WARLORDS OF ATLANTIS - LES 7 CITÉS D'ATLANTIS

1895, à la recherche d'Atlantis, le professeur Aitken, son fils Charles et l'inventeur de la "cloche" Greg Collinson explorent dans les eaux du triangle des Bermudes. Attaqués par une bête préhistorique, ils réussissent à ramener une statue en or pur. Mais cet or fait sortir le méchant dans l'équipage et pendant que Charles et Greg sont largués au fond des mers, les marins trahissent le professeur... pour être attaqués par une pieuvre géante ! Les aventuriers tout comme les marins se réveillent sur les rives d'une des cités d'Atlantis. After adapting many Edgar Rice Burroughs novels, Kevin Connor direct this story in the spirit of the old times with monsters, good guys and a beautiful girl to be rescued !

The main story takes place around the turn of the 20th century, and concerns an expedition to the Bermuda Triangle in search of the lost civilization of Atlantis, onboard the ship called The Texas Rose. But the expedition crew are attacked by a giant octopus (The Sentinel), who forcefully brings our protagonists down to the secret underwater world, incased in meteoric rock.

The Atlantis civilization of this film is in fact a large colony from Mars, that crash landed into the ocean back in prehistoric times. Despite their advance technology and apathetically elitist attitude against humans, the Atlanteans are incapable of leaving the Earth on their own. And are secretly influencing mankind through dream-based telepathy, in hopes of advancing Earthly technology to their needed preference. However, time is literally against them, as their ancient colony is withering away through simple decay, allowing the bizarre 'Mega-Fauna' of Atlantis to overrun their once thriving cities.

These monstrous creatures appear to be evolved, or mutated descendents of prehistoric animals from Earth's past, which includes more vicious versions of the real-life Coelacanths, who at one point assault our protagonists like leaping piranhas. And a briefly seen serpent that inhabits the same lake as the aforementioned Coelacanths, and an even more barley seen spider-like creature that lives in the Atlantis city sewers.

 Far larger and more threatening however are the wild Zaargs (aka Zogs), whom are giant armored quadruped reptiles that constantly raid the remaining cities for food. Namely the unfortunate humans that the Atlanteans have enslaved to defend the outer walls against the Zaargs' attacks.

 And Mogdaan - a water dwelling monster with a fishy face, serpentine body and bat-like winged fins. Mogdaan inhabits a swampy region, and attacks almost any being who ventures through it. With the notable exception of Atmir, a member of the Atlantean ruling class who has some telepathic influence over Mogdaan.

Not all the monsters of Atlantis are totally wild though, as some are in the aliens' control. Most notable The Sentinel - a giant octopus who destroys any ships that ventures to close to Atlantis. And seems to posses the ability to safely bring captured prisoners to Atlantis itself, within its tentacles and without harm, despite the great ocean depths traveled. These human prisoners are than surgically altered to have small gills on their necks, assuring that these newer slaves can never return to surface, as their changed biology would kill them otherwise. And forever remaining in Atlantis, wither they want to or not.

 And then there are faceless soldiers dubbed Guardians, who wield spears and wear featureless silver helmets. The Guardians are under the command of Atmir, who seems to be the only Atlantean overseer who works amongst the slaves and outside the inner city of Chinqua, the 'home of the elite', ruled by Atraxon and his 'queen' Atsil. It is never made clear wither The Guardians themselves are also altered slave, or another race of humanoid aliens, obviously lower in intelligence compared to that of their masters.

 And finally (FINALLY), there is the Plesiosaurus Mercurius - a giant sea reptile that lives in the underwater outskirts just outside of Atlantis, and threatens the Texas Rose expedition's diving bell, towards the beginning of the film. Unlike the larger Sentinel, the Plesiosaurus Mercurius appears to be a relatively normal animal, despite its oddly shaped snake-like body, with small manta ray-like fins.

Images offertes par Adrien Adjim de Kaiju Univer, new pics and text by Raf c Gonzalez, thanks, merci !