Title: Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea & Fantastic Voyage: Fox Double Feature
Region: One
Genre: Sci-Fi/Science Fiction
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea Stars: Walter Pidgeon, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, Peter Lorre, Michael Ansara, and Frankie Avalon
Writers: Irwin Allen and Charles Bennett
Based On A Story By: Irwin Allen
Director: Irwin Allen
Feature length: 106 minutes
Fantastic Voyage Stars: Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch, Edmond O'Brien, Donald Pleasence, Arthur O'Connell, William Redfield, and Arthur Kelley
Writers: Harry Kleiner
Adaptation By David Duncan
Based On A Story By: Otto Klement and Jay Lewis Bixby
Director: Richard Fleischer
Feature Length: 101 minutes
Extras: Theatrical Trailers
Languages: English Dolby Digital 4.0 and English Dolby Surround 2.0 and English and French Mono
Subtitles: English Captions and Spanish Subtitles
Packaging: Alpha Keep Case
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea Chapter Stops: 28
Fantastic Voyage Chapter Stops: 24
Sound: Dolby 4.0 Surround Sound and Stereo Surround Sound and Mono Sound
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea Year of Theatrical Release: 1961/DVD Release: 2000
Fantastic Voyage Year Of Theatrical Release: 1966/DVD Release 2000
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
Home Video Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating For Both Features: PG
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will deliver a fine double feature of amazing adventure with the DVD release of "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea & Fantastic Voyage: Fox Double Feature." In Irwin Allen's "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" a venerable Admiral aboard a spectacular nuclear submarine must avoid underwater mines, fight off giant sea creatures, and battle saboteurs as it races to save the world from a global destruction.
While some of the elements seem more than far fetched, "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" is never the less entertaining featuring Walter Pidgeon as the Admiral and Peter Lorre in a somewhat comic performance as the scientist with the ingenious plan that just might save the world. Trivia buffs might find it of interest to note that Peter Lorre also starred in Disney's film adaptation of "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea." Other notable cast members include Michael Ansara and who can forget Barbara Eden dancing to Frankie Avalon's trumpet playing.
The transfer on "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" looks great with a widescreen anamorphic (2.35:1) transfer and a discrete English 4.0 soundtrack coupled with English Dolby Surround and French Mono tracks. English Captions and Spanish Subtitles are encoded as well.
Side B delivers "Fantastic Voyage" in another stunning anamorphic widescreen transfer with a (2.35:1) aspect ratio coupled with a newly created dynamic English Surround Track and English and French Mono tracks with English Captions and French Subtitles encoded.
The film captures the amazing effects and production design that figures prominently in this science fiction adventure about a group of scientists rushing against the clock within a microscopic submarine inside the body of an ailing scientist trying to perform life saving brain surgery from within.
The cast is excellent with Donald Pleasence, Stephen Boyd, and the lovely Raquel Welch. Trailers for "The Fly & The Return Of The Fly: Fox Double Feature", "The Fly and The Fly II: Fox Double Feature", and "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" as well as "Fantastic Voyage" are on both sides of this DVD as is the case with the other features in the series. The menus are standard interactive stills and easy to navigate." Although Fox does not provide a release date at this time, a picture of an upcoming DVD double feature of "Our Man Flint & In Like Flint" is presented in the back page of the insert within the DVD keep case. All three Fox Double Features will be available on September 5, 2000.
© Copyright 2000 By Mark A. Rivera