An alleged grand adventure based on Jules Verne's novel, a sequel to his own justly famous "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "Mysterious Island" the movie may justify one reading the book than suffering through a slipshod narrative that feels slightly schizophrenic.
An unmemorable group of imprisoned Union officers during the Civil War break out of a Virginia jail and take off on a balloon that is worthy of Jules Verne. The nighttime escape is shot day for night and so you may be hard-pressed in distinguishing who is who. Michael Craig is the bearded Captain followed by two more Union soldiers (Michael Callan, Doug Jackson); an ecstatic Northern newspaperman named Gideon Spillett (Gary Merrill) who uses flowery language, and a Rebel Sgt. Pencroft (Percy Herbert) with a very Southern twang. The balloon barely makes it through a horrific storm near a Pacific island. It is some unnamed tropical island frequented by pirates that also holds a few prehistoric creatures such as a giant bird, a huge bee with an even larger honeycomb and a giant crab. When the bird and crab are killed, it is feeding time for the castaways. When a shipwreck is seen in the ocean, two English women land on the beach. Yes, you can bet one of the Union soldiers, the young handsome one, falls in love so quickly that marriage plans are already discussed (plus the need for a minister). Although most of this occurs in the book, the movie feels like it is trying to be too many things at once.
"Mysterious Island" picks up steam with the introduction of Herbert Lom as the spirited Captain Nemo whose Nautilus submarine is no longer in operation. This movie's sense of adventure and peril is so muted though that even when a volcano starts to erupt, it barely holds much excitement (especially with the use of stock footage). The Ray Harryhausen stop-motion effects are quite good yet I'll say "Jason and the Argonauts" was far more impressive. Good movie to watch on a Sunday afternoon if you need a sleep aid.
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