"Captain Nemo and the Underwater City" was quickly forgotten after its theatrical release, and remained somewhat hard to find until a quiet DVD release a few years ago. Watching the movie today, it's pretty easy why the movie hasn't managed to build a large loyal following. It is certainly not a terrible movie - there are some lavish sets, some good underwater photography, and the various members of the cast are enthusiastic. Also, the core story, sort of a cross between Jules Verne and the movie "Lost Horizon" did have possibilities, some of which are realized. But the movie does have some significant problems. Though it certainly starts off swiftly, getting to the underwater city in the first ten minutes of the movie, the remaining 95 or so minutes have some slow spots where little to nothing of importance is happening. Some of the characters are written thinly - I never quite got a handle on Captain Nemo, for one thing. Also, there are some naive touches to the movie that are kind of laughable in these more cynical times. Still, kids might warm up to this movie, and their parents may find it an okay way to spend 105 minutes during a slow afternoon.

Exciting and thrilling submarine movie dealing with the Nautilus captained by Nemo well played by Robert Ryan who along with his crew save some survivors of a drowning from a shipwrecked . When a ship is sunk , some passengers (Chuck Connors , Nanette Newman , Luciana Paluzzi , Alan Cuthbertson..) are rescued by a submarine and they are taken and get thoroughly involved with power-hungry captain Nemo (Robert Ryan) and take an extraordinary adventure underseas in an advanced city ; however they may be trapped for the rest of their lives. Prisoners at first, they are now treated as guests to view the underwater world and to hunt under the waves. Nemo will also tells them about the riveting underwater city of the future .Silly but agreeable adventure with action , thrills , love story , full of fun and amusement , including some spectacular sets . Surprise-filled entertainment and with plenty of action on middling scale with acceptable though Naif special effects and some submarines by maquette or scale model . The underwater scenes , pyrotechnics, flood , flamboyant FX to make large-size Squid seem like horrible monster , all of them are spectacular and the film is another acceptable British product . Edge-of-the seat thrilling scenes as when happens an exciting pursuit among two submarines : Nautilus 1 and Nautilus 2 . Director James Hill renewed his acquaintance for little boys with this enjoyable and amusing movie . Our heroes incarnated by a throughly believable casting of the first-rate character players get stuck in the underwater city and Nautilus , undergoing numerous adventures and suffering innumerable perils . Memorable and great cast as Robert Ryan , Chuck Connors as a senator , both of whom have to grit their teeth and play it for real . English's Kenneth Connor and Bill Fraser provide light and brief relief and some laughters as a couple of not-too-intelligent greedy men . They were a pair who worked as a comical duo in various films . Gaudy camera work by excellent cameraman Alan Hume , the cinematography results to be clear and glimmer . Atmospheric and vivid score by Walter Stott . The motion picture made at Metro Goldwyn Mayer British studios was middling directed by James Hill . He was an expert on children films and serials for showing at schoolboy cinema . Hill designed his acquaintance with amusements for the young generation and costume adventures blending with Lions (Born free , The lions are free , The lion at world's end) , Horses (Black Beauty) , Foxes (The Belstone Fox) , Elephants ( An Elephant called Slowly) and sea animals as Sharks and Squid like this ¨Captain Nemo and underwater city¨. ¨Born Free¨ remains his triumph in which the way the protagonists romp with three lionesses who play Elsa at several stages of growth is near-miraculous . Forever in search of a similar movie to equal this hit , he never quite found it . James Hill best movie turned out to be ¨Studio in terror¨ a Sherlock versus Jack Ripper terror thriller with lurid killings . Other films dealing with Jules Verne's Captain Nemo and his Nautilus are the following : the vintage story are an old mute (1916) by Stuart Paton . The classic movie marvelously directed by Richard Fleischer starred by Kirk Douglas , James Mason , Peter Lorre , Paul Lukas . And for TV directed by Rod Hardy with Michael Caine , Mia Sara and Patrick Dempsey ; and directed by Michael Anderson with Ben Cross and Richard Crenna ; furthermore a cartoon movie directed by Arthur Rankin. The motion picture will appeal to fantasy-adventure buffs and it's a wonderful popcorn story . Rating : 5, 5 . Acceptable and passable .

In the incredible futuristic world of Jules Verne, the story of Captain Nemo and his crew are forever etched in the minds of adventure seeking readers. This movie is called " Captain Nemo and the Underwater city " and set in the world of the 1800's. The story is taken from one of the many adventurous stories concerning Verne's mysterious Captain Nemo (Robert Ryan). In this chapter a group of drowning passengers are rescued by Nemo's futuristic crew and taken to his incredible Underwater city. There they discover a fantastic world which he offers then as a permanent resident. However several of the survivors don't which to remain and try to escape. The stars playing the reluctantly survivors include Chuck Connors, Bill Fraser, Kenneth Connor and Allan Cuthbertson. The others include Helena Beckett (Nanette Newman) and Phillip Beckett (Christopher Hartstone). The film is a genuine Classic and one which entertains audiences as well today and it did back in 1969. Great fun. ****

I saw this in the theater as a kid and loved it. The story about people living a Utopian existence in a domed city underwater sticks with me today. I'm not sure how I'd feel seeing it again, when the so-called 'good guys' in the movie are so anxious to get back to their own world that they endanger the underwater city and steal a submarine. But it's a fun movie with good sets, great miniature work on the subs, the cities, and the giant sea monster. I wish this was released on DVD as the sets and sub were quite neat looking.A neat aspect of this movie is that they tried for a bit of science "fact". For example, the most common material in the undersea city was gold, because they used a process to pull gold out of sea water.I wonder if those people are still living down there to this day? :)