Plot: What’s it about?
As the Civil War burns forward, a band of Union soldiers have been placed within a Confederate prison camp, leaving them unable to continue the fight. But when the chance to escape opens, not a second is wasted and a bold plan begins to unfold. As Captain Cyrus Harding (Michael Craig) marches ahead with the almost insane escape plan, he is followed by three fellow Union men and while the odds are stacked against them, there is a sliver of a chance. As it happens, the soldiers manage to escape from the camp in grand fashion, thanks to a Confederate balloon they were able to overtake. While the four men are pleased to have left the prison camp behind them, a savage storm has taken control of their vessel, which means they’re at the mercy of the elements, as far as their final destination. The balloon winds up on a strange island in the Pacific, leaving the men shipwrecked in an unknown location. The soldiers soon bump into two women, who are also stranded on the island, but it isn’t until they encounter Captain Nemo (Herbert Lom) that they realize just how unusual this island is…
This adaptation of Jules Verne’s novel might not be too faithful to the source, but it does offer a grand adventure indeed. As you’d expect, the storyline here is more than solid, but as per usual, Ray Harryhausen’s special effects steal the show. I will say that director Cy Endfield (de Sade, Zulu) does a fine turn in keeping the focus on the story, but with such wonderful creations, Harryhausen’s magic simply outshines the film’s other elements. I think the sequence inside the bees’ honeycomb is the high point for the special effects, but all look good and are fun to watch. I know a massive chicken might sound a little silly and it is at times, but even that concept is well executed and remains effective. The monster scenes are well placed also, so the pace is brisk enough and never allows the movie to become dull, which is always important. You’ll probably like the special effects scenes more than the others, but even when the exposition is brought in, it is well done and enjoyable also, so no worries there. If you’re a fan of fantasy films or just love Harryhausen’s work, then Mysterious Island is more than worth a look.
Video: How does it look?
Mysterious Island is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As we’ve seen with previous releases, Harryhausen’s effects sometimes seem cramped in 1.85:1, but I think this is a more than solid visual effort. Of course, I wish some restoration work could have been done, but given the nature of the material, I wasn’t too let down here. Yes, the grain becomes thick at times and some of the special effects sequences look worn, but I’ve seen several other editions and none looked this stable. The colors and contrast remain acceptable, but not too impressive, but on the whole, I think fans can live with this presentation. Yes, I do wish it was better, but under the circumstances, I have to cut Columbia some slack on this one.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is stable and acceptable, but is a little worn at times, thanks to the years that have passed since it was produced. Even so, the flaws present never amount to much and if you’re used to viewing older pictures, than you’ll know what to expect and by turn, find the included track to be quite good. A few scenes do contain some hiss and distortion, but as I mentioned, nothing too serious and on the whole, the track remains better than expected. No problems with dialogue either, as vocals are clean and easy to understand throughout. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, some still photos, and the film’s theatrical trailer. You can also view the excellent hour long documentary The Harryhausen Chronicles and enjoyable This is Dynamation featurette, though these have been on most of Columbia’s Harryhausen releases, so there’s not a lot of new material included here.
