The Neptune Factor (1973)

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

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!

*** May contain spoilers *** ...but when I watched it in 1973, it was one of the several 60's/70's films that got me into scuba diving. Reviewing it, 44 years hence, and with over 1500 dives under my belt, I'm amazed by the excellent underwater macro photography --probably done in an aquarium- with the extremely limited technology available at the time. No need to repeat the plot here but be only advised that the first two thirds of the movie will put you to sleep --and if you happen to know 1.01 about dive physiology and physics will surely get you angry at the goofy plot; guys diving to depths that would require a week inside a decompression chamber, etc... On the other hand, remember this was filmed at a time when diving was deemed adventurous and heroic. LOL! At the 2/3 mark, the "action" --consisting of macro shots of little tropical fishes, make you take an imagination leap where you are a one inch scuba diver, dropped inside a tropical aquarium full of small critters that usually feed on the likes of you- is probably even more boring. This film requires discipline for you to go to the end credits; however, seeing that there are people cheering the latest Alien franchise production, the creators of this amateurish movie deserve at least an accolade for the effort. Unless you cannot get your hands on a so-so reading or comedy, just skip it.

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.

How come it is so bright in the deep ocean ? Did anybody in this movie went to high school to maybe put a little comment ? We built the nuclear bomb and walked on the moon at this time, I am sure some people did suggest a little bit of reality in this. Also the rest of the special effect, it is really taking people for kids ! They only filmed the "fishies" closer to make it look big. Is there one person in this world who would actually buy this ??? Come on, this is laziness from the director and its taking people for idiots... Imagine the producers when they saw the final product of the movie: - You really got me there, I really thought they were big fishes (in a very sarcastic way) Bottom line, the special effect completely ruined the potential of the movie for the year 1973.