Is this a great movie? Not at all. The things I remember as a kid are 1: Joyce Taylor( Princess Antilla). 2: Ed Platt ( the Chief from 'Get Smart") giving a great speech. 3: The death ray. 4: The fact that the slaves escaped and went back home and it is inferred that they made their civilization's greater.Spoilers ahead: The key is that Atlantis would have destroyed the entire human race ( because they were far more advanced and evil then anyone else( turning people into animals (long before H.G. Wells ' The Island Of Dr. Moreau')) which is why it had to be destroyed, and every single Atlantian as well ( except Princess Antilla of course). She goes to Greece with the Greek fisherman Demetrius ( Sal Ponti) who saved her and brought her back to Atlantis. Is she good? Not at all. She turns him into a slave. But at the end she is salvageable, and the only good Atlantian ( Azor the High Priest ( Platt)), has Demetrius marry and bring her back to Greece with him. 5/10 stars mostly for looking at Joyce Taylor.

Although cheesy and corny at times, this lavish George Pal spectacle still packs a punch today with some agreeable old-fashioned special effects and a little bit of everything in the plot. Sure, it's not a perfect film, but what is? Occasionally dated and sometimes juvenile, ATLANTIS, THE LOST CONTINENT more than overcomes its flaws with a story populated by interesting characters, plenty of incident and interesting factors in the plot.The film begins as a romantic adventure yarn as a beautiful Princess - as played by Joyce Taylor, who is very good and charismatic in the part - falls in love with a simple Greek fisherman, a fresh-faced lean youth played by Sal Ponti as a fearless, indestructible hero type. Once the action moves to Atlantis, the plot thickens with the introduction of many supporting characters, each with their own motivations, and numerous sub-plots.From this point there are plenty of ominous rumblings and omens which point to the demise of Atlantis, which of course is saved for the finale. Up until then we follow Ponti, as he becomes a slave and rebels against the cruel guard, as led by a young William Smith. There are some fun sword-and-sandal type battle sequences involving battles between guards and slaves which highlight the action. Meanwhile Ponti finds himself facing the gladiatorial "fire and water challenge", in which he battles a brute of a man in a pit of hot coals which is then flooded with water. Again, a rousing moment, the highlight being the point when Ponti sets his opponent's head aflame! Another plot strand involves John Dall's Zaren, the King's right-hand who is effectively running the show and plans to become master of the world by using a crystal-powered death ray to destroy all of the other countries. Dall is the kind of slimy, yet charismatic villain you just love to hate, and kudos to the scriptwriters for not portraying him as a bad guy at the beginning of the film - instead, it's a gradual process.Yet another sub-plot involves prisoners being converted into beastmen by the evil scientists of Atlantis, and sadly this is the most juvenile and poorly-realised portion of the film, with silly makeup effects and a lack of the tragi-horror combination that the writer was looking for with the beastmen. Thankfully this unwanted element is kept to the background in the movie. The special effects and fantastic elements are kept to a minimum up until the finale, which is where the budget seems to have been spent, and boy does it show. As Atlantis cracks up, we're treated to spectacular shots of bubbling lava, exploding volcanoes, collapsing buildings, the city on fire, rubble and masonry crushing people, floods and the city sinking beneath the ocean. On top of all this, the death ray comes into play to destroy numerous ships and lives, before it finally skeletonises the bad guy and goes berserk, causing yet more destruction. A truly satisfying conclusion to the movie and worth waiting for.Even in the quieter moments, there is much to enjoy in ATLANTIS, THE LSOT CONTINENT's colourful cinematography and imaginative set design, including a weird temple with a huge Minotaur statue. In all, this is a splendid - if minorly flawed - retelling of the classic legend and an all-round crowd pleaser, bolstered most by the likable leads and Pal's uniqely old-fashioned approach to the adventure.

Every since I was a boy, the works of George Pal has always been an inspiration. I can recall as a child, waiting patiently for his TV programs involving his enormously popular Puppet-toons. His films always touch the core of movie fans' imagination with such classics as, 'The Naked Jungle', 'The War of the Worlds' and my all time favorite, 'The Time Machine'. In this film, Pal reaches deep into the human Psyche and selects a fabulous story which originates in the ancient scrolls of Plato. Here a Greek Fisherman, Demetrios (Anthony Hall) nets a strange woman who claims to be from the mythical island of Atlantis. Unable to prevent her, she returns home where the Fisherman becomes a prisoner of the mightiest kingdom of all time. Promising himself, he will yet escape his chains, Demetrios meet Xandros (Jay Novello) an aging slave who made that claim years before. During his stay, he is not only permitted to witness the great wonders of Atlantis, such as a submarine and a powerful solar Laser, but is informed of it's impending doom by a sincere and penitent scientist/priest named Azor (Edward Platt). His stay is precarious and subject to change at the whim of Sonoy the Astrologer (Frank De Kova) and Zaren (John Dall) the chief adviser. The movie is entertaining and enjoyable, if slightly hampered by the personal ideology of the director who injects it into his work. Nevertheless, the films of George Pal, continue to fascinate audiences of all ages. Due to his expertise, this film serves to strengthen our continuous belief in the Legend of Atlantis. ****

It's nice to see that a number of other commentators have observed that the folks at MGM were using the materials from a number of other(earlier) films to develop this one.After all,we use the left over pot roast,potatoes,onions,and gravy to make roast beef hash.Now,I first saw this film in the Summer of 1961.(How the time does fly when you're having fun.)And,being 9 years old at that time,I thought it was great.(Remember,I was a kid.)Not only did they use the shots from "Quo Vadis",but also concepts from "The Time Machine,""The Island of Dr. Moreau",and "The island of Lost Souls."And,so many of the costumes,props,and that Minotaur idol from "The Prodigal."No new ideas,just new combinations.Somebody earlier commented that Paul Frees supplied the voice for Edgar Stehli as the sick,tired,old king.I wonder why.Edgar;s voice was just superb for a lonely,senile man.Did he require a resonant basso profundo?