Gem-hunting adventure on an isolated isle in the East Indies with Patrick Wayne
In the Philippines some Americans learn of valuable pearls on a remote island and form an alliance to get the treasure, but they have to deal with the inbred tribe that inhabits the isle. John Ashley, Sid Haig and Patrick Wayne star as the venal team members along with Lenore Stevens as a scientist. Leigh Christian plays an alluring blonde member of the remote society.
“Beyond Atlantis” (1973) is an oceanic adventure that combines “City Beneath the Sea” (1953) with the women-in-skin-bikinis of Hammer’s “When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth” (1970). Like the latter, it has a barely-a-B-movie vibe, but it’s more entertaining due to the superb location shooting and quality cast. The director knows how to tastefully shoot women (no pun intended) and it’s one of the flick’s highlights.
This could've been as good as "City Beneath the Sea" or "Mysterious Island" (1961), but more time needed spent on strengthening the (obviously) loose script. That takes time and time means money, which the producers regrettably didn't have. While this is a "bad movie," it's entertaining enough to check out.
The film runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot in the Philippines.
GRADE: C/C-
