Around the World Under the Sea (1966)

(On Cable TV, October 2022) Terrible and yet fascinating, Around the World Under the Sea is perhaps most distinctive for presenting some very good underwater footage at a time when this wasn’t obvious at all—and also, perhaps, for playing into Jacques Cousteau’s romantic notion of the sea as a vast unclaimed frontier. (You know the line: “We know more about the moon than the ocean…”) It features a youthful and vigorous Lloyd Bridges playing the captain of a submarine mission aiming to install earthquake-detecting sensors around the world. Lloyd’s character is presented as heroic (even when he dives down to rescue someone for no good reason, as the real rescue team is right behind him) in a way that fits the film’s unsubtle way of approaching its subject. There’s a surprising amount of tension between the five members of the crew (with David McCallum playing a devious scientist, how could it be otherwise?) and similar straightforwardness in the generic plotting. But the real tension is between the visuals and the substance. For all of the still-remarkable underwater footage, Around the World Under the Sea is saddled with one stock B-movie conflict after another. So much so that the film starts leaning into being a parody at times—probably not, but that suspicion may be the only thing that can make its irritating misogyny any more palatable. The special effects are… uneven, and the plotting can get remarkably dumb at times, especially with so-called scientists as characters. With that kind of weight around its neck, it’s no surprise to find out that Around the World Under the Sea is the kind of B-grade 1960s Science Fiction film that one will respect or take seriously. Yet in that lies some of its appeal—as something too clearly retrograde that it becomes fascinating to watch. Not recommended, but make sure to see it if it’s on the schedule.