Mysterious Island (1961)

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Ray Harryhausen has garnered the Honor, Distinction, and Respect of Fans Worldwide. So much so that His relatively small Filmography is known simply as "Harryhausen" Films. He rises above Stars, Genre, and Directors to make the Movies He works on His own.Pretty much without Peer, His time consuming, meticulous, and painful method of Stop-Motion Animation is so difficult that few Artists even attempted to duplicate His crafty Artistry and Success. He truly was, after the death of His Mentor Willis O'Brien (King Kong 1933), one of a kind.This is a marvelous adventure underscored by the great Bernard Herrmann, shot in luscious color on location, and Herbert Lom as Captain Nemo makes an impression alongside Harryhausen's outstanding Creatures, a Crab, Chicken, and Bumble Bee.The only weakness is the Opening Act, but once on the Island it is unforgettable escapism that charms and never lets up. A beautiful Film for all ages thanks to Jules Verne and Ray Harryhausen and a good Production.

"Mysterious Island" (1961) based on the classic Jules Verne book, is outstanding for a number of reasons: A truly awe-inspiring score by Bernard Herrmann, one of cinema's best ever.Likable cast & characters, including Michael Craig as Captain Harding and Herbert Lom as the eccentric genius Captain Nemo. Good acting & script.Fantastic stop-motion creature F/X by Ray Harryhausen, which hold up pretty well.Compelling adventure/survival story (unlike, say, the comparatively boring "Jason and the Argonauts").A mysterious ambiance.Some interesting musings on humanity's penchant for war & violence and possible solutions, etc.Fabulous Spanish coastal locations; with interesting fake mountain & volcano backdrops (which, I admit, get old after awhile).If you're a red-blooded male you'll find it hard to take your eyes off cutie Beth Rogan (Elena) and her skimpy island outfit. She blows Raquel Welch and her infamous cavegirl outfit in "One Million Years BC" out of the water.Lastly, the seven castaways include African-American Dan Jackson as Corporal Neb Nugent, a likable character just as important as any of the others. This is no big deal today, of course, but keep in mind the film was made in 1961 BEFORE the Civil Rights Movement and five full years before Star Trek featured Uhura as an important cast member in 1966.CONCLUSION: Although "Mysterious Island" is from 1961 it's so well made that its age is irrelevant. It's a must for all fantasy/adventure/survival fans.The film runs 101 minutes.GRADE: A-

I may have been only 8 years old when I first saw Mysterious Island and there were some scenes in the movie that gave me nightmares for years to come but more than 50 years later I maintain great memories of my first Ray Harryhausen film. This was also the very first film that I ever saw in the movie theaters and it turned me in to a movie junkie for the rest of my life. I did realize it was only a movie and through the passing of time, the nightmares vanished and some wonderful memories are what I have still retained. Movie makers like Ray Harryhausen are worth their weight in gold. By gold I mean Academy Award gold. With the sad passing of Ray Harryhausen in May 2013 at the age of 92, I sincerely hope the Academy honors him with a special tribute to his body of work and his vast contributions to the evolution of the special effects technique.Ray Harryhausen's creatures were the work of a true innovator. There is one scene in Mysterious Island where Michael Callan and Joan Greenwood are out exploring in the caves on the island and get caught when the giant bees return home to their honey comb hive. The bees try and devour the two explorers but they hide behind the honey combs until the bees fly out of the hive. One of the truly suspenseful scenes of all time.This is a great family film that provides full value for ones entertainment dollar. More than fifty years later I still watch this original adventure movie and I am still in awe of how well done this film was made. It contains superb special effects (without any of today's boring (CGI) computer graphic interface), adventure, heroism, action, romance, and based on a storyline from Jules Verne that was first published in 1874.Mysterious Island is a classic adventure film story that has been remade several times over the past five decades by many other production companies. Don't be fooled by the subsequent imitations, they may be good, but the 1961 Mysterious Island is "THE ORIGINAL" classic and I am hoping to see a clip of it in this years Academy Award ceremony as part of a special tribute to the late and great innovator of the special visual effects, the great Ray Harryhausen.A perfect 10 out of 10 rating!

Fascinating adventures and glimmer scenarios along with colossal animals (such as an over-size crab, a giant hen and huge bees) , about a band of Union soldiers who flee a Conferate prison . This classic adaptation from Jules Verne novel starts on American Civil War , after the battle of Richmond . Union POWs , an official named Cyrus(James Craig who leads the gang) , Pencroff (Percy Herbert), a journalist (Gary Merrill) ,an African-American soldier and other prisoners escape from jail in an observation balloon and terminate stranded on a lonely South Pacific island . They must use their talents to survive dangers , facing off pirates and devise a way to return home . At the uncharted island find gigantic bugs such as a large chicken , giants crabs , monstrous bees and other enormous animals , among them . The team will have to utilize their ingenious to survive the risks and heinous attacks , making a barge to flee . They also find two shipwrecked women ( Joan Greenwood and a sexpot Beth Rogan ) who unite to the motley group . Off course , also encounter a lone captain Nemo and his riveting submarine of the future called Nautilus . Furthermore, an unstable volcano on the edge of eruption.This follow-up to ¨20.000 leagues under the sea¨ is an exciting fantasy-adventure full of special effects created by means of stop-motion technique by the magician Ray Harryhausen . The runtime is adequate with several incidents and sub-plots , taking too much liberties from original novel . The cast is great but wasted, as weak performance by Herbert Lom with brief performance at the ending and notorious British actors as James Craig , Gary Merrill , Percy Herbert and Joan Greenwood as the washed up woman . Colorful cinematography by Wilkie Cooper with excessive matte-painting , being filmed on location in Benidorm, Alicante,Costa Brava, Paltja d'Aro, Girona, Cataluña, Spain and Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, (studio). Rousing and thrilling musical score by Bernard Herrmann , Hitchcock's usual . The motion picture is well directed by Cy Endfield and stands out the creatures designed by the master Ray Harryhausen, it's the best adaptation of the known novel .Other versions based on this classic story are the following : 1) Silent rendition made in 1929 ; 2) European take on by Juan Antonio Bardem(1973) with Omar Shariff as captain Nemo , Rick Battaglia , and Gerard Tichy 3) 2005 TV version with Kyle Maclachlan , Gabrilelle Anwar, Omar Gooding , Vinnie Jones, Roy Marsden and Patrick Stewart as Nemo and directed by Russell Mulcahy.