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The Neptune Factor (1973)

THE-NEPTUNE-FACTOR

A B+ movie that was a very good attempt to do in the ocean what Kubrick did for space. The filming on location and in the well-designed Ocean Lab underwater set reminded me of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s “World Without Sun” (1964). The plot may have been thin, but was clearly well intended and thought out in a somewhat scientific chain of thought that would be worthy of Walt Disney’s concept of the “Plausible IMPOSSIBLE”. The special effects were non-existent in this film (20th merely distributed it) but with the resources they did use, the film was enjoyable as a little excursion. Special Effects don’t make a film; an interesting plot does. The plot here is an old and tried one in the movies: the disaster flick. When I saw this film on the big screen, the story did succeed in capturing my interest. Will they find the missing scientists? Did anyone survive? Do they all make it back? When the story entices the viewer to ask these questions and wondering at what will happen in the next 60 seconds — as this film actually DOES do! — then the producer and director succeeded at what they were trying to do. I enjoyed this film so much; I stayed in the theater and sat through it a second time! A good film — if they ever decide to do a remake, I hope they give it a budget that will include good special effects. After all, when they re-made “IT! The Terror From Beyond Space,” they had a hefty budget and retitled it ALIEN. Two and half stars out of five ain’t bad.