Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

PG

1961

1h 45m

Sci-Fi

List

72%

18 Reviews

Tomatometer

39%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Harriman Nelson (Walter Pidgeon) is the creator of a revolutionary nuclear submarine. After testing its capabilities in the Arctic Ocean, Nelson and the commanding officer (Robert Sterling) surface the vessel, only to discover the sky ablaze. Learning that the Van Allen radiation belt has caught fire, Nelson conceives a plan that could save the planet from destruction, but the U.N. shoots it down. Nelson is convinced it will work, but an onboard psychiatrist (Joan Fontaine) questions his sanity.

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Red T

It's Not Good. This has a dry, wooden, and boring tone for most of the runtime. The acting is one of the main problems. It's so muted and subpar the entire way. No one has any character to them and are just used to carry out the plot and rattle off plot exposition and explain technical jargon the entire runtime in a monotone fashion. The best way to describe how the dialouge is delivered is its like everyone is a radio announcer calling a Dodgers game in the 30's. Poor Peter Lorre half the time looks like he doesn't even know why he's there. Joan Fontaine is the best actor in this but she does nothing until the dumb plot twist where she is the saboteur which makes no sense at all. It's sad to see her reduced to this. Everyone else blends in and is so wooden. The cinematography is not good either. The camerawork is basic, the set designs are cheap looking as with the lighting, the special effects are subpar and I'm not sure whether its that they look cheap or are too ambitious for their time or both. There is never anything really interesting to look at with the characters because its always them standing in the sub just explaining plot. The music is barely used for most of the runtime giving a very dry feel and the title track isn't good. When there is music its generic and forgettable. At least the editing is ok enough but the pacing isn't that good. This has passable moments sprinkled throughout like the decent squid fight and the mine explosions but any momentum this gets it instantly kills with boring plot expose scenes and cheap effects/set design. This is kind of like a thriller/adventure and disaster movie merged together but because of the multitude of reasons listed never is anything good. I can't recommend this to anyone.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/12/23

Full Review

CodyZamboni

Irwin Allen's cheesy flick is campy, with laughable fx. But, the movie is watchable, with hammy performances, by dignified old school stars, And Frankie Avalon sings the theme song !!! Other positive : Barbara Eden is really attractive.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/28/23

Full Review

Scott S

For rather light entertainment, (a category clear from the Frankie Avalon sung opening credits to the bouncy charleston dance from Barbara Eden to the trumpet of Frankie) this fills the bill. Well produced, an the acting is competent and convincing. But it does appear that madames Eden and Fontaine may be wearing high heel shoes on a submarine conducting a dangerous mission.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/15/23

Full Review

robert p

Pure camp, a burning sky?? and a crew that second guesses every action the Captain issues, plus the lovely singing of Frankie Avalon that I guess was the only one to sing the movie theme (gag) and back when movie making effects, were in their camp stages. A so-so acting and even smoking on a deadly undersea submarine (Koff-Koff) makes me give this movie a *2* star rating!!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

martin a

This is a great film, although the title is misleading, the film went on to a long-running series of the same name, with some of the original cast. It also used some footage from the film in the TV series. However, this film is about a ring of fire circling the earth and the submarine has to fire a weapon at it from a certain place at an exact time as the planet is doomed if they don't There are bad guys trying to stop the submarine from reaching its target and a saboteur on board doing the same. The cast is great, and there are some really creepy parts to the film, which add to its ambiance. The beginning of the film is a little slow but it soon gets moving, a great film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

deke p

big All star cast!! Intersting concept. BUT like it's later TV series, which even then I've always called it Vorage To The Bottom of the Barrel, was weak and schlocky like so many of that era. Interesting that RT reviewers gave it high marks, but todays audience Low regard.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Irwin Allen

Director

Walter Pidgeon

Adm. Harriman Nelson

Joan Fontaine

Dr. Susan Hiller

Barbara Eden

Lt Cathy Connors

Peter Lorre

Comm. Lucius Emery

Robert Sterling

Capt. Lee Crane

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Penelope Gilliatt

Observer (UK)

An unwarily comic science-fiction piece about the near-end of civilisation as we know it.

Mar 6, 2024

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

True science-fiction components are practically missing altogether; it's more of a moderate, procedural, cautionary tale, or even a war movie, than a futuristic adventure.

Rated: 6/10

Aug 27, 2020

Full Review

Tracy Moore

Common Sense Media

Campy sci-fi undersea adventure features mild peril.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 2, 2014

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Creative Loafing

Walter Pidgeon stars as the sub commander, a pre-I Dream of Jeannie Barbara Eden plays his secretary, and Peter Lorre amuses as a brilliant scientist.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 6, 2013

Full Review

Paul Chambers

Movie Chambers

The science in the movie is crazy bad. The special effects are cheesy and laughable. But, it's campy and fun.

Rated: B

Oct 14, 2013

Full Review

James Plath

Movie Metropolis

Irwin Allen's "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" may be a campy affair, but you've got to give them credit for talking about climate change at least 30 years before it became a "hot" topic in the scientific community.

Rated: 6/10

Oct 10, 2013

Full Review

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Synopsis

Harriman Nelson (Walter Pidgeon) is the creator of a revolutionary nuclear submarine. After testing its capabilities in the Arctic Ocean, Nelson and the commanding officer (Robert Sterling) surface the vessel, only to discover the sky ablaze. Learning that the Van Allen radiation belt has caught fire, Nelson conceives a plan that could save the planet from destruction, but the U.N. shoots it down. Nelson is convinced it will work, but an onboard psychiatrist (Joan Fontaine) questions his sanity.

Director: Irwin Allen
Screenwriter: Charles Bennett, Irwin Allen
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: PG
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Runtime: 1h 45m