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Mysterious Island

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Mysterious Island

1961

1h 41m

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

17 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

After using a hot air balloon to escape from a Confederate prison camp, Capt. Harding (Michael Craig), Cpl. Neb Nugent (Dan Jackson) and Sgt. Pencroft (Percy Herbert) crash into the ocean and are later washed up on the beach of a strange island. The men soon run afoul of the local wildlife, which include giant crabs and prehistoric creatures. To make matters worse, the island's central volcano begins to erupt, threatening to take the whole island down with it.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

..while the stop motion is great, the different film stocks, poorly matched studio and location shots, sub-par glass paintings and film-stock deterioration all take a toll, the technical limitations may leave modern audiencest cool to its many charms..

Rated: 3/5

Jul 21, 2024

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Chris Hunneysett

Daily Mirror (UK)

{A} still very watchable film, one of the superior adaptations of Verne's book

Rated: 4/5

Aug 30, 2021

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Director Cy Endfield takes the reigns on this big budget spectacle which tends to suffer from a bout of sequel-itis as regards the bombastic fervor of gigantic, menacing creatures taking precedence over characterization or narrative energy.

Rated: 2.5/5

Oct 14, 2020

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Amusingly, human pirates provide grimmer antagonists than the colossal flora and fauna, though a detracting element of the film is an overabundance of players.

Rated: 6/10

Aug 27, 2020

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Nathanael Hood

The Retro Set

...a wonderful piece of sci-fi/fantasy with solid acting, a crackerjack script, and otherwise timeless Harryhausen wonder.

Rated: 7/10

Dec 28, 2018

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Matt Brunson

Creative Loafing

Allows Ray Harryhausen to showcase some superb stop-motion animation effects and the great Bernard Herrmann (Citizen Kane, Psycho, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad) to add another smashing score to his resume.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 9, 2016

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Mike M

I saw this film when I was about 10 years old and looking through 10 year-old eyes I thought it was simply amazing. The backdrop was a sheet over the swingset at the local recreation center. I have fond memories of that time. The film could’ve only been a couple of years old if that I don’t know how the recreation center got it to my surprise. I found it just now on YouTube of all places. And although some of the stop action is a little jerky and you can see the backdrops which make it a little cheesy. Given that it was done in 1961. It’s still an amazing film and I still enjoy it given that it’s a nostalgia trip that may be the reason for it too.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/12/25

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Dallas H

This movie is cheesy, corny, and still fun to watch. The movie is a patchwork of puzzle pieces, and I don't care.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/04/25

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Blacksheep 6

If you are expecting an old school science fiction story such as 20,000 Leagues or Journey to the Center of the Earth with good writing, acting, and a slower pace this is it. Love it

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/01/25

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James B

at age 12 this was a intriguing movie. special effects were spell binding. remember this wes 1964.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/07/24

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j F

The special effects were over the top. I just couldn't take the movie seriously, they were so baaaad!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/01/24

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Bill M

Love this movie. I liked as a kid. It's nostalgic to me. I like the old shows.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/10/24

Full Review

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Charles De Latour

Director

Michael Craig

Capt. Cyrus Harding

Joan Greenwood

Lady Mary Fairchild

Herbert Lom

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Michael Callan

Herbert Brown

Gary Merrill

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Synopsis

After using a hot air balloon to escape from a Confederate prison camp, Capt. Harding (Michael Craig), Cpl. Neb Nugent (Dan Jackson) and Sgt. Pencroft (Percy Herbert) crash into the ocean and are later washed up on the beach of a strange island. The men soon run afoul of the local wildlife, which include giant crabs and prehistoric creatures. To make matters worse, the island's central volcano begins to erupt, threatening to take the whole island down with it.

Director: Charles De Latour
Producer: Charles H. Schneer
Screenwriter: John Prebble, Daniel Bruce, Crane Wilbur
Production Co: Columbia
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Stereo

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