The mystery, the excitement, the danger
ah the boredom of getting wet. The Canadian production "The Neptune Factor" is a typical underwater disaster adventure that rarely gets going and when it does it's quite an unremarkable and unimaginative foray
in a cheaply presented magnified fish tank. The problem is like a lot of other reviewers mentioned, is that nothing much happens. A lot of peering and ponderous talking
with little interest to it all. A group of American scientists are conducting an experiment involving underwater living until an earthquake occurs causing a research facility to fall into the abyss. They only have so many hours before they're out of oxygen, so a crew in a mini submarine are sent down to find them despite the risks of more aftershocks. Really the taut situation that unfolds should sell it in a threatening, pressure-induced manner, but instead we get a padded out story with a very limp rhythm. No urgency left it with any sustained suspense lingering only on stolid dramas of a threadbare narrative and static direction. There's a few dazzling glimpses when the crew is exploring the murky abyss, but the model sub and the overblown sea life didn't create any sort of thrills and when it tried it was quite laughable in its execution. The performances don't fair any better, despite the best efforts of Ernest Borgnine and Walter Pidgeon. As for Ben Gazzera and Yvette Mimieux, they come across very bland. Composer Lalo Schifran contributes the score. Established, but too plain to be fun.
