IT seems McG’s 20,000 League Under the Sea may be confined to Davy Jones’s locker but who needs what would have been a disappointing re-imagining when we have this masterpiece from 1978 – The Return of Captain Nemo!
Although dubbed in the trailer, it tells of modern day American navy scientists who discover the still massively advanced Nautilus and Captain Nemo in suspended animation on the ocean’s floor.
They revive him and refit the Nautilus just in time for him to help in a battle with a mad scientist intent on world destruction, while Nemo also continues his search for Atlantis.
There are underwater laser battles, evil robots, submarine battles, swordfights. It also starred Burgess Meredith as the evil Professor Cunningham, Jose Ferrer as Captain Nemo and Horst Bucholz as the king of Atlantis (all clearly in it for the money, but chewing the scenery with gusto)
Awesome enough for you?
Watching as a nine-year-old it was exciting stuff in the post Star Wars world. In fact I loved it, with my friends and I playing it out time and again, as well as fighting over who got to shout out Cunningham’s catchphrase ‘FIRE DELTA BEAM!’
Looking back now although it remains the greatest film ever in my head, I can see it was fatally undermined by a made for TV budget, poor writing and primitive special effects.
It still falls into the must watch category though if I happen across it late at night on some obscure satellite channel (not that I routinely search obscure satellite channels late at night, you understand).
As it was meant to be the pilot for a TV series, I can’t help but think this would make for a great, fun show if it was remade now as well, with modern day production values.
Do you remember the Return of Captain Nemo and should it return anew?
Nice post & nice blog. I love both.