Harryhausen crossed Jules Verne with King Kong in his version of Mysterious Island, giving the author's Civil War castaways something really mysterious to look at for a change. The result is a Skull Island-style adventure with a nifty 19th century set-up, and one of the stop-motion maestro's most satisfying films. Harryhausen movies are at their best when Harryhausen is unabashedly the star-as he is here in Mysterious Island. From this high-water mark in the early Sixties, Harryhausen's films slowly began to shipwreck on two constantly reiterated movie-making clichés. First, writers began to tell Harryhausen that his effects ought to be better integrated into the overall plot, that they ought not to be isolated set pieces sprinkled through the picture like plums in a fruitcake. Secondly, critics continued to repeat the old film music legend that movie scoring is best when it fades unnoticed into the background. Both of these old saws were, in fact, horrible lies. And Mysterious Island is great because Harryhausen and his composer were still refusing to take any notice of them. The effects sequences in Mysterious Island aren't plums in a fruitcake, they're solos in a symphony, they're like the soliloquies in Shakespeare. And Bernard Herrmann's scoring for these episodes is in your face
as it should be. It jumps up and screams "THIS IS A SET-PIECE
AND A GREAT ONE. KICK BACK AND ENJOY IT!" And this, once again, is as it should be. The truth is, that stop-motion isn't an effects technique. It's an art form. If you can't enjoy it for it's own sake, then you can't enjoy it. Every attempt Harryhausen later made to "integrate" his stuff just encouraged people to take it seriously--as a serious attempt, that is, to duplicate reality. Which it isn't. We go to a Harryhausen film for Harryhausen, just as we go to a Chaplin film for Chaplin. If you came in for some other reason, then you picked the wrong movie. That said, Mysterious Island really does work, I think, as a 60s "Jules Verne" picture. The period atmosphere is some of the best in any of those movies and the interesting Nautilus variation we see here is fun to look at in its own right. The acting is quite good also, and Cy Endfield is one of the better Harryhausen directors. But the Verne elements are really just the frame around the picture. Like I said, go for Ray's monsters--then go out and tell the world.
98 Reviews
Consistently Entertaining
Space_Mafune7 November 2002
This film starts off with adventure and rarely ever lets up. Starting off with a daring hot air balloon escape by Union prisoners from a Confederate prison camp through a treacherous storm which blows them off course until eventually they land on a mysterious island full of strange giant creatures such as a giant crab, a giant bird and giant bees. These creatures are magnificently brought to life by stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen. This one will appeal mostly to those young in heart and spirit. Herbert Lom is quite good in his role as Captain Nemo, a man trying to find a means of destroying the causes of war. Also has a wonderful score by Bernard Herrmann. Great fun.
A Fantastic and Enjoyable Adventure
claudio_carvalho28 April 2010
In 1865, during the siege of Richmond, Virginia, the union soldiers POW Captain Harding (Michael Craig), Neb (Dan Jackson) and Herbert (Michael Callan) escape in a balloon during a storm with two confederate prisoners, Sergeant Pencroft (Percy Herbert) and the journalist Spilett (Gary Merrill). The uncontrollable wind takes the balloon to a mysterious island in the South Pacific in the area of New Zealand. Captain Harding self-proclaims the leader of the group and they look for food; sooner they discover that they are stranded in an island. Further, they are attacked by a giant crab that becomes their first meal. Along the days, they build a shelter and finds that the island is inhabited by giant animals. A couple of days later, they find two castaways on the beach, the aristocratic Lady Mary Fairchild (Joan Greenwood) and her sexy niece Elena (Beth Rogan). Later they find a trunk with weapons and instruments like sextant and shelter with a journal of a man left alone in the island by pirates. When the pirate vessel arrives in the island, they are helped by Captain Nemo (Herbert Lom) of the Nautilus, a submarine that had supposedly sunk in the coast of Mexico eight years ago. Nemo is famous as the man that tried to end strike among man. When the volcano begins activity, they need to leave the island to save their lives.
"Mysterious Island" is a fantastic and enjoyable adventure from the 60's that recall many films that I used to see in my childhood. The naive story has great special effects for a movie of almost fifty years ago, excellent music score and still is a wonderful family entertainment. While watching this movie, the costume of the sexy Ms. Beth Rogan called my attention and I glanced in a review an humorous comment from an IMDb User about the dress of this actress. Unfortunately in the modern world of satellites and communication, there are no more space for movies about lost worlds; maybe the exceptions are the TV series "Lost" and M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village". "Mysterious Island" is a highly recommended voyage to not only a lost world, but also to a time that has gone by. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Ilha Misteriosa" ("The Mysterious Island")
"Mysterious Island" is a fantastic and enjoyable adventure from the 60's that recall many films that I used to see in my childhood. The naive story has great special effects for a movie of almost fifty years ago, excellent music score and still is a wonderful family entertainment. While watching this movie, the costume of the sexy Ms. Beth Rogan called my attention and I glanced in a review an humorous comment from an IMDb User about the dress of this actress. Unfortunately in the modern world of satellites and communication, there are no more space for movies about lost worlds; maybe the exceptions are the TV series "Lost" and M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village". "Mysterious Island" is a highly recommended voyage to not only a lost world, but also to a time that has gone by. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Ilha Misteriosa" ("The Mysterious Island")
Highly Enjoyable
Terrell-42 August 2004
This is a nice, satisfying telling of the Verne story, with special effects by Ray Harryhausen and a good score by Bernard Herrman. Escapees from a Civil War prison camp are blown way off course in a balloon they stole. They find themselves on an apparently deserted island somewhere in the Pacific, are joined by two women who were shipwrecked, and eventually come face-to-face with Captain Nemo and the wrecked Nautilus.
They have to deal with pirates, an erupting volcano and Harryhausen's creature threats. These include very large versions of a hungry red crab, an aggressive chicken (or dodo), a bee and an unhappy squid. Some of the creatures turn out to be very good boiled or roasted.
The movie holds up well because of a strong story, good action, and fairly well-defined characters. It features Herbert Lom, in my view an under-rated actor, and Joan Greenwood. By this time Greenwood was taking character parts and doing a lot of stage work. But from the mid-Forties to the mid-Fifties she was, I think, one of the sexiest, smartest actors Britain has ever produced. Her plummy, smoky voice is inimitable.
They have to deal with pirates, an erupting volcano and Harryhausen's creature threats. These include very large versions of a hungry red crab, an aggressive chicken (or dodo), a bee and an unhappy squid. Some of the creatures turn out to be very good boiled or roasted.
The movie holds up well because of a strong story, good action, and fairly well-defined characters. It features Herbert Lom, in my view an under-rated actor, and Joan Greenwood. By this time Greenwood was taking character parts and doing a lot of stage work. But from the mid-Forties to the mid-Fifties she was, I think, one of the sexiest, smartest actors Britain has ever produced. Her plummy, smoky voice is inimitable.
Best Story In History
bkoganbing30 July 2012
I don't believe that you can make a bad film of a Jules Verne story. Some better than others, some inferior ones, but not a bad film. The plots and the characters were born for the screen. If Verne had been born later and allowed full credit control in writing and producing films, what films they would have been.
Mysterious Island with the help of that other creative genius Ray Harryhausen concerns some Union soldiers who escape from a Confederate prison in a Confederate observation balloon. There's also one Confederate stowaway as well.
In what is described as the greatest storm in American history this balloon is blown WAAAAAAAAAAAAY off course and they land on an island they later learn is 1000 miles from New Zealand. And what a place with all kinds of giant creatures, crabs, bees, and even a giant chicken all brought to life by Ray Harryhausen with some of his best work.
The man responsible for all this is Captain Nemo late of the Nautilus which it turns out was not sunk as written by Verne in 20000 Leagues Under The Sea, but rather limped into its home base by Herbert Lom in a measured and calculated performance. Nemo has reassessed his life and now thinks that instead of blowing up the ships of war from every nation, he should work toward providing abundance for man. Hence he pioneers organic food and that giant wildlife is part of the experiment.
Two women also are shipwrecked as well Beth Rogan and her aunt Joan Greenwood. Michael Craig and Michael Callan are Union soldiers, Percy Herbert who usually plays cockney characters didn't quite get the southern accent down for the Rebel hitchhiker and Gary Merrill is the war correspondent whose got the best lines and the best story in history and no way to report it out.
All the human players however pale in comparison to Ray Harryhausen's animation monsters. Mysterious Island which while not a faithful telling of Verne's story is still good entertainment, as good as I remember it at 14 seeing it in the theater.
Mysterious Island with the help of that other creative genius Ray Harryhausen concerns some Union soldiers who escape from a Confederate prison in a Confederate observation balloon. There's also one Confederate stowaway as well.
In what is described as the greatest storm in American history this balloon is blown WAAAAAAAAAAAAY off course and they land on an island they later learn is 1000 miles from New Zealand. And what a place with all kinds of giant creatures, crabs, bees, and even a giant chicken all brought to life by Ray Harryhausen with some of his best work.
The man responsible for all this is Captain Nemo late of the Nautilus which it turns out was not sunk as written by Verne in 20000 Leagues Under The Sea, but rather limped into its home base by Herbert Lom in a measured and calculated performance. Nemo has reassessed his life and now thinks that instead of blowing up the ships of war from every nation, he should work toward providing abundance for man. Hence he pioneers organic food and that giant wildlife is part of the experiment.
Two women also are shipwrecked as well Beth Rogan and her aunt Joan Greenwood. Michael Craig and Michael Callan are Union soldiers, Percy Herbert who usually plays cockney characters didn't quite get the southern accent down for the Rebel hitchhiker and Gary Merrill is the war correspondent whose got the best lines and the best story in history and no way to report it out.
All the human players however pale in comparison to Ray Harryhausen's animation monsters. Mysterious Island which while not a faithful telling of Verne's story is still good entertainment, as good as I remember it at 14 seeing it in the theater.
What I did was in the name of peace. Your war, like all wars, glories in devastation and death.
hitchcockthelegend13 June 2010
Mysterious Island is a loose adaptation of Jules Verne's novel of the same name. It's out of Columbia Pictures and was filmed at Shepperton Studios in England with exteriors on the coast of Spain. Directed by Cy Endfield, with Ray Harryhausen working his stop motion genius for the creatures, it stars Michael Craig, Joan Greenwood, Michael Callan, Gary Merrill, Herbert Lom, Beth Rogan, Percy Herbert & Dan Jackson. Bernard Herrmann provides the score.
The plot sees three Union soldiers escaping in a gas balloon from a Confederate prison camp during the American Civil War. Also caught up in the escape is a Confederate rebel and a newspaperman. As they battle the elements they are forced to crash land on some island they think is in the Pacific. Here they encounter giant animals that threaten their survival. Soon two ladies are shipwrecked onto the island too, but the strange animals are not the only thing to worry about, the island volcano is close to eruption and they appear to not be the only humans on the island?
Though something of a lesser light in the pantheon of fantasy adventure films, Mysterious Island, in spite of its flaws, is rather good fun. Dramatically it's OK, with the creatures particularly memorable, but those in search of a science story befitting Jules Verne are in for a let down (though some small science interest does come in the last quarter). This is an out and out desert island survival movie with some Harryhausen kickers. There's a nice group dynamic as soldiers from opposing sides are forced to come together to survive. While the arrival of "posh stock" ladies throws up a class distinction issue, that is nice, if not fully exploited.
There's the usual clichés of course, and as much as I enjoyed it as a red blooded man, did they really need to make Beth Rogan's newly made island dress the shortest in the land? And true enough, some of the matte paintings and effects have aged better in our childhood memories than actually on the print of the film. It's nicely photographed by Wilkie Cooper in Eastman Color using the Super-Dynamation process, but the film also suffers in parts for the restoration. For the prints that exist on DVD now are beset by spotting, fading and scratches. While of course the resolution now shows the flaws of the source material that were once never evident.
Still this is a must have film for fantasy adventure enthusiasts.Yes, as with many Harryhausen based movies, the action sequences involving his creations light up an episodic picture. But with giant animals intent on eating our survivors, a Vernian turn of events in the last quarter, Herrmann's brilliant bombastic score and Rogan's dress! Who cares about routine narrative eh? 7/10
The plot sees three Union soldiers escaping in a gas balloon from a Confederate prison camp during the American Civil War. Also caught up in the escape is a Confederate rebel and a newspaperman. As they battle the elements they are forced to crash land on some island they think is in the Pacific. Here they encounter giant animals that threaten their survival. Soon two ladies are shipwrecked onto the island too, but the strange animals are not the only thing to worry about, the island volcano is close to eruption and they appear to not be the only humans on the island?
Though something of a lesser light in the pantheon of fantasy adventure films, Mysterious Island, in spite of its flaws, is rather good fun. Dramatically it's OK, with the creatures particularly memorable, but those in search of a science story befitting Jules Verne are in for a let down (though some small science interest does come in the last quarter). This is an out and out desert island survival movie with some Harryhausen kickers. There's a nice group dynamic as soldiers from opposing sides are forced to come together to survive. While the arrival of "posh stock" ladies throws up a class distinction issue, that is nice, if not fully exploited.
There's the usual clichés of course, and as much as I enjoyed it as a red blooded man, did they really need to make Beth Rogan's newly made island dress the shortest in the land? And true enough, some of the matte paintings and effects have aged better in our childhood memories than actually on the print of the film. It's nicely photographed by Wilkie Cooper in Eastman Color using the Super-Dynamation process, but the film also suffers in parts for the restoration. For the prints that exist on DVD now are beset by spotting, fading and scratches. While of course the resolution now shows the flaws of the source material that were once never evident.
Still this is a must have film for fantasy adventure enthusiasts.Yes, as with many Harryhausen based movies, the action sequences involving his creations light up an episodic picture. But with giant animals intent on eating our survivors, a Vernian turn of events in the last quarter, Herrmann's brilliant bombastic score and Rogan's dress! Who cares about routine narrative eh? 7/10
I LOVE That Giant Chicken!
Jon Kolenchak11 June 2003
There are a handful of fantasy/sci-fi films from the late 1950s and 1960s that stand out from all the rest. Mysterious Island is one of them. I place this film in the same box with movies like Jason and the Argonauts, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, and in some respects, Journey to the Center of the Earth. They are all stories of adventure with exotic locations and seemingly impossible odds against the characters in their fight for survival. Each has their share of villans and heroes, but the common mission of each story it to get out alive.
There is one very important element shared by all these movies. The film scores were composed by Bernard Herrmann, and all done in his usual excellent manner. Whether it is his using creepy bass woodwinds for the monster sequences, or beautiful harp arpeggios to support scenes of mystery, Herrmann was one of the greatest film composers, and his style was definitely unique. (Those who are interested in his music may be surprised that he wrote a complete cantata, Moby Dick, a complete opera, Wuthering Heights, and a complete Symphony along with shorter orchestral pieces. If you love his work, I suggest that you research these pieces.)
Anyway, back to the island. Her we have 2 British women, one African-American soldier, a war correspondent, 3 union soldiers and one confederate soldier -- not exactly your perfect desert island party.
In these days of reality TV where people are voted off the island in survivor-type shows, It is refreshing to see a film where people work together to plan their escape. Enemies in battle become friends, upperclass British women forget their differences with the lower class Americans and side-by-side fight for their survival.
The movie is fun, full of action, and there is never a dull moment in its 100 minute running time. It is a perfect family film.
Now, it's Soap Box Time. This relates to film technology in general, and perhaps this film in particular. Each decade film technology improves. The movies of this decade are more advanced technologically then the movies of the 1980s, the 1970s, and so on to the beginning of the motion picture industry (the late 1800s). In each decade that we go back in time the movies are considered techinically inferior in quality to current films. Each movie is state of the art for the time that it was filmed. Well, believe it or not, someone will likely review a film like The Matrix in the year 2020 and say something like, "the special effects were really fake and cheesy". That's the way that things go.
I think it's time for movie viewers who love old movies to stop apologizing for them by saying things like, "It had great special effects for its time", or "I guess it doesn't stack up to todays special effects, but I still like it."
Do you ever hear people say, "Citizen Kane should have been filmed in color", or "The music in Casablanca" was too schmaltzy", or "Gone with the Wind was too long?"
I guess I've made my point. I watched this movie tonight with all the wonder of when I first saw it at age 5 or 6. Of course, I noted things technically that I would never have seen as a child. You know what? I didn't care. The movie was fun.
Quality will endure, and a story that is well told with great imagination will always capture my attention.
So, at the risk of sounding redundant, I LOVE THAT GIANT CHICKEN!!!!
There is one very important element shared by all these movies. The film scores were composed by Bernard Herrmann, and all done in his usual excellent manner. Whether it is his using creepy bass woodwinds for the monster sequences, or beautiful harp arpeggios to support scenes of mystery, Herrmann was one of the greatest film composers, and his style was definitely unique. (Those who are interested in his music may be surprised that he wrote a complete cantata, Moby Dick, a complete opera, Wuthering Heights, and a complete Symphony along with shorter orchestral pieces. If you love his work, I suggest that you research these pieces.)
Anyway, back to the island. Her we have 2 British women, one African-American soldier, a war correspondent, 3 union soldiers and one confederate soldier -- not exactly your perfect desert island party.
In these days of reality TV where people are voted off the island in survivor-type shows, It is refreshing to see a film where people work together to plan their escape. Enemies in battle become friends, upperclass British women forget their differences with the lower class Americans and side-by-side fight for their survival.
The movie is fun, full of action, and there is never a dull moment in its 100 minute running time. It is a perfect family film.
Now, it's Soap Box Time. This relates to film technology in general, and perhaps this film in particular. Each decade film technology improves. The movies of this decade are more advanced technologically then the movies of the 1980s, the 1970s, and so on to the beginning of the motion picture industry (the late 1800s). In each decade that we go back in time the movies are considered techinically inferior in quality to current films. Each movie is state of the art for the time that it was filmed. Well, believe it or not, someone will likely review a film like The Matrix in the year 2020 and say something like, "the special effects were really fake and cheesy". That's the way that things go.
I think it's time for movie viewers who love old movies to stop apologizing for them by saying things like, "It had great special effects for its time", or "I guess it doesn't stack up to todays special effects, but I still like it."
Do you ever hear people say, "Citizen Kane should have been filmed in color", or "The music in Casablanca" was too schmaltzy", or "Gone with the Wind was too long?"
I guess I've made my point. I watched this movie tonight with all the wonder of when I first saw it at age 5 or 6. Of course, I noted things technically that I would never have seen as a child. You know what? I didn't care. The movie was fun.
Quality will endure, and a story that is well told with great imagination will always capture my attention.
So, at the risk of sounding redundant, I LOVE THAT GIANT CHICKEN!!!!
A shipwrecked hottie: what are the chances?
BA_Harrison3 January 2016
A group of Union prisoners break out of a Confederate military prison and flee in an observation balloon (while being shot at by the enemy, who, luckily for the escapees, fail to hit them or the balloon). Caught in a storm, the men are whisked westwards for thousands of miles, before a tear in the balloon leaves them stranded on an uninhabited island in the Pacific, where they discover oversized animals, encounter a couple of castaway women, battle against pirates, and meet Captain Nemo (Herbert Lom), creator of the submarine Nautilus, who has been conducting experiments on the island in an effort to solve world hunger.
Mysterious Island opens in superb form, with its wonderfully exciting US Civil War escape sequence, followed by the soldiers' perilous flight; once the characters land on the island, the film settles into routine adventure mode, as they explore the island, confront a variety of perils, and are faced with an erupting volcano, before putting into action a far-fetched escape plan. This mildly entertaining nonsense is enlivened by several impressive (for the day) Ray Harryhausen effects set-pieces (a giant crab, a huge flightless bird, some big bees, and a massive tentacled sea creature), but made far more enjoyable by the presence of gorgeous Beth Rogan, who plays shipwreck survivor Elena; once she sheds her Victorian gown for something a little (OK, a lot) more revealing, things definitely get more interesting!
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for sexy Elena and her yellow pants.
Mysterious Island opens in superb form, with its wonderfully exciting US Civil War escape sequence, followed by the soldiers' perilous flight; once the characters land on the island, the film settles into routine adventure mode, as they explore the island, confront a variety of perils, and are faced with an erupting volcano, before putting into action a far-fetched escape plan. This mildly entertaining nonsense is enlivened by several impressive (for the day) Ray Harryhausen effects set-pieces (a giant crab, a huge flightless bird, some big bees, and a massive tentacled sea creature), but made far more enjoyable by the presence of gorgeous Beth Rogan, who plays shipwreck survivor Elena; once she sheds her Victorian gown for something a little (OK, a lot) more revealing, things definitely get more interesting!
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for sexy Elena and her yellow pants.
They don't make 'em like this anymore....and that's a shame!
garrard20 May 2006
While most critics, and fans alike, consider Harryhausen's "Jason and the Argonauts" (released two years later) to be the apex of the special effects master's career, "Mysterious Island" stands as one of his best, also. Loosely based on the Jules Verne 19th century novel, the film boasts some memorable special effects wizardry: an awesome escape from a Confederate prison via balloon, the giant crab, the prehistoric "chicken," the bees, and a cool Nautilus - closely resembling Disney's version from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." The cast is good, beginning with Michael Craig as the leader of the band of island dwellers. Gary Merrill, who at once was the husband of legend Bette Davis, as well as her co-star in "All About Eve," is effective as the war correspondent that serves as the voice of reason among the band, along with being the group's cook. Herbert Lom does a great "Nemo," significantly different from James Mason's interpretation in the Disney classic. English actress Joan Greenwood is appropriately aristocratic as "Lady Fairchild." But, it is Harryhausen's effects, along with Bernard Herrmann's brilliant score, that elevate this to one of the best fantasies of the 60's.
Filmed at a brisk pace, the story never lets up, keeping the viewer captivated until the thrilling conclusion.
Filmed at a brisk pace, the story never lets up, keeping the viewer captivated until the thrilling conclusion.
Worth it alone for the Harryhausen monsters
Leofwine_draca30 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This colourful adventure yarn has plenty going for it. There's lots of action, some romance, a cast populated by B-movie types (aside from Herbert Lom, who once again puts in a distinctive and fun performance) and glamorous girls, some excellent special effects, and lots of nice scenery and photography. Sure, it doesn't exactly stick close to the plot of Jules Verne's original novel, as lots of liberties are taken with it, but it's pretty much all you could want from a simple, old-fashioned adventure yarn.
I myself have always been a fan of shipwreck movies and this doesn't disappoint. The opening kicks off with a thrilling battle for escape, involving fist fights, shoot-outs, and lots of near-misses. A lot of clichés pass us by including the frightened hero who turns out to be one of the strongest of the group, plus the young glamour interest who wears a tiny short dress which also just happens to be extremely low cut. There's a lot of inconsequential dialogue and some naïve (by today's standards) romance going on between a couple of the group, but these bits never get in the way of the action.
One of the film's main problems is that throughout the film mysterious events occur (to make up for the title I suppose), and when it turns out that Captain Nemo is responsible, we're supposed to be surprised. Well, we're not. I actually think Herbert Lom is billed as being Captain Nemo at the beginning credits, which kind of defeats the object of the whole thing. When Lom actually arrives on screen (not until the final third of the film) the whole thing actually falls apart a little, as it was a lot tighter adventure up until this point. Then suddenly we're bogged down in dialogue and some dodgy special effects of polystyrene rocks being thrown about. The method the survivors use to escape is implausible to say the least, involving as it does so an inflated balloon being used to raise a sunken ship. The balloon is blown up via a pipe line (constructed by bamboo) running from the ocean to Nemo's secret underground base, where a submarine pump does all the hard work. It sounds silly and it definitely is.
Thankfully, up until this point, there are some great scenes involving various superbly-animated creations from the stop motion master himself, Ray Harryhausen. From the first monster, a giant crab, you know you're going to be in for a good ride and these giant horrors are 95% realistic. They're wonderfully animated too, none of this jerky motion seen in other films. From then on we get giant birds, giant wasps (again, excellent effects, and pretty creepy too), and even a giant octopus to join in on the action. Basically, Harryhausen's wonderful creations raise what is, in other respects, a fairly average yarn into something unique and exciting to watch. Worth tracking down for fans of the animator's work, or nostalgists.
I myself have always been a fan of shipwreck movies and this doesn't disappoint. The opening kicks off with a thrilling battle for escape, involving fist fights, shoot-outs, and lots of near-misses. A lot of clichés pass us by including the frightened hero who turns out to be one of the strongest of the group, plus the young glamour interest who wears a tiny short dress which also just happens to be extremely low cut. There's a lot of inconsequential dialogue and some naïve (by today's standards) romance going on between a couple of the group, but these bits never get in the way of the action.
One of the film's main problems is that throughout the film mysterious events occur (to make up for the title I suppose), and when it turns out that Captain Nemo is responsible, we're supposed to be surprised. Well, we're not. I actually think Herbert Lom is billed as being Captain Nemo at the beginning credits, which kind of defeats the object of the whole thing. When Lom actually arrives on screen (not until the final third of the film) the whole thing actually falls apart a little, as it was a lot tighter adventure up until this point. Then suddenly we're bogged down in dialogue and some dodgy special effects of polystyrene rocks being thrown about. The method the survivors use to escape is implausible to say the least, involving as it does so an inflated balloon being used to raise a sunken ship. The balloon is blown up via a pipe line (constructed by bamboo) running from the ocean to Nemo's secret underground base, where a submarine pump does all the hard work. It sounds silly and it definitely is.
Thankfully, up until this point, there are some great scenes involving various superbly-animated creations from the stop motion master himself, Ray Harryhausen. From the first monster, a giant crab, you know you're going to be in for a good ride and these giant horrors are 95% realistic. They're wonderfully animated too, none of this jerky motion seen in other films. From then on we get giant birds, giant wasps (again, excellent effects, and pretty creepy too), and even a giant octopus to join in on the action. Basically, Harryhausen's wonderful creations raise what is, in other respects, a fairly average yarn into something unique and exciting to watch. Worth tracking down for fans of the animator's work, or nostalgists.
Disappointing adventure yarn.
poolandrews28 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Mysterious Island is set during 1865 & at the height of the American Civil War, in Virginia four captured Union soldiers escape from prison & use a Confederate observation balloon to make their getaway. Unfortunately the balloon is caught in the worst storm in American history & they drift helplessly for miles across land & ocean, eventually the balloon comes down just off the coast of a mysterious island. There lead by Capatin Cyrus Harding (Michael Craig) they find shelter & food & start to make a boat with which to leave the island but their plans aren't helped when they are attacked by all manner of giant sized animals as the stranded humans fight for survival on all fronts...
This English American co-production was directed by Cy Enfield & was apparently made in part due to the success of the similarly themed Swiss Family Robinson (1960) made by Disney the previous year, in fact legend has it the film was originally going to be filmed as a straight survival story & not feature any monsters or fantastical elements but luckily someone (probably the money men) decided that would be boring & added the sci-fi & monster stuff. The script by John Prebble, Daniel Ullman & Crane Wilbur was based on the Jules Verne novel L'Île Mystérieuse, or Mysterious Island in English, which he wrote in 1875 as a sequel to his Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Verne's novel doesn't contain any monsters at all & no sci-fi elements apart from Captain Nemo & his submarine & is pretty much a serious survival story in the vein of the Tom Hanks film Cast Away (2000) & it's fairly obvious that the monsters were tacked on as they really do have very little connection with anything else, even Nemo's explanation for how he created them is weak. To be fair the film only comes to life when one of Ray Harryhausen's stop motion monsters appear, otherwise it's a fairly slow going & dare I say it even rather dull affair. The character's aren't great, for instance Elena & Herbert suddenly announce they are to marry after not even so much as looking at each other before.
It takes a while for the monsters to show up & even then I don't think Mysterious Island is Harryhausen's best work, the giant crab & the tentacled sea creature at the end are both cool but the giant bird looks silly & the bees are seemingly pointless. None of the monsters really interact with the human cast that much & they are surprisingly static, I certainly don't think they are anywhere near Harryhausen's best creations although he gives it his all & the animation is still impressive. The poorest effect is the bee, if you look closely as it seals the honeycomb up that the two people are trapped in you can see it's antenna's go from being behind the honey wall to in front of it between frames depending on the position of it's head. There is also one huge continuity error at the end, as they approach the shipwrecked pirate ship underwater the whole thing is submerged yet in the very next shot above water on the raft the shipwrecked pirate ship's masts are above the water. The model shots, the matte paintings & stock footage don't match that well, aren't that well put together & look messy.
Technically the film is alright, the Spanish locations are nice but some of the effects are pretty poor. I don't mean the Harryhausen stuff but the model shots, the matte paintings & back projection. The acting is alright, it's a bit stiff here & there but alright. Herbert Lom does OK as Captain Nemo.
Mysterious Island is a decent enough fantasy adventure film, Harryhausen's monsters are the only real reason to see it since otherwise it's a pretty dull survival film. Worth a watch on a lazy Saturday afternoon but not the classic it could have been.
This English American co-production was directed by Cy Enfield & was apparently made in part due to the success of the similarly themed Swiss Family Robinson (1960) made by Disney the previous year, in fact legend has it the film was originally going to be filmed as a straight survival story & not feature any monsters or fantastical elements but luckily someone (probably the money men) decided that would be boring & added the sci-fi & monster stuff. The script by John Prebble, Daniel Ullman & Crane Wilbur was based on the Jules Verne novel L'Île Mystérieuse, or Mysterious Island in English, which he wrote in 1875 as a sequel to his Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Verne's novel doesn't contain any monsters at all & no sci-fi elements apart from Captain Nemo & his submarine & is pretty much a serious survival story in the vein of the Tom Hanks film Cast Away (2000) & it's fairly obvious that the monsters were tacked on as they really do have very little connection with anything else, even Nemo's explanation for how he created them is weak. To be fair the film only comes to life when one of Ray Harryhausen's stop motion monsters appear, otherwise it's a fairly slow going & dare I say it even rather dull affair. The character's aren't great, for instance Elena & Herbert suddenly announce they are to marry after not even so much as looking at each other before.
It takes a while for the monsters to show up & even then I don't think Mysterious Island is Harryhausen's best work, the giant crab & the tentacled sea creature at the end are both cool but the giant bird looks silly & the bees are seemingly pointless. None of the monsters really interact with the human cast that much & they are surprisingly static, I certainly don't think they are anywhere near Harryhausen's best creations although he gives it his all & the animation is still impressive. The poorest effect is the bee, if you look closely as it seals the honeycomb up that the two people are trapped in you can see it's antenna's go from being behind the honey wall to in front of it between frames depending on the position of it's head. There is also one huge continuity error at the end, as they approach the shipwrecked pirate ship underwater the whole thing is submerged yet in the very next shot above water on the raft the shipwrecked pirate ship's masts are above the water. The model shots, the matte paintings & stock footage don't match that well, aren't that well put together & look messy.
Technically the film is alright, the Spanish locations are nice but some of the effects are pretty poor. I don't mean the Harryhausen stuff but the model shots, the matte paintings & back projection. The acting is alright, it's a bit stiff here & there but alright. Herbert Lom does OK as Captain Nemo.
Mysterious Island is a decent enough fantasy adventure film, Harryhausen's monsters are the only real reason to see it since otherwise it's a pretty dull survival film. Worth a watch on a lazy Saturday afternoon but not the classic it could have been.
Mystrious Island
mhrabovsky1-15 January 2006
Wow, I loved the "Seventh Voyage of Sinbad" as a kid, the cyclops, the giant roc bird, the skeleton fight, etc. and then the team of Charles Schneer and Ray Harryhausen did it again with the great film "Mysterious Island". I don't know if Island topped Sinbad, but I loved both of those films in equal amounts. How about the musical score of Bernard Hermann....right from the start that pounding, intense musical score, you knew this film would be so good. Loved the scenes of the escape from the confederate prison camp and the photography of the 4 men who fought with all they had to stay tucked inside the hot air balloon as it blew out of control over uncharted territories. Landing on an uncharted island they became a Robinson Crusoe foursome and set up a camp and foraged for food. How lucky they were to stumble onto a giant, and I mean giant rock lobster to feed the men for weeks and a giant bird who supplied a tasty bird dinner. Also two saucy women shipwrecked to add spice to the film as they provided companionship and love for one of the men. Throw in pirates, a floating trunk of weapons, monsters to fight, a cave hidden in a mountain, giant bees, the discovery of Captain Nemo and his hidden nautilus submarine anchored in the cave while he plotted a new scheme to provide food for mankind with experiments that produced the giant creatures, you were thoroughly entertained for two hours. Then check out the underwater scenes with the fight from a giant squid, reminiscent of the Disney classic "Twenty Thousand leagues under the Sea" and home made sea shell "aqua lungs" to breathe under water.....wow! I just loved this film as a kid and now at age 60 I still love this film and watch it a few times a year on DVD. Believe it or not the first time I saw this film as a kid was in 1963 at a Saturday afternoon matinée along with "Seventh Voyage of Sinbad"...my brother and I were mesermized by two such great films. The great English actor Percy Herbert with an accent as a captured confederate prisoner was a gem. Gary Merrill as a union war correspo dent plays the role of the so called cook in the film with his goofy shenanigans....Herbert Lom another underrated English actor with a stellar performance as Captain Nemo. Michael Craig as the captain of the so called "crew" with a tough disposition to follow as the leader of the group. Great entertainment for all ages.
20,000 Leauges Under the Sea meets Gilligan's Island meets One Million B.C.
johno-213 May 2006
Longtime collaborators of sci-fi adventure films of the 50's and 60's producer Charles H. Schneer and special effects artist Ray Harryhausen are together again here for Mysterious Island. Harryhausen, renowned for his Dynamation process of stop-motion special effects turns to giant birds and crustaceans in this film but no dinosaurs although the original script did call for some. Several changes were made right up until filming with one having the island as a link to the lost continent of Atlantis. Another change involved the character Tom Ayerton. In the novel The Mysterious Island by Jules Vern, the character Thomas Ayrton is found living on the island where he had been abandoned after appearing in another Jules Verne novel called The Children of Captain Grant where as the former quartermaster of the ship Britana he hatched a treacherous plot to seize control of the Duncan. the character of Thomas Ayrton was to have been included here as Tom Ayerton with some other changes. He was a man abandoned on the island and who turned green from eating strange poisonous mushrooms. The "green man" was to have been played appropriately so by actor Nigel Green who was cast in the role but the character was eliminated from the final script before scenes were shot. Nigel Green's name remained in the credits although no footage was actually filmed. The only reference to the character in the film is some bones the castaways find in a cave. This adaptation of the Verne story is by screenwriters John Prible who would go on to write the story Zulu, Daniel B. Ullman who was a screenwriter of B-westerns and would go on to television screenplays, and Crane Wilber who was both a writer and director. Cy Endfield who would direct the acclaimed film epic Zulu is this film's director. Noted cinematographer Willie Cooper who worked on The 7 Voyages of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, First Men on the Moon and One Million Years B.c. is the film's photographer. A balloon carrying three escaped Union prisoners from the Civil War, a Confederate guard and a yellow journalist is carried adrift in a storm and eventually lands far out in the Pacific on a remote island. They are soon joined by two women from a ship that has sank and so with seven castaways we have the original Gilligan's Island. The younger of the two women, abandons her Victorian era modesty and cavorts the island in a sexy homemade leather minidress that would predate Raquel Welch's wardrobe in One Million Years B.C. Also showing up on the island is Captain Nemo and his submarine from Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He's been busy experimenting with animal growth to help feed the growing world's population. He's a nice guy Nemo this time around and comes in handy for the ill-fated castaways. Americans Gary Merrill, Michael Callan and Dan Jackson are among the British cast including Michael Craig, Percy Herbert, Beth Rogan and Joan Greenwood and Czech-born actor Herbert Lom. This is an entertaining movie and I would give it a 7.0 out of 10.
So so different than the original story
cenktasdemir-0470017 July 2023
Jules Verne is a great author. This movie claims that it is based on his great book "Mysterious Island" but just watching the summary shows how unrelated the movie is with the book. Giant animals bla bla. If you want to make a movie with your story just make it, why are the people just spoiling the name of classics? It is so arrogant that people think that they can make Jules Verne's story even more interesting and exciting so that they change the story too much. 20000 Leagues Under The Sea movie has also the same fate. Unfortunately the new generation doesn't know Verne well enough becauae of these kind of movies.
Put it back on the big screen
solongsuckers30 July 2003
Mysterious Island is a very political movie as it progresses, which is a sign of the times as opposed to the very traditional Journey to the Center of the Earth which was released just two years earlier. While Journey to the Center of the Earth was absolutely magical, Mysterious Island is explosive and dynamic. The magic is on hand, with wondrous shots and music to go along with the island's flora and fauna. The movie is also extremely charismatic. Michael Craig is too good to be true as the lead, Captain Cyrus Harding, but he has a hard edge that gets respect. The supporting players, especially Gary Merrill and Percy Herbert, more then pull their weight. Merrill's role reminds me a little of Dr. Smith from Lost in Space, and Percy Herbert is a gas as Pentcroft. Neb's character is treated like one of the gang, although I believe that Union regiments in the Civil War were either all white or all black so it is somewhat unrealistic. Indeed, how the character's mix together for the good of all is a hallmark of the movie. The strengthening of Michael Callan's character seems to be a major plot point but it gets lost along the way and is moot when Nemo shows up. Beth Rogan is sexy as Elena and the Lady Mary Faichild character ( I can't remember the actresses' name) shoots the movie full of musky, female intensity. The special effects are brilliant and (I hate to keep harping on it) blow away the "movie within a movie" digital nonsense of today. The bees are worth the price of admission alone and the movements of the crab are top notch. When Nemo arrives, the movie gets so political that I feel that I'm back in college. Herbert Lom is a little too snitty for me as Nemo but he's a cool guy and is great in other things so I accept him. The music is absolutely awesome and is one of my favorite musical scores of all time. A grossly underrated movie overall that is clearly meant to manipulate at the end. Along with Journey to the Center of the Earth, this movie would look incredible back on the big screen.
not for the grown ups!
davyd-0223721 November 2019
Still an enjoyable romp, 40 years after I first saw this film. the standard of acting isn't great, but part way thru you have the appearance of Herbert Lom as Captain Nemo which like the large creatures the team have to fight off makes viewing all worthwhile. Not to be taken too seriously, but non the less lots of fun
Fantasy island
Lejink7 January 2014
Film-makers of the 50's and early 60's feasted on the adventure novels of Jules Verne for family entertainment features. This was one I hadn't seen or even heard of before and was pleasantly surprised to see in the titles the involvement of two Hollywood background- greats, namely Hitchcock's composer Bernard Herrman and stop-animation special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen. They both bring plenty to the party here.
The story of course is utterly fantastical from the start when Yankee captain Michael Craig and his small gang of men escape their Confederate prison and clamber into a hot-air balloon in a howling storm to make their escape. Cue the requisite "Please help me, I'm falling" refrain as successive crew members naturally find themselves falling out of the dirigible usually by one hand only to be rescued by colleagues with the strength of Stretch Armstrong.
Of course they're blown across the heavens and end up on Captain Nemo's last outpost, a small Pacific island, where massive everyday creatures like bees, birds and crabs, reared by Nemo, are the main threats to life. By the skin of their teeth, they survive to the final race against-the-clock climax to the backdrop of an erupting volcano.
I've not read the source novel (though I will, I'm a fan of Verne's) so can't speak for the film staying true to the tale, but as a fantastic tale it's a fun watch. Some of it is downright silly, for one thing you'd hardly expect to find a young Victorian damsel running about in a micro mini-skirt and for another when you see how the rebel confederates somehow miss shooting down the rather large airborne balloon at short range, you can easily understand how they lost the war.
On the plus side, though, Harryhausen's monster creations are brilliant for the times, Hermann's varied soundtrack is effective and Herbert Lom follows aptly in James Mason's large footprints as the suave, pacifist genius Nemo.
This is fine Saturday afternoon fare and even if it seems to end in a hurry, lovers of light, action-packed adventure movies could fare worse than being shipwrecked on this particular island.
The story of course is utterly fantastical from the start when Yankee captain Michael Craig and his small gang of men escape their Confederate prison and clamber into a hot-air balloon in a howling storm to make their escape. Cue the requisite "Please help me, I'm falling" refrain as successive crew members naturally find themselves falling out of the dirigible usually by one hand only to be rescued by colleagues with the strength of Stretch Armstrong.
Of course they're blown across the heavens and end up on Captain Nemo's last outpost, a small Pacific island, where massive everyday creatures like bees, birds and crabs, reared by Nemo, are the main threats to life. By the skin of their teeth, they survive to the final race against-the-clock climax to the backdrop of an erupting volcano.
I've not read the source novel (though I will, I'm a fan of Verne's) so can't speak for the film staying true to the tale, but as a fantastic tale it's a fun watch. Some of it is downright silly, for one thing you'd hardly expect to find a young Victorian damsel running about in a micro mini-skirt and for another when you see how the rebel confederates somehow miss shooting down the rather large airborne balloon at short range, you can easily understand how they lost the war.
On the plus side, though, Harryhausen's monster creations are brilliant for the times, Hermann's varied soundtrack is effective and Herbert Lom follows aptly in James Mason's large footprints as the suave, pacifist genius Nemo.
This is fine Saturday afternoon fare and even if it seems to end in a hurry, lovers of light, action-packed adventure movies could fare worse than being shipwrecked on this particular island.
Great Film for 1961
whpratt19 July 2006
This film was produced because of the great interest in Jules Verne stories and a recent film that was released, "Around the World in 80 Days", which won an Academy Award. The graphics were very expensive to create in the 1960's, nothing like they are today. The leading actors in this type of film were very unknown because their salaries had to be quite low in order to offset other expenses, like giant CRABS etc. Michael Craig,(Capt. Cyrus Harding) and Joan Greenwood,(Lady Mary Fairchild) were the stars and Gary Merrill,(Gideon Spilitt),"Clambake",'67 gave a great supporting role. Gary Merrill was the husband of Bette Davis in real life. This film held my interest and is truly a classic Jules Verne film from the early 1960's.
Surf n' Turf on Skull Island...what a magnificent gem!
BorgoPass8 January 2006
Schneer and Harryhausen team up to create a film that has all the allure and adventure of Kong's Skull Island. It's a war story, an adventure and a fantasy all in one.
Each scene is gripping and doesn't really slow down for me until the introduction of Capain Nemo. I wish the film had taken a different direction at that point, but I realize that it was a necessary part of the story to include him.
If only the contestants on "Survivor" had it so good! With the boiled crab, fresh oysters and BBQ chicken, who needs take-out? And the girl's outfit is just as skimpy; several years ahead of Raquel Welch in "One Million Years BC." This movie is everything that "The First Men in the Moon" is not. It has mood and atmosphere that is lacking in the fore-mentioned movie. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It succeeds on the strength of its story and is only enhanced by the wonderful Harryhausen creations, wisely spaced evenly throughout the movie.
I only offer one word of advice: climbing to the rim of an active volcano is never a good idea. But, what the heck, the climb was worth the goat's milk!
Each scene is gripping and doesn't really slow down for me until the introduction of Capain Nemo. I wish the film had taken a different direction at that point, but I realize that it was a necessary part of the story to include him.
If only the contestants on "Survivor" had it so good! With the boiled crab, fresh oysters and BBQ chicken, who needs take-out? And the girl's outfit is just as skimpy; several years ahead of Raquel Welch in "One Million Years BC." This movie is everything that "The First Men in the Moon" is not. It has mood and atmosphere that is lacking in the fore-mentioned movie. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It succeeds on the strength of its story and is only enhanced by the wonderful Harryhausen creations, wisely spaced evenly throughout the movie.
I only offer one word of advice: climbing to the rim of an active volcano is never a good idea. But, what the heck, the climb was worth the goat's milk!
A good show by Harryhausen
AlsExGal31 October 2017
Based on the 1874 Jules Verne novel, the film starts in a Confederate prison camp in 1865 Richmond. Four Union prisoners manage to escape via a Confederate weather balloon. They crash several days later on a seemingly deserted island and discover they have company - giant crabs. If only they had waited awhile longer Lee would have surrendered. I mean, the fact that Richmond was under siege by the Union had to be a good sign that they would soon be liberated. But I digress.
The acting isn't the main attraction, and the cast knows it. The script gives them stereotypes to play, and they don't overcome the script. Greenwood and Merrill are the two who fare best, Greenwood by satirizing her role as a Bored English lady, Merrill by getting laughs out of old jokes.
Harryhausen's special effects were the main box-office draw, and he comes through pretty well. The visuals vary from OK to spectacularly effective. The set painted backdrops are terribly obvious, especially when the island is first sighted. Wilkie Cooper did the mostly effective photography, and there is an excellent score by Bernard Herrmann.
This is not the best of Harryhausen, but it is far from his worst.
The acting isn't the main attraction, and the cast knows it. The script gives them stereotypes to play, and they don't overcome the script. Greenwood and Merrill are the two who fare best, Greenwood by satirizing her role as a Bored English lady, Merrill by getting laughs out of old jokes.
Harryhausen's special effects were the main box-office draw, and he comes through pretty well. The visuals vary from OK to spectacularly effective. The set painted backdrops are terribly obvious, especially when the island is first sighted. Wilkie Cooper did the mostly effective photography, and there is an excellent score by Bernard Herrmann.
This is not the best of Harryhausen, but it is far from his worst.
Mysterious Island: What happens when film creators go off on a tangent
Platypuschow28 January 2019
Mysterious Island is the sequel to Jules Vernes classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) starring Kirk Douglas.
Also following a Jules Verne novel (Kind of) it tells the story of a group of people who find themselves stranded on a "mysterious" island and must fight to survive.
Well that's the concept of the original book anyway, apparently the films creators thought that a tale of mere survival would be boring and decided to gratuitously amend it to fit their narrative and it simply doesn't work.
You see in believing that Jules Vernes work is "Boring" they took a tale of survival and turned it into Jason & the Argonauts. That's right we see giant monsters and oversized animals besieging them. Adapting a book is one thing, but that is just sheer lunacy and makes a mockery of the source material.
The end result is a special effects laden tale that lacks character, structure and truth be told a competent cast. Even industry veteran Herbert Lom as Captain Nemo hams it up to ridiculous levels.
There are plenty of adaptations of Vernes work, this is perhaps one to avoid.
The Good:
Has a novelty value
The Bad:
Really ugly in places
Recasting Captain Nemo
Not loyal to the source material
Also following a Jules Verne novel (Kind of) it tells the story of a group of people who find themselves stranded on a "mysterious" island and must fight to survive.
Well that's the concept of the original book anyway, apparently the films creators thought that a tale of mere survival would be boring and decided to gratuitously amend it to fit their narrative and it simply doesn't work.
You see in believing that Jules Vernes work is "Boring" they took a tale of survival and turned it into Jason & the Argonauts. That's right we see giant monsters and oversized animals besieging them. Adapting a book is one thing, but that is just sheer lunacy and makes a mockery of the source material.
The end result is a special effects laden tale that lacks character, structure and truth be told a competent cast. Even industry veteran Herbert Lom as Captain Nemo hams it up to ridiculous levels.
There are plenty of adaptations of Vernes work, this is perhaps one to avoid.
The Good:
Has a novelty value
The Bad:
Really ugly in places
Recasting Captain Nemo
Not loyal to the source material
Should have won an Oscar for Best Dress.
Chromium_514 December 2004
Forget the Harryhausen special effects. What really makes this movie great is the dress the main female character wears. It's incredible! We are introduced to the dress like this: our heroes (escaped POWs) are stranded on a desert island filled with gigantic animals. At some point, two women (aunt and niece if I recall) wash onto shore, after surving a ship accident. The aunt decides to make her niece a new dress, because her old one is all torn up. So she constructs a dress out of leather, and HOLY &@$%#!* what a dress! I don't fully understand why she would make a dress like that, being from the conservative 1860's Midwest and all, but it is the most erotic dress I have ever seen. It's so tiny and skintight, it looks like she can't bend over or it would explode into a million pieces. I spent the entire movie leaning forward in rapt attention, because it honestly looks like it is going to tear apart at any moment. Wow!
The rest of the movie is pretty good, too. The special effects are wonderfully fun. The only really annoying thing is the stupidity of the characters. Case in point: after encountering a giant crab and a giant chicken, a guy and the girl (still looking great in that dress!) wander into a cave, and see giant honeycomb. "Hmm, interesting," they say. Then they hear this buzzing sound, and wonder what it is. "What's that buzzing noise?? It's getting closer..." I don't believe it is humanly possible to be that stupid. It's GIANT BEES, you idiots! Get out of there! Oops, too late. Now a colossal bee is cornering you. Didn't see that one coming, huh?
Worth watching for the FX and the dress.
8/10 stars.
The rest of the movie is pretty good, too. The special effects are wonderfully fun. The only really annoying thing is the stupidity of the characters. Case in point: after encountering a giant crab and a giant chicken, a guy and the girl (still looking great in that dress!) wander into a cave, and see giant honeycomb. "Hmm, interesting," they say. Then they hear this buzzing sound, and wonder what it is. "What's that buzzing noise?? It's getting closer..." I don't believe it is humanly possible to be that stupid. It's GIANT BEES, you idiots! Get out of there! Oops, too late. Now a colossal bee is cornering you. Didn't see that one coming, huh?
Worth watching for the FX and the dress.
8/10 stars.
outstanding special effects
nlstock9 November 2002
Mysterious Island is a good family adventure movie with top notch special effects. Despite the quality of the effects,it did not receive an Oscar nomination for them which it should have.This often happened to movies made outside the US at the time(eg:Journey To The Centre Of The Earth,First Men In The Moon).
Small-cult fantasy via Jules Verne...
moonspinner5515 April 2006
OK science-fiction fare, a British-made adaptation of a Jules Verne story (actually his continuation of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea") has Herbert Lom playing the reclusive Captain Nemo. Here, Nemo takes refuge on an isolated island which is also inhabited by two shipwrecked women, a group of prison escapees, and a host of freakishly large creatures (the bees are the best). Film has serious aspirations under its popcorn-fun facade, yet the character ruminations are dreary and the performances by Lom, Michael Craig, Michael Callan and Joan Greenwood are occasionally wooden. Story previously filmed as a silent in 1929. ** from ****
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