y the year 2020, man has used up or destroyed most of the earth’s natural resources. In an effort to conquer a new, habitable frontier, wealthy corporations – such as Martel – have begun to develop massive undersea laboratories to determine whether the remnants of civilization can one day reside in the sea on a permanent basis. But plenty of experiments are required – including by researcher Dr. Claire McDowell (Priscilla Barnes), who unscientifically opts to dunk her hand into a bowl of alien goo during some sort of test.

“I think I’m starting to develop gills.” Unfortunately for Claire, her team of scientists, including Dr. Barbara Stottelmyre (Melody Ryane), Jack O’Neill (Daryl Haney), and Thomas Seaver (Eb Lottimer), are being unceremoniously recalled – an unexpected development despite her most recent discovery, which ought to be one of the most exciting things ever found. As it so happens, when she physically touches the clear gelatinous substance, she’s able to see into another world or reality – and possibly communicate with alien life forms.

As Commander Stuart Dobler (Bradford Dillman) of the Neptune Base prepares for the shuttle carrying the replacement scientists, what seems to be a mild earthquake knocks out all communications with the nearing vessel, commanded by James Brown (John Lafayette). When pilot Robert Fernandez (Stephen Davies) heads outside to investigate the ship, he’s shocked to find that the crashed submersible’s hatch has been opened and no one is inside. Meanwhile, Raymond Chadwick (Richard Young) conducts some repairs, only to be turned into a slimy goop, even though his dive suit has no holes in it. Eerily, the organic tissue sludge is quite similar to the mystery ooze that Claire was examining – and Chadwick’s preserved, gooey corpse is starting to mutate.

Although the premise is timely, while deep-sea-based thrillers possess a natural sci-fi vibe (the most famous one, “The Abyss,” would be released just a few months later), this Roger Corman-produced endeavor has a pitifully low budget (he even has a small role himself as a corporate bigwig). The set designs and costumes may be standard, but the creatures and miniatures by Mark Williams Effects are noticeably superficial, stiff, and rubbery. “It demands further study, Dobler.”

Intermittently creepy music, which begins fittingly before transitioning into what can only be described as carnival tunes, sometimes helps with the tone, but it’s not enough; the various monsters are comical rather than scary, even as a motion-tracking sequence borrows heavily from “Alien.” Perhaps the biggest offenders are the actors themselves; the cast rarely seems genuinely concerned or frightened or angry. Their reactions to battling aquatic extraterrestrials are extremely unconvincing; emoting isn’t a strong suit for anyone here. But even if a single one of these performers had some genuine chops, it would be difficult to overcome the plotting and the pacing and the story itself.

For an undersea thriller, “Lords of the Deep” contains virtually no thrills; the film excels at portraying nothingness. The monsters aren’t shocking or intimidating and they barely do anything; this is the kind of sci-fi adventure that focuses almost exclusively on characters walking slowly around the ship with weapons outstretched, before having the camera cut away from every confrontation. What ends up in the frame is downright boring; even fights between crew members are laughably dull. It also doesn’t help that a central romance exhibits zero chemistry; there’s far too much light for any particular environment to muster dread; and the preachiness of the cautionary tale components is too obvious and brazen to have much effect. By the end, with all of the mediocre designs, editing, and acting, the overall entertainment value is astonishingly low – save for an odd moment or two of unintentional humor (or outrageous silliness). “Let’s get drunk!”

– Mike Massie