Red-headed twins Rachel and Theo Matheson discover they are all that stands between the safety of the Earth and the evil Wilberforces - giant shape-changing alien slugs intent on conquering the planet for their own ends in this excellent t.v adaptation of Maurice Gee's classic children's novel.
When I think of the many iconic science fiction/adventures that enhanced my imagination as a child, 'Under The Mountain' is up there with Jules Verne. The tale of two children visiting their aunt and uncle in the city one summer only to become embroiled in a battle to save their very world is every bit as engaging as 'Journey To The Centre Of The Earth', and Gee is rightly celebrated for it. From the spooky houses and scary monsters to the claustrophobic chases and wise and mysterious elders, the story contains all the elements that excite the young mind without ever being excessive or gratuitous, while its overall plot and themes would not be out of place in Doctor Who and will entertain those of all ages. However, the very New Zealand flavour of the tale is also very much a part of its appeal.
Shot on location in Auckland where the tale is largely set (and arguably celebrates), the city's urban and volcanic landscapes are used to good effect, from the calm waters of Takapuna to the rugged natural basalt monolith of Rangitoto Island. It's clearly an Auckland of an earlier, simpler time that with every passing year gains a tinge of romanticism, which the well-paced production incorporates into its overall charm. It features a cast of then-regulars in New Zealand television (the ever-active Roy Billing should be familiar to fans of 'Children Of The Dog Star') some of whom are still quite active today. Child leads Kirsty Wilkinson and Lance Warren give a solid effort throughout, the fact that they are new to acting being only readily apparent through adult eyes, which even then is not hugely glaring.
The production values meanwhile are of their time, and doubtless will invite unflattering comparisons to the Jonathan King remake, but I find they still hold up just enough to serve their purpose, from the alien prosthetics to the many pre-cgi video effects, all of which are accentuated by the effective sound production of Neil Newcombe and memorable score supplied by Bernie Allen, who gives the show its striking theme fanfare.
Ken Catran's teleplay strays at times from the novel, memorably in the climax to episode 1, clearly out of concern that younger viewers will need a hook to bring them back each week. This aside however, Catran is fairly faithful to the text to the point that whenever I re-read it, the teleplay supplies the imagery.
'Under The Mountain' made it to DVD in 2008, with absolutely no expense spent on preserving the film or producing even the most basic of extras - an unimpressive practice TVNZ has repeated with subsequent releases of their classic serials, showing little respect for their own archives. Nonetheless, these are the clearest prints you're going to find, so given that this was something I unquestioningly had to add to my collection, my compromise was to wait until I found a discounted price to match TVNZ's almost-discounted effort.
For me, 'Under The Mountain' was a very memorable sci-fi series from my youth and something I think would be just as entertaining to children today. Highly recommended.
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