The Worst Film Ever

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

There are many ways to view this film which had pilot movie written all over it. Other reviews have hit them, so I won't delve too deeply. However, if you are a fan of Irwin Allen's TV shows or his movies, this is for you.It's really combination of 60's sci-fi with 70's Disaster Films, which is appropriate given Allen's career path at this point. It very much has a "throw in everything but the kitchen sink" feel. Any of the subplots probably could have served as a serviceable main plot, but cramming them all in makes it laughable, but in an enjoyable way.You have: The return of a controversial commander and the tensions that brings. A gold heist (by the commander's brother, no less) A dangerously unstable radioactive element. A meteor about to hit them.When you consider two of those plots were major hit films for Bruce Willis, you can see how the plots kind of piled up. I really wanted Stuart Whitman to have an "Oh what a week I'm having" moment.Mostly the movie is fun and can't be judged to harshly because it never really attempts to be more than it is.

When I first saw this movie, it was making its rounds through the armed forces theaters overseas. To me, it not only showed a nice future, of beautiful people to what it would mean to be adult, but also a connection to recent childhood fantasies.I remember as a child that when a show was canceled or we moved away and could no longer see it, we thirst for any possibility of seeing that missed show again. I would watch other shows with the same actors, hoping to see something of the character again. City Beneath the Sea, however, went a step further in giving the devices from what was missed before, such as with the Flying Sub or the Aquafoil. The Flying Sub, further, was not just something we saw on TV but thanks to the Aurora Model Company, it was something that we had actually "owned".So this movie came along while we were still children and we fell in love with it then and forever.Would it stand up to time if seen for the first time now or seen with the eyes of an adult? No, probably not. Different era, different level of basic knowledge. It is like trying to read Doc Savage; if one approaches it only from the world they know now, it is very tedious.See it with the eyes of a child who might see it as they might see their future.

These comments might be considered as a spoiler for those of you who might not know the behind the scenes information on this film so you may want to beware and not read any further.Recycled actors, costumes, sets, miniatures and stock footage from Irwin Allen's TV show Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea make up some of "City Beneath the Sea." Case in point, stock footage of the Flying Sub was used extensively as well as repainted interiors of the subs interior were used. The title was used in a first year voyage episode(2nd episode).You have to admire Irwin Allen though because he never threw anything away he just found ways to reuse things in order to save money.He did have some heavy weights appear in the film such as Robert Wagner and Richard Basehart (Voyage's Admiral Nelson) Joesph Cotton as well as past cast members of his show "Time Tunnel".This is a must see for Irwin Allen fans and I must say that I am one. Allen was one of the greatest producers of all time.It is my understanding that it was also a pilot for a possible weekly series that did not sell.If you can over look all the recycling and cut corners you may enjoy this film which takes place around the year 2050. I did not particularly like the film but I must say that it was entertaining in some ways.Jamey

I saw this movie in the early 1970s and it was a great matinee entertainer. Lots of action, thrills and spills. Neat sets (for the time) and a strong lead (Stuart Whitman) with good supporting characters. Remember that this is essentially a bit of low-budget escapism, don't expect too much and you'll enjoy the ride. Great, harmless way to get youngsters interested in sci-fi - and a marvellous excuse for Dad's especially to relive their growing years as they watch along!