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The Island at the Top of the World

Play trailer Poster for The Island at the Top of the World G Released Dec 20, 1974 1h 35m Kids & Family Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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50% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
An American archaeologist, lecturing in Norway at the beginning of the 20th century, embarks on a strange mission to find the young son of a wealthy Englishman who has mysteriously disappeared in the Arctic Circle. With the help of a French aeronaut and an Eskimo guide, he discovers a verdant valley, populated for over 1,000 years by time-forgotten Vikings.
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The Island at the Top of the World

Critics Reviews

View All (10) Critics Reviews
Jay Cocks TIME Magazine The Arctic looks like a melted dessert, the Viking village like a low-rent neighborhood in Disneyland, and the Vikings themselves like Hell's Angels on Halloween. Apr 24, 2011 Full Review Variety All deliver realistic performances. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Geoff Andrew Time Out Unimaginative plot, interminable dialogue in 'Old Norse', some pointless love interest, and a particularly repulsive poodle. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review John Brosnan Starburst It's a fast, relatively painless hour and a half which won't bore you even though you may wish that the script could have been a little meatier. Jul 29, 2022 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com '...once you've recovered from the lack of monsters, it's a rollicking old-school adventure...' Rated: 3/5 Nov 28, 2021 Full Review Grant Watson Fiction Machine The Island at the Top of The World is simply too ordinary, too familiar, and most importantly too late. Rated: 4/10 Aug 2, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (61) audience reviews
Dale R A man assembles a crew of an airship to search for his son in the Arctic. This movie lacks any real depth or character development that would make a good movie. Typical of Disney, there are several nature and scenic shots that are incorporated into the movie and I think that is the only redeemable quality. The focus seems to be action sequences instead of learning anything about the characters that we are following. At the end of the film, I did not care about the lead characters or their well being. Skip this film. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 07/07/24 Full Review Steve D It became clear real fast why I didn't know this cast. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/07/23 Full Review Edoardo T È una bellissima avventura alla vecchia maniera, tempi forse un po' lunghi ma per gli appassionati di storie d'avventura retrò alla Jules Verne credo sia proprio l'ideale: avvincente e colorato ( quando si arriva al momento clou soprattutto) ! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/29/23 Full Review Liam D An enjoyable and standard Disney Adventure Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/22 Full Review Audience Member Saw this film when I was 10 and loved it. Still do! Great family entertainment! Nothing sophisticated but a lot of fun! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review r 9 A very good film! I felt thoroughly entertained for the entirety of the 93 minute run time of 'The Island at the Top of the World'. The special effects may have aged in quite funky and mildly chucklesome fashion, but the great adventure elements, pinpoint pacing and terrific cast help the film keep a high footing. Donald Sinden (Ross), David Hartman (Ivarsson) and Jacques Marin (Brieux) are all fantastic in their respective roles, none of them necessarily stand out by themselves but they really do bounce off each other impressively - kudos to the casting. I would've liked a tad more development into Sinden's character and his concurrent decisions, especially with what occurs with Mako (Oomiak). The music is done ably by Maurice Jarre, it adds a strong amount to the onscreen affairs. The premise is enjoyable, thanks to the fact that it keeps moving forward to avoid each location or event becoming repetitive. The final act isn't as great as what proceeds it, though it's still a positive climax. A sequel would've been cool to see, shame it was canned due to a poor box office. In similar terms, I think a current day remake would be excellent - better effects would do this story wonders. A top adventure, give it a watch! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Island at the Top of the World

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The Island at the Top of the World

The Island at the Top of the World (1974) The Island at the Top of the World (1974) The Island at the Top of the World (1974) The Island at the Top of the World (1974) The Island at the Top of the World (1974) The Island at the Top of the World (1974) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis An American archaeologist, lecturing in Norway at the beginning of the 20th century, embarks on a strange mission to find the young son of a wealthy Englishman who has mysteriously disappeared in the Arctic Circle. With the help of a French aeronaut and an Eskimo guide, he discovers a verdant valley, populated for over 1,000 years by time-forgotten Vikings.
Director
Robert Stevenson
Producer
Winston Hibler
Screenwriter
John Whedon
Distributor
Buena Vista Distribution Co. Inc.
Production Co
Walt Disney Productions
Rating
G
Genre
Kids & Family, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 20, 1974, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2014
Runtime
1h 35m
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