Warlords of Atlantis on VHS

• Cert: PG
• Running time: 92 minutes
• Year: 1978
• Cat.no: SO38021
• Sound: Mono
• Fullscreen
• Price: £9.99
  

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  Director:

  Kevin Conner

Producer:

Screenplay:

Music:

Cinematographer:

Cast:

Greg Collinson: Doug McClure (The Land That Time Forgot, At The Earth’s Core)
Charles Aitken: Peter Gilmore (TV: The Onedin Line)
Atsil: Cyd Charisse (Brigadoon, Singin’ in the Rain)
Atraxon: Daniel Massey (TV: G.B.H., The Entertainer)
Fenn: John Ratzenberger (TV: Cheers)

Warlords of Atlantisis one of four fantasy films made in the late 1970’sall with the same director and cinematographer, and all starring Doug McClurewho sadly died last year at the age of 60.

This film was written by Brian Hayles who also wrote The Ice Warriors episodesfor the Doctor Who TV series). The other three fantasy films were all basedon novels by Edgar Rice Burrows, which were : The Land That Time Forgot (1975),At The Earth’s Core (1976), and The People That Time Forgot (1977).

The overall look of the film was done by the award-winning creator of specialeffects, John Richardson (1986 Oscar Winner for “Aliens”. His previous workincludes The Omen, Superman, Cliffhanger and several Bond films includingMoonraker, The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill

Warlords of Atlantis follows the trend of the classic fantasy film abouta group of expert scientists in search for the lost underwater city ofAtlantis, in that it’s chock-a-block full of monsters and mayhem and all thethings a film buff needs.

When they find an ancient artefact of unknown origin, the scientist discovera ferocious octopus with deadly, poisonous tentacles. The survivors becomeprisoners of the Warlords of Atlantis, in a spectacular but dangerouslost undersea kingdom.

If the Atlanteans want to escape back to their original home of Mars, they haveno choice but to alter the destiny of mankind. Caught in an underwatercross-fire hurricane of diabolical creatures and extraterrestrial intrigue,the Victorians are forced to battle the sinister gill-men, the gruesome Zaargsand Mogdaans, not to mention the Atlanteans themselves, until they can safelyreturn to their own civilisation.

Get the picture? Good.

When the monsters come into play, if you’re not rolling on the floor laughing,you must be dead.

The picture quality is good, with the original master showing its ageoccasionally with a few black flecks on the print, but it’s certainly as goodas it can be, and although the sound is mono, it is a clean mono sound.

The video comes complete with original theatrical trailer, and the coverof the video box gets full marks for being the original poster.

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1996.