Mysterious Island

UPC: 043396078949

Studio: Columbia TriStar

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Excellent For Children]

Summary: Filmed at least nine times over the last nine decades, Jules Verne's Mysterious Island received its most popular picturization in the hands of producer Charles Schneer, director Cy Endfield and special-effects maestro Ray Harryhausen. During the Civil War, several P.O.W.s led by Gary Merrill escape from a southern stockade in a huge observation balloon. Buffeted about by a violent storm, the balloon lands on an unchartered island somewhere near New Zealand. The fugitives soon discover that this is no ordinary desert isle, especially after being attacked by a giant-sized crab. Joined by a pair of shipwrecked British gentlewomen (Joan Greenwood and Beth Rogan), the castaways find evidence that the island has been previously inhabited-and that they're all being watched. Sure enough, it turns out that the island is the domain of Captain Nemo (Herbert Lom), skipper of the futuristic underwater vessel Nautilus. Having failed to end all wars by blasting battleships out of the sea, Nemo is now experimenting with new means of ending starvation in the world: hence the outsized crabs and birds that the castaways have confronted. Before Nemo can spread his goodwill elsewhere, he is destroyed by the island's volcano, while the others manage to escape in the Nautilus. As in 1957's 7th Voyage of Sinbad, the combination of Ray Harryhausen and musical composer Bernard Herrmann is unbeatable; otherwise, Mysterious Island tends to slow to a halt in-between its spectacular special-effects highlights. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Fantasy

Features: ccDigitally mastered audio & anamorphic video
Remastered in high definition
Photo gallery
The making of Mysterious Island
The harryhausen chronicles
"This is dynamation featurette
Widescreen presentation
English audio
English, French, and Spanish subtitles
Theatrical trailers
Interactive menus
Scene selections

Mysterious Island

Format: DVD

Release Date: 10/29/2002

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Runtime: 100 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Start [3:03]
2. Prison Escape [6:44]
3. Introductions & Terms [4:10]
4. Closing the Valve Permanently [3:15]
5. The Balloon Tears Open [3:11]
6. Survivors [6:02]
7. Strange & Beautiful Landscape [2:45]
8. A Giant Crab [2:42]
9. After-Dinner Entertainment [4:53]
10. Lady Mary & Elena [5:53]
11. The Cave [3:21]
12. An Ex-Pirate's Diary [4:11]
13. The Comforts of Civilization [2:16]
14. Remembering Nemo & The Nautilus [2:45]
15. The Phororhacos [3:15]
16. Wedding Plans [1:02]
17. The Honeycomb [2:04]
18. The Nautilus [4:56]
19. Cannon Attack & Sinking [6:01]
20. Captain Nemo [1:23]
21. Aboard the Nautilus [4:17]
22. The Incredible Electric Gun [3:19]
23. Remains of an Ancient City [5:34]
24. The Volcano Erupts [1:08]
25. Harding's Idea [1:12]
26. The Cephalopod [2:53]
27. Ship Afloat [4:33]
28. The Island Self-Destructs [2:22]

Craig Butler

The cinematic equivalent of a good old British "ripping yarn," Mysterious Island takes a great deal of liberties with the Jules Verne story upon which it is based. The result is not vintage Verne, but it's a fun-filled Saturday afternoon-type adventure film that young boys (of all ages) will enjoy. The plot doesn't make a lot of sense, but it's not really supposed to; all it needs to do is provide a few excuses for some neat-o Ray Harryhausen giant animals. While these are far less sophisticated than what one expects in current films, they are very good for the period and have a certain strange power to them. The sequence involving the giant bees is especially well done. Equally impressive is the lengthy balloon flight/storm sequence that opens the picture. In between the adventure sequences, the film bogs down; dialogue and character development are not among its strong points, nor is the explanation for why these giant creatures exist particularly credible. In general, the acting takes second place to the special effects, although Herbert Lom is quite amusing and Joan Greenwood has some very good moments. Bernard Herrmann's score is excellent, as always, and adds tremendously to the adventure segments. Mysterious Island is not a great film, but it's a great deal of fun. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Harry Monty  Actor 
Cy Raker Endfield  Director 
Bernard Herrmann  Composer (Music Score) 
Charles H. Schneer  Producer 
Dan Ullman  Screenwriter 
Crane Wilbur  Screenwriter 
John Prebble  Screenwriter 
Michael Craig  Actor 
Joan Greenwood  Actor 
Michael Callan  Actor 
Gary Merrill  Actor 
Herbert Lom  Actor 
Percy Herbert  Actor 
Beth Rogan  Actor 
Dan Jackson  Actor 
Nigel Green  Actor 

Country: UK,USA