Wordiezett
So much average
Glimmerubro
It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.
Casey Duggan
It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
mike48128
It's like "Barbarella" . Nobody watches it for the plot. Raquel in her prime--Wow! Wearing as little as possible, she changes outfits constantly and wears very little under her clothing! The plot is confusing and at times makes no sense whatsoever. First she is searching for an "atomic trigger devise" and that turns into a rare Asian "Dragon" artifact stolen from a museum. She plays a skydiver, on vacation, of course. Along the way, she parachutes thru several blue screens, (it looks fake). Gets framed for two murders (one fake). Flirts with Tony Fransiosa and does some amateurish bullfighting. A spy movie "spoof" and it does work because it doesn't take itself too seriously. Turns out that everybody is a "bad guy", chasing after the "Golden Dragon" for their own selfish financial gain. Good location photography, in Spain and at Pinewood Studios in England. Lot's of fun and yes, Raquel is incredibly young, thin, and totally delicious.
Woodyanders
Spunky and enticing dental hygienist turned expert skydiver Fathom Harvill (the one and only Raquel Welch at her most gorgeous, radiant, and appealing) is assigned by a top secret government agency to parachute into Spain in order to find elusive war defector Peter Mertiwether (a smooth and engaging portrayal by Anthony Franciosa) and a missing H-bomb detonator he might have in his possession. Director Leslie H. Martinson, working from a witty script by Lorenzo Semple Jr., relates the fun premise at a snappy pace and maintains a likable easy'n'breezy lightweight tone throughout. Of course, this picture makes for a great showcase of the delectable Mrs. Welch's charming personality and jaw-dropping spectacular figure (the latter in particular looks absolutely smashing in a lime-green bikini!). Moreover, the cute and funny dialogue contains a nice running gag about Fathom's unusual first name. Clive Revill contributes a sharp comic performance as Sergi Serapkin, an eccentric villainous millionaire with an extreme aversion to the cold. Douglas Slocombe's vibrant cinematography provides an attractive bright look. John Dankworth's bouncy score hits the jaunty'n'jazzy spot. Hugely enjoyable.
ferbs54
Back in 1967, Raquel Welch's appearance (rather than performance) in "Fathom" helped jump-start the puberties of around 40 million baby-boomer boys. I never got the chance to see this picture back in '67, unfortunately, and had to have MY puberty jump-started the old-fashioned way: by watching James Bond in the movies and Honey West and Emma Peel on TV (not to mention Laurie R. in junior high!). But 40 years after the fact, I finally caught up with "Fathom" last night. And you know what? The picture really isn't half bad. It's got a good, twisty, intelligent script, tongue in cheek though it may be; beautiful Spanish location shooting; and some colorful characters. The picture also moves quickly and features some good action sequences (such as Racky dodging a maddened bull in a bullring and swimming away from a harpooner in a speedboat). Half the fun in the movie comes from trying to figure out who is lying and what the characters' various motivations are (nobody seems to be telling the truth about anything in this film, and poor Fathom is understandably confused throughout). I quite enjoyed the film, and must say that Raquel's acting is much better than she is given credit for, and that she does indeed look sensational in every scene. Now I can finally understand all those raised hormonal levels 40 years ago!
23skidoo-4
Fathom was released in 1967 during a period when the James Bond films spawned a slew of ripoffs and spoofs. Some, like James Coburn's Derek Flint series, managed to gain some success while being entertaining. Many, like the very poor Modesty Blaise and even worse Casino Royale, bombed and rightfully so.Somewhere in the middle is Fathom, a lightweight caper comedy starring Raquel Welch that, for some reason, has remained undeservedly obscure for more than 30 years. Welch, who sadly never got a chance to be a true Bond girl (she lost out on the chance to co-star in Thunderball), demonstrates that 007 clearly got the worse end of the deal by letting her go. This could be the sexiest of her 1960s-era films and her performance, while hardly Oscar-worthy, is very appealing. More the pity that she wasn't cast as Modesty Blaise -- she might have made that other spoof worthwhile.I won't try to detail the plot. It's impossible to do so without spoilers and there are so many twists and turns that you won't know who is doing what to whom until literally the last 5 minutes. The plot is perhaps a little TOO complex, and indeed there are a number of characters who are lost in the shuffle. But everyone - including, most importantly, Welch - seems to be having a good time, and there is a refreshing minimum of violence which is somewhat rare for the time.Compared to the other muddled spoofs of the era, Fathom isn't that overly hard to ... fathom. If you get confused, just give your brain a rest and stare at Welch for a few minutes that you'll be right as rain in no time!
