Oh crikey. Stumped for something to watch while we knocked back our wine, we saw this on Amazon for £2.49 instant rental. Sounded promising - made in the 60's, Tony Randall stars, director Jack Arnold. So we clicked the button. If only we hadn't. Randall and Leigh are a typical married couple with teenage kids who (needless to say) play in a band with a mate or two. Oh dear, there's going to be music. Anyhow, Randall works for a company that is looking for new ideas and he comes up with an underwater home. It's already built and just needs testing with a real family....and of course the boss (who thinks it's an awful idea) insists that Randall and family should be the ones who live there for 30 days. After a few not-too-bad underwater model shots of mini-subs etc, we get to the house. Inside, it looks like the set of The Banana Splits has crashed into The Partridge Family via The Monkees, and the plot and acting are of a similar standard. Some bits reminded me very much of the Disney films of the mid 60's. Others made me think it may have been cobbled together from a TV sitcom, all it needed was a laugh track. By the one hour mark this film had well out-stayed its welcome, but we ploughed on. A very messy final 40 minutes had the action switching between the US Navy, the underwater house, Randall's boss and his housekeeper who is passing messages to dolphins, not to mention the pop group (headed by a very young Richard Dreyfus), who had only two songs and we got to hear them every ten minutes. Aargh! We were more than relieved when the film suddenly ended (OK everyone, just finish it now will you) and we could put it behind us. What a pity to see one of my favourite actors Tony Randall in such a disappointing effort as this, and I wonder what director Jack Arnold was playing at. Perhaps everyone just needed a payday.
Review of Hello Down There
