We open up with police going to investigate "listening disturbance" when some nut is trying to listen for something under the pavement. Then we get the opening credits with some very wierd images like a close-up of OWLs face. We also find out that a underwater base has collapsed and the scientist responsible for building it is not allowed to build another. He goes to visit a friend who saved his life in korea and turned out to be in mental hospital. there is also an interesting scene where people in mental hospital are playing slot machines.
The guy tells a strange story about ants and calls the doctor "slot machine quack". he also has seismographic drawings. He shows that something is moving underneath the sea. The scientist doesn't believe hum. He thinks the creatures are "20 years ahead of us". that's not really THAT much now is it?
Late that evening some things start happening in places he noted. He goes to investigate but he gets shot down by his superiors. again. Then he goes to a mining company that got hit and find some explosives detonated that caused the trouble. they find a tunnel in there as well that wasn't dug by them. They also find strange looking medallion and rush back to find out what it is.
Now they manage to get the superiors to believe. They send some troops to investigate the new mine shaft they found and see where it leads to. They find a strange machine moving in there and a person inside it. They follow it and they find an underground Chinese base. they are right under American land. And they even have atom bombs in there. So they shoot everyone no questions asked. They decide its a mark 3 assembly bombs and they are going to disassemble and destroy them. because any soldier can disassemble atomic bomb with bare hands right?
The machine comes back and attacks them. it seems to be indestructible even to bazooka (who brings bazooka into a cave?). they retreat back and then Chinese come to see it to the wounded.
the American scientist conclude that while they have been wasting billions on air defence Chinese been using it in underground attack, where it counts. They decide to counter attack, but the Chinese aren't sleeping either. The Chinese underground base is so large that they are completely independent of mainland.
The soldiers update the machine to detect all sounds but the problem is there is too much sounds. the computer analizing it goes wild, and i mean really wild, it starts throwing out tape and stuff. must have been written by an idiot. The soldiers moving in to try to fend off Chinese also get into a trap and are almost killed by it.
So they change tactics. they stop the whole country so they wouldn't go around making loud noise. and i mean everything, airports, mines, constructions. Even farming. Texas is not doing anything though, bastards. Turns out the Chinese has tunes a across the American underground. The American captains are desperate now. they drink brandy instead of coffe.
The one that isnt drunk yet finds there is an inactive volcano in a pace that they lifeline to mainland lies. what they dont know is they dont need that line. The Americans build their own digging machine. the writing on it is as follows "U.S.A. laser bored". bored laser machine, oh my. You know, what's strange is they dont even bother with diplomacy. how about calling what they did to the world and turning nations against the Chinese? nah they think they can halde it the military way, typical America.
Anyway, their new machine manages to more or less melt the rocks. and almost step into molten rock. stupidity squared. their female assistant is SO out of place. and she claims to be an expert. They plan to set up a 10 megaton atom bomb to blow the Chinese tunnel. isnt atom bomb a bit overdoing, they will blow the whole Hawaii up. But they fail t even dig in towards their tunnel.
Apparently the actual enemy is a rogue agent, that Chinese wants dead too. So why cant they just go form thier side and into the tunnels?
oh well, they scout the cavern fot another entrance since thier bored lazer breaks down because they, well, overheat it. The scouting party is attacked by Chinese soldiers and are dragged back to home-base.
The soldiers escape, steam a bomb train and run off with it stealing Chinese atom bombs like nothing.
They use one of thier own nukes to explode the tunnel and steal the rest. But then they drop it and leave the train standing to explode as well. The Chinese find it and instead of running they try to dismantle it. That dont really work for him so kaboom. the explosion is so large it probably took Hawaii with it.
Story: 6/10. it was a nice premise i give you that.
Acting: 3/10. Caucasians dressed up as Asians....
Sound: 0/10. its 1967, the dready music still on, the hell?
Sci factor: 3/10. tuneling all the way across the pacific, right. same thing with sound detection.
Lasting Appeal: 7/10. well this is definitely original. i mean Chinese tunnelling underneath Americans without them knowing it? yeah....
Overall rating: 4/10.
Subject: Drive In Sci-Fi: Battle Beneath The Earth (1967) 
Mon Dec 05, 2011 12:58 pm
