Three Union soldiers, Captain Harding (Michael Craig), and
privates Neb (Dan Jackson) and Herbert (Michael Callan), make a daring escape
from a Confederate prison in 1865 Richmond, Virginia. They plan to steal an
observation balloon and simply float away--yet when the time comes, there’s a
bad storm blowing through, on top of the constant barrage of Union artillery
fire that’s shelling the area, making this escape a pretty exciting one. Picking
up a civilian prisoner named Spilett (Gary Merrill), as well as a confederate
sergeant named Pencroft (Percy Herbert), the escapees ride the balloon through
the savage storm for several days, finding themselves over the Pacific ocean,
having been shoved clear of the U.S.
The balloon crashes, scattering the men on a deserted tropical island. They
have lost track of Captain Harding, until Neb spies a column of smoke in the
distance. It turns out to be Captain Harding, who’s lying unconscious next to
the fire--which he obviously didn’t build. Somebody had rescued him from the
water and lit the fire so the others could find him. But who? After
encountering--and fighting--a crab of humungous size, the boys discover a pair
of shipwrecked women on the shore: Lady Mary (Joan Greenwood) and her niece Elena
(Beth Rogan). But they also soon discover there’s somebody else on this
mysterious island: none other than Captain Nemo, the commander of the nefarious
submarine Nautilus.
Based on the novel by Jules Verne, Mysterious Island is basically a fun sequel
to Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. The enlarged animals that the castaways
run into all over the island--products of Nemo’s experimentation--are superbly
created and animated by Ray Harryhausen. And while Herbert Lom’s sturdy
performance as Nemo doesn’t make you forget James Manson’s definitive portrayal
in the Disney version of 20,000 Leagues, Lom is still very good. Special features include an interview
with Harryhausen about his work on Mysterious Island, as well as the Harryhausen
Chronicles, an hour-long documentary about the life and work of the effects
genius, as well as "This Is Dynamation", a studio-produced fluff piece about
Harryhausen’s work. There’s also a photo gallery. Mysterious Island makes for a
great double feature with 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, but is still very enjoyable
on its own. --SF
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