The Neptune Factor

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!

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 .

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.

Not a bad effort, really, given that the film was made during the age of Cousteau. Underwater filming of deep ocean life had not been accomplished. Now we know what it looks like way down there, so the fish tank 'special effects' really ruin the story. The first sight of a clown fish is like a slap in the face! The film becomes a comedy after that! But really, this is only because science education (as miserable as it may be) has advanced SO MUCH on television. Now we can sit on our sofa and watch animal planet to get a better seminar on deep ocean life than marine biologists of the day received! So, if you're looking for a top-notch special effects masterpiece, the toy sub floating in the Monterey Bay aquarium's fish tanks probably won't cut it. Nevertheless, it's an entertaining few minutes, anyway. I say, watch it and try to forget about reality for a while. Pretend you're TEN!

Not as exciting as the box cover artwork might suggest, with a painfully stilted characterisation by Ben Gazzara and capable supporting cast trapped in one-dimensional roles. The story concerns militant, officious salvage expert (Gazzara) contracted by an aquatic research team to recover a stricken underwater manned probe that has descended into a deep sea ravine. Gazzara makes it clear from the outset that his goal is only to locate the vessel for insurance purposes, except Mimieux's companion is one of those aboard and she ups the ante in spite of escalating challenges.

Pidgeon and Borgnine have little opportunity to establish any characterisation, while Mimieux simply frets and affects anxiety to demonstrate her 'depth' of character. The friction between her and Gazzara is about the only palpable action in the whole picture. The special effects consist of intense magnification of gold fish and other aquarium species, while endless jolts and turbulence puts you in the environmental context. As far as dialogue goes, the technical spec consists mainly of references to rudder malfunction and oxygen saturation. Riveting stuff.

Disappointingly, the film ends abruptly where it could have developed a more convincing, compelling climax. After waiting 95 minutes, the audience is treated to a Jules Verne moment in which 'giant' eels corral the probe's survivors as they run out of oxygen. But just as the action gains momentum, the film ends. Five more minutes of that encounter might have earned another star, but this underwater adventure is mostly talk and no action.