The television versions of this movie have always frustrated me as have the various releases onto videotape.
There are several incidents at sea as the Batavia Queen is making its way to Krakatoa. An underwater eruption, birds behaving oddly, a pressure build-up and excessive heat(more excessive, no doubt, than normal). Now along comes John Leyton to give an explanation to Diane Baker that all of these incidents are leading directly to Krakatoa.
Why, oh why, does the explanation inevitably get cut whenever it is shown on TV(as well as on video)? It would be far better were the incidents themselves to be eliminated. At least then the explanation could be left in as a reference to unseen incidents.
Apart from that I feel the film is entertaining although not without its faults.
I've made a great deal out of the above deleted scene but now must attempt to redress the balance, so to speak. Thus far the various(UK) transmissions of the film have, as I have said, omitted this scene. However I recently purchased a newly-issued Region 1 version of the film in which this missing scene has been restored--much to my intense pleasure. This version has a running time of 2 hours and 11 minutes. It would have been slightly longer had the intermission been kept in.
My reason for awarding the film only 6 out of a possible 10 is because of the various television transmissions as well as the truncated tape editions. Had they been complete the film would have got at least 9 out of 10.
My final analysis? Not one of the greatest disaster movies ever made(The Towering Inferno, for me, would get 10 out of 10) but an entertaining flick nonetheless.
Watch it if you get the chance--even the truncated version.
There are several incidents at sea as the Batavia Queen is making its way to Krakatoa. An underwater eruption, birds behaving oddly, a pressure build-up and excessive heat(more excessive, no doubt, than normal). Now along comes John Leyton to give an explanation to Diane Baker that all of these incidents are leading directly to Krakatoa.
Why, oh why, does the explanation inevitably get cut whenever it is shown on TV(as well as on video)? It would be far better were the incidents themselves to be eliminated. At least then the explanation could be left in as a reference to unseen incidents.
Apart from that I feel the film is entertaining although not without its faults.
I've made a great deal out of the above deleted scene but now must attempt to redress the balance, so to speak. Thus far the various(UK) transmissions of the film have, as I have said, omitted this scene. However I recently purchased a newly-issued Region 1 version of the film in which this missing scene has been restored--much to my intense pleasure. This version has a running time of 2 hours and 11 minutes. It would have been slightly longer had the intermission been kept in.
My reason for awarding the film only 6 out of a possible 10 is because of the various television transmissions as well as the truncated tape editions. Had they been complete the film would have got at least 9 out of 10.
My final analysis? Not one of the greatest disaster movies ever made(The Towering Inferno, for me, would get 10 out of 10) but an entertaining flick nonetheless.
Watch it if you get the chance--even the truncated version.