first, I enjoyed this movie. Not that i'd watch it twice, but it was easily watchable and I find the harsh reviews quite unjustified. Of course I took this movie as a docu-drama of average craft, not a blockbuster and not the next Godzilla versus Mechagodzilla. The plot is very simple: vanity scientific expedition to ascertain why the private island of some big guy sunk in the ocean shortly reveals how the entire Japan is soon to follow the same sort. It gets the point across about urgency and the limits of "human brotherhood". Everything was quite realistic and to those who think the world would gladly accept tens of millions refugees, dream on boys (and rightfully so)...what if your neighborhood were the recipient? Cinematography is very average, SFX are poor & dated, but that adds to the "docu-drama" angle, reinforced by the many detailed scientific explanations. Acting, era&genre-wise is fair: no Oscar time, but not bunk, either.

Some great movies come out of Japan...this isn't one of them. Unfortunately, most Japanese Hollywood style blockbusters come out looking like TV dramas...complete with poor scripting, poor acting and low low budget effects.As if that isn't bad enough this movie perpetuates a particularly sad Japanese view of the world...namely, that no-one cares about them. We have seen the compassionate way that the world reacts to disasters. We can be quite sure that, in the event of a situation like this, that given the combination of japan's wealth, its ties with other economic powers, the compassion of the people of the world etc.. that 1. Countries would put together their technological resources and manpower to try to solve the problem (Japan would not be on its own to try to deal with it) and 2. If it were not possible to solve the problem, many countries would gladly take in refugees.The message of this film is that Japanese people are innocent victims alone in their suffering and that the rest of the world can not be relied on to aid them in any way. This is, of course, a fallacy that makes for a rather pathetic world-view... but one that certainly helps create a sense of nationalism. The formula used in this movie could be equally well put to use by the propaganda writers of North Korea...though I guess if they did they did make such a film it probably wouldn't be far from the truth in their case. Watch this film if you really have absolutely nothing else to do or see. Be prepared to be bored, annoyed and bemused...on the positive side at least you'll come away from this understanding something of the Japanese psyche.

Back in 1973, I have the opportunity to see this film in a lush big screen and back them that was an impressive show. Of course, anyone that has grown up in today's computer animated hyper realistic effects will dissect the movie mercilessly. In the other hand, we have here a film that depicts an event that 35 years later will make a good docudrama in the Discovery Channel. This drama described with precision a nation loosing his homeland to a great cataclysm that literally erase Japan out of the map, dispersing the surviving population around the globe separating families and friends to eventually live at the mercy of surrogate countries. I will love to see this film made again with today's f/x technology. Japanese filmmakers have matured well enough to create one the most shocking films ever.

This film is very rarely shown. As one of the biggest fans of the disaster movie genre, I can honestly say that the film is a disappointment. The Japanese version of this film was excellent from what I understand, but the American version that I saw was terrible. Lorne Green was dubbed in for American audiences in 1975 and the movie was retitled Tidal Wave. I believe 1973 is listed on IMD's records. I think you may be incorrect. I have always seen the movie date as 1975 everywhere else. The special effects are worth seeing as some of the acting, but again very disappointing as far as the tidal wave sequences. It is worth watching once if the networks ever air it again. This picture is very rare and almost forgotten.