Stars:
Michael Craig, Joan Greenwood, Michael Callan, Gary Merrill, Beth Rogan, and
Herbert Lom
Writers:
John Prebble, Daniel Ullman, and Crane Wilbur
Based
On The Novel By: Jules Verne
Director:
Cy Endfield
Feature
length: 100 minutes
Extras:
The Making Of Mysterious Island Featurette, The Harryhausen Chronicles
Documentary, This Is Dynamation Featurette, Photo Galleries, Theatrical Trailers
Languages:
English Monaural Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Amaray Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 28
Sound:
Monaural Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1961/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: Not Rated
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Ray
Harryhausen had wanted to bring a Jules Verne story to life with his signature
stop motion animation creatures, which he had perfected and dubbed “Dynamation.”
Walt Disney Studios had already released a theatrical adaptation of “2000
Leagues Under The Sea,” which featured James Mason as the character of
“Captain Nemo.” So with long time producing partner Charles H. Schneer they
adapted “Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island” as a sequel of sorts to “2000
Leagues Under The Sea” with Herbert Lom as “Captain Nemo.” The story takes
place approximately 8 years after the events in “2000 Leagues Under The
Sea.” During the American Civil War, a group of Union soldiers in a daring
escape from a Confederate prison camp, seize a balloon along with a Confederate
soldier who can help them pilot it and float off into a storm that blows them
clear out to the Pacific Ocean and ultimately to the shores of an uncharted
island filled with overgrown vegetation and animals. After exploring the island,
they eventually come upon two female castaways and a shelter with provisions
left by a person who was left to die by pirates some years before.
Adjusting
to life on the island as a team, they soon discover that their survival is more
than just chance. They have been being watched and secretly assisted by none
other than Captain Nemo, who despite reports of being lost somewhere off the
coast of Mexico, has successfully piloted the now wrecked Nautilus to
this island and has begun a new project. If he cannot stop war through fear than
he will cure the worlds hunger problems by creating giants of nature that he
hopes to bring back in a ship that he hopes to raise and as a result find
vindication in the knowledge that by feeding the world, perhaps famine and war
will be stopped as a result, but with a live volcano on the verge of imminent
eruption that can destroy the island and our castaways the question soon becomes
can they escape in time by helping Nemo complete his plan?
“Jules
Verne’s Mysterious Island” is the 9th DVD release in Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment’s “Ray Harryhausen Signature Collection,” which
includes “The Three Worlds Of Gulliver,” “The 7th Voyage Of
Sinbad,” “The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad,” “Sinbad & The Eye Of The
Tiger,” “Jason And The Argonauts,” “20 Million Miles To Earth,”
“H.G. Wells’ First Men In The Moon,” and “Earth Vs. The Flying
Saucers.” “Clash Of The Titans” was also released to DVD this year, but
through Warner Home Video. “Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island” features some
of Harryhausen’s greatest creations, such as the giant crab that was built
using the exoskeleton of a real store bought crab, the giant cephalopod, and the
humorous chicken like phororhacos. Some
of the effects work better than others, but there is plenty of wonder and
adventure including a journey past the lost underwater city of Atlantis or
Lumeria. Harryhausen purposefully left the exact identity to the imaginations of
the viewers.
Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment has created a new high definition print of “Jules
Verne’s Mysterious Island” and down converted it for DVD with an anamorphic
widescreen (1.85:1) aspect ratio. The picture quality is mixed with some parts
of the film looking vibrant while others revealing some imperfections and grain,
which is also partially marred by the use of stock footage for certain, cost
cutting effects. The English Two-Channel Monaural Soundtrack is clear and just
fine with Bernard Hermann’s score adding a classic quality to this feature,
which is actually among Harryhausen’s favorites. English Captions and Closed
Captions for the hearing impaired as well as French and Spanish Language
Subtitles are encoded on to the DVD as options.
Like other releases in the “Ray Harryhausen Signature Collection,” “Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island” includes “The Harryhausen Chronicles” documentary (57:54), which is narrated by Leonard Nimoy and features rare early footage from Harryhausen’s personal efforts while covering the career of this genre icon from being inspired by the effects he saw in the original “King Kong” to receiving an Award from the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences® with Tom Hanks serving as presenter. Brief interview clips from the likes of Denis Muren, George Lucas, and Ray Bradbury illustrate the tremendous impact Harryhausen has had upon filmmakers, writers, and effects artists alike among many others I’m sure. Even though we can do wonderful things with a computer, Harryhausen’s creations have benefited from a human quality and personality that I just do not feel translates the same even from top shelf effects companies like Industrial Light & Magic. Sadly there appears to have been no apprentices to learn directly from Harryhausen the art of “Dynamation” and I fear that when he passes on so will the magic he was able to create.
“This
Is Dynamation” (3:27) is a promotional featurette produced for “The Seventh
Voyage Of Sinbad.” There is also “The Making Of Mysterious Island” (9:05),
which covers much of what I have detailed above from a videotaped interview with
Ray Harryhausen as well as rare production photos and storyboards. Three short
galleries of sketches, production stills, and poster art are also included.
(1.33:1) trailers for “The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad” (2:51), Sinbad & The
Eye Of The Tiger” (2:19), and “Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island”(2:41)
wrap up the extra features on this DVD.
The
menus are standard interactive still frames that are easy to navigate. “Jules
Verne’s Mysterious Island” will debut on DVD-Video from Columbia TriStar
Home Entertainment on Tuesday, October 29, 2002.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.