i really want to like this movie . great cast walter pidgeon in a role that remind u of his iconic forbidden planet and barbara eden and robert sterling a young lover and frankie avalon a a musically inclined sailor ( be a guy on a submarine a sailor . ) and even peter lorre a a scientist with a fondness for shark . maybe it a good kiddie movie but i have trouble stay awake . lorre be severely underused . i guess he be a red herring and like pidgeon you expect him to maybe go nut and try to throw the hero or his gal in the shark tank . no such luck . by the way and why be there a shark tank on a submarine . it typical of the movie lack of ambition . they explain why lorre be walk the shark back and forth ( because be see it ) but just expect u to accept the fact that there a shark on this sub for some reason . research . yeah and scientist be always do that research stuff and who can understand them . of course and if there wasn not a shark and who would kill the evil psychologist lady ( joan fontaine ) . i be sorry but even kid movie in the 50 be capable of be less predictable and frankly idiotic ( not to mention exploitative ) . the first 10 or 15 minute really get my hope up . great theme song sung by frankie avalon . pidgeon lead floyd the barber ( howard mcnear actually and sorry howie love ya in blue hawaii ) and joan fontaine on a guided tour and careful to skip the room with the huge warning sign on the door and past peter lorre with aforementioned shark and and then we see a full screen shot of eden shake her moneymaker to avalon impassioned horn playing . the movie quickly go downstream from there . there no real explanation for the firestorm threaten the earth and so there a distinct lack of dramatic tension and no villain to boot . instead pidgeon character be make into an unconvincing red herring vaguely of the ahab variety ( i guess the caine mutiny be still fresh in people mind ) and and fontaine character suddenly turn evil for no reason at the end . oh and i suppose the reason be that it a surprise for the audience . and it be kind of surprising and since the only negative thing she do be to talk bad about the captain mental health and there still no reason why she do the sabotage after she reveal to be the villain . very poorly do and unconvincing . the guy who be the pessimistic bible nut be good at least his character make sense . so what else could go wrong . endless and interminable scuba dive footage . i never understand the appeal of that kind of thing . a giant squid attack the ship for a minute and just so there a monster for the theatrical trailer . maybe that fool some people into think it be go to be a fantasy adventure film and instead of a half baked suspense movie about military scientist who be never wrong . yes perhaps bad of all and it barely a fantasy movie much less a science fiction movie . it never do anything for my imagination because the whole premise be nothing but another disaster or apocalypse and these character never experience any feeling of wonder or discovery . i be through with irwin allen . i never like his late movie anyway and but this one get me by pretend to be jules verne when it really just another formula exercise in disaster escapism . the whole movie be just wait to see which character will improbably turn evil and die . he always hire an actor or actress with a charming and personable screen persona to play these role and that the only element of surprise to be find since there no logic to these character anyway . what a pathetic waste of time for these actor . george pal movie be 100 time well ( the only one that be lame be atlantis and which and not coincidentally and be the most allen esquire ) and full of wonder and excitement and think of it . idea . other than a few effect scene and barbara eden and there nothing worth see here in my opinion . i guess it good fun for those who be into disaster movie and but i think they be a hollow and dull genre of film .