Inner Space and Deep Seas...
 Feb 14th, 2007
(Feb 15th, 2007)
Advantages:
effects survive the test of time, engaging plots, great casts
Disadvantages:
noticaeble gaffes in places make for the odd chuckle time to time
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
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Characters / Performances
Special Effects
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  Shroud
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Member since:16.08.2001
Reviews:248
Members who trust:57
Review rated by 23 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
I saw this disc on Amazon and simply HAD to rent it. It was such a nostalgia trip! I can remember sitting down as a kid and watching this on TV in the 1970's on a Sunday evening, and remembered how vividly both films captured my imagination. In Fantastic Voyage (1966), a scientist who knows the secret to keeping people miniaturised indefinitely, escapes from behind the Iron Curtain of the old Soviet Union. The CIA sends an agent to escort him under motorcade to safety, but they are attacked. Unfortunately, the scientist suffers a severe head injury and a blot clot forms inside his brain. the only solution os for a group of American scientists to miniaturise themselves and a submarine, get injected into his bloodstream, remove the clot, and get out before the effects wear off (remember, only this scientist knows how to make the effect indefinite). The CIA agent is sent along to oversee all goes to plan. They race against the clock, encountering many obstacles, including antibodies who mistake them for an infection.
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961) is all about the Seaview and how on its maiden voyage, it must save the world from blowing up. Admiral Nelson is showing off the US Navy's latest new toy, an atomic submarine. On board are several politicians, and while at sea, they all learn the van Allen belt is heating up and will cause the earth to explode when it hits our world as it burns. The admiral is sent to an international conference to help come up with a quick solution, which is, of course, that he and a group of scientists must take his marvellous new submarine, travel to the depths of the ocean, and fire an atomic missile at the asteroid belt as it enters the atmosphere. One of the scientists disagrees, saying that the belt will burn itself out as it hits the atmosphere, and it causes debate, but the admiral goes back to the sub, and commands her captain to take it to the rendezvous with the asteroid belt. Tensions ensue, with command tensions flaring over the running of the sub, the admiral's abrupt manner inalienating the crew, and even worse, the fate of everyone is in the hands of an unknown shipboard saboteur. The stories are typical 60's yarns, stretching the implausible to incredible lengths, but the films are well crafted enough that you are able to suspend disbelief and really get into the films I have to also take my hat off to the SFX team, especially for Fantastic voyage. The effects are so skilfully done, they have dated very little. It is a lesson that many should learn; they had smaller budgets back then, but small budget need not mean cheesy effects!
This is a single disc, with both films on the single sided disc. The colours look fresh, and the look is not grainy, so they get a two thumbs up for the care they took in restoring and transferring the old films. Sound too has been updated well, with the sound being available now in Dolby Surround 2.0 or Dolby 4.0 by your own selection from the set up menu. for those who are interested, there is a multilingual subtitle capability (Croatian (on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea only), Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, and Turkish), as well as in English for the hearing impaired. the only bonus feature found on the disc is one that may amuse; the two original theatrical trailers for the films are included. Priced at only £5.97, and widely available for rental, this is a title sure to please, and viewable for the entire family.
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![Fantastic Voyage/Voyage to Bottom of the Sea [DVD] [1961]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78524426.jpg)
by (17%):
15.02.2007 16:04
Good review not films i would want to watch more than once.
15.02.2007 00:48
Good Review - the films are a tad dated now....
14.02.2007 22:29
Nice review journey a real great classic with dark on the second never heard of it Barry