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.