea monsters and fantasy . Poor special effects , as the giant monsters result to be simple optically enhanced marine wildlife . Runtime is adequate , the flick is slow moving and a little boring , as well as a bit monotonous and little interesting with a series of dumb plot ideas written by Jack DeWitt . There are suspense , thriller and tension , though the scenario is mostly developed into the mini sub to attempt the rescue . Tense and exciting at times and climatic ending , but lot of minutes are superfluous , though agreeable enough.

Here stands out the thrilling and adequate musical score by the classic composer of the 60s and 70s Lalo Schifrin . As well as colorful cinematography by Harry Makin . The motion picture was midddlingly directed by Daniel Petrie with many holes , flaws and gaps . He was a director and producer, known for The bay boy (1984) , A raisin in the sun (1961) , Harry S. Truman: Plain Speaking (1976) , Sybil (1976) , My name is Bill W. (1989) , The Assistant (1997) , Wild Iris (2001) . Daniel explored difficult filmmaking subjects ahead of his time , including A raisin in the sun (1961), which dealt with racism, and The Doll Maker (1984) , which dealt with women as breadwinners . Petrie also served in a number of leadership positions with the Directors Guild of America. Rating The Neptuno Factor : 4/10 . Very mediocre . Only for fans of the famous actors .

The Neptune Factor deals with some scientists who live and work out of an undersea lab in the Atlantic Ocean. One fine day while their bosses, Walter Pidgeon, Yvette Mimieux, and Ernest Borgnine are up top, an earthquake occurs and the lab topples over into an underwater crevice.

Though an atomic power submarine could stay down there indefinitely the problem is that crevice is way too small for one of those big boys. A smaller type submarine able to withstand the pressures of the very deep is needed and that's where Ben Gazzara and his ship the Neptune come in.

As disaster films go The Neptune Factor is small potatoes special effects wise. It's a Canadian production and I've seen Hollywood come up with worse films spending a ton more money than was done here.

The special effects such as they are, are merely movie films of some ordinary species of marine life blown up several times their size, because these are the creatures the crew finds down at depths that man hasn't been before. It's beautiful undersea photography just like a trip to Marineland.

It's a no frills production, no subplots of any kind, no social interaction of any kind with the crew, just do the mission and go home. That's why it was given a G rating when first released.

If you love Jacques Cousteau, you'll love this film.

For a movie about a race against the clock to rescue a group of scientists trapped in an undersea research facility that's been hit by an earthquake, The Neptune Factor is incredibly dull. The problem is that for most of the movie, nothing happens. Ernest Borgnine (who I'll give a little credit as he does his best with this snoozer of a script), Ben Gazzara, and company spend most of the movie on a slow motion tour of the ocean floor looking for their missing colleagues. Garzzara is the worst, showing the same kind of emotion usually reserved for everyday, mundane tasks like doing the laundry or grocery shopping. You'd hardly know from his demeanor that the lives of three people rest in his hands. And when something does finally happen the special effects are so ridiculous looking that the movie losses any credibility it might have had. The "giant" sea creatures the rescuers run into are little more than normal salt water aquarium fish filmed with a zoom lens and a bad looking miniature of the submarine. That's right - The Neptune Factor looks like it was filmed in someone's home aquarium. A giant clown fish - oooooh, how scary! There's nothing much more frightening than the sight of a ludicrously large Nemo.

To say I was disappointed by The Neptune Factor would be a gross understatement. A good cast is put to waste with nothing to do. In the end, I've got to rate this one a 2/10.

This waterlogged bore is about 100 minutes but feels about 120 minutes too long. A film so dull even the cast can't rouse itself from lethargy. Yvette Mimieux evidently decided her paycheck was only enough to guarantee that she'd show up, because her performance consists of only one half-lost/blank stare throughout. Borgnine, once again in the water (McHale, Poseidon, etc.) can barely rouse himself to his usual level of histrionics. Gazzara tries a southern accent and fails, while Walter Pigeon plods through his role, obviously taking his check to pad his retirement fund (he actually turned in a fine performance the following year in 'Harry in Your Pocket'). This is a Canadian film, thus it's restricted budget-wise, but why bother making a film like this if you haven't got the money for the special effects? We're talking $1.98 here. It looks like the producers bought a little toy submersible and borrowed someone's aquarium and let er rip. Okay, this is pre-Star Wars, effects-wise, but no one could take this seriously even back in 1973. Oh the look of fear and awe on Borgnine's face when he sees a.... giant goldfish! Perhaps the only thing of (minor) interest is whether James Cameron was inspired by this film to create 'The Abyss.' It does have some of the same elements. Of course, unlike 'The Abyss', this film is idiotic (example: Gazzara yelling at Mimieux for putting the sub in danger of exploding from sea pressure, yet the same pressure has no effect on HUMAN BODIES swimming around in EVEN GREATER DEPTHS soon after), and it's dully plotted, acted, directed, written, scored. Well, it IS consistent!

An earthquake under the ocean floor hits a lab on the seabed. As a result, it's umbilical cord to the surface ship is severed and the lab tossed over a sheer underwater cliff. Now it is so deep that conventional divers cannot reach it, so the only hope is a deep water submersible, the Neptune.

Despite the film being about an ocean disaster, it's amazing just how static and dull the movie is. I think the main problem is pacing...not acting, as the actors are generally a very accomplished group of professionals. Too often, the director chose to portray the film in the least exciting manner....and I had to really struggle to pay attention or even to care.

By the way, although I don't recommend anyone see this movie, scuba divers might enjoy watching some of the diving sequences...especially when the DIve Master is thrashing about in the water like he just got his certification yesterday!