Latitude Zero is all kinds of bad, weird, and awesome at the same time.
It starts with a group, that includes 2 scientists and a journalist, engaged in an undersea investigation.
While they are diving...an underwater volcano explodes.
And, when they come to, they are on an advanced submarine belonging to the people from Mu (who are, in this case, benevolent).
Their sub is called the Alpha, and they are being hunted by the Black Shark (from the other side of Mu).
Apparently, it has been them who has been whisking away everyone- who has mysteriously disappeared at sea over the years- to their underwater Mutopia, where they help advance their peaceful race- who have allegiance to no nation; rather, all mankind.
Again, much like UFOs (further evidence of the kaiju worldbuilder's obsession with the phenomenon), the people of Mu hold the best technology back from humanity, in lieu of them finding a more peaceful way of coexistence.
Which acts as a form of social criticism about the nature of society and tenuous relationship between nation states.
The plotline is driven by the kidnapping of a Japanese doctor and his daughter.
The captain of the Black Shark has taken them in order to extort the recipe for the radiation immunity serum he has created, from the doctor.
When he refuses...the madman threatens them with his Island of Doctor Moreau style bat creatures...and tells them they will be the next ones to become one of his experimental creatures- his freaks of science.
To prove this, he turns his most trusted lieutenant into a chimera right in front of their eyes- in what is most hilarious fashion.
Before moving onto the good doctor...
All while the crew of the Alpha race through the dark side of Mu- evading giant kaiju rats...and battling the not-so-kaiju batmen...try to get to them...before it's too late.
When all is said and done, only the journalist opts to return to the surface world...where everyone he was just with is, only in different forms.
...If only he could prove it to them...
...Was it all just a dream?!
The special effects in this are of the so-bad-it's-great quality, and they seem to have damn near perfected the form- with the muppet lion, turned chimera, taking the cake.
The weirdest of the Showa era Tohos for sure.
Highly enjoyable.
8 out of 10.
It starts with a group, that includes 2 scientists and a journalist, engaged in an undersea investigation.
While they are diving...an underwater volcano explodes.
And, when they come to, they are on an advanced submarine belonging to the people from Mu (who are, in this case, benevolent).
Their sub is called the Alpha, and they are being hunted by the Black Shark (from the other side of Mu).
Apparently, it has been them who has been whisking away everyone- who has mysteriously disappeared at sea over the years- to their underwater Mutopia, where they help advance their peaceful race- who have allegiance to no nation; rather, all mankind.
Again, much like UFOs (further evidence of the kaiju worldbuilder's obsession with the phenomenon), the people of Mu hold the best technology back from humanity, in lieu of them finding a more peaceful way of coexistence.
Which acts as a form of social criticism about the nature of society and tenuous relationship between nation states.
The plotline is driven by the kidnapping of a Japanese doctor and his daughter.
The captain of the Black Shark has taken them in order to extort the recipe for the radiation immunity serum he has created, from the doctor.
When he refuses...the madman threatens them with his Island of Doctor Moreau style bat creatures...and tells them they will be the next ones to become one of his experimental creatures- his freaks of science.
To prove this, he turns his most trusted lieutenant into a chimera right in front of their eyes- in what is most hilarious fashion.
Before moving onto the good doctor...
All while the crew of the Alpha race through the dark side of Mu- evading giant kaiju rats...and battling the not-so-kaiju batmen...try to get to them...before it's too late.
When all is said and done, only the journalist opts to return to the surface world...where everyone he was just with is, only in different forms.
...If only he could prove it to them...
...Was it all just a dream?!
The special effects in this are of the so-bad-it's-great quality, and they seem to have damn near perfected the form- with the muppet lion, turned chimera, taking the cake.
The weirdest of the Showa era Tohos for sure.
Highly enjoyable.
8 out of 10.