Mysterious Island

I just finished reading the book and since I have never seen the movie, thought I would by it.
I enjoyed it very much, although it was a little different story line then the book.
I am glad I purchased it for my collection. Delivery was very fast and DVD was in excellent condition.

However, what movie versions of literature usually are? Instead of criticizing the liberties taken, let's just look at the points of merit of the film: great special effects by way of the stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen, a stirring score by legendary Bernard Herrmann, superb scenery, a tale of survival, and lots of action.

Of course the acting is a little wooden but there are decent performances from Herbert Lom as "Captain Nemo", Joan Greenwood as "Lady Fairchild", and Gary Merrill (the former MR. Bette Davis) as "Mr. Spillet".

The real highlight for this viewer upon the film's release was the inclusion of a pivotal character portrayed by a black man, Dan Jackson as "Neb". The character is in the novel but he is younger and a bit too "subservient," reflecting the times of the book's publication. In 1961 it was notable to see a black man in a fantasy film, portraying an "equal" to his fellow castaways.

The DVD extras, including the documentary "The Harryhausen Chronicles", are adequate but the film holds its own as a wonderful excursion into the fanciful and makes for a fine family film.

The picture is clear and the colors are sharp and vibrant to say the least. My only complaint is that the sound isn't in 5.1 Dolby Digital, but it's still really good. Bernard Herrmann's score is excellent and in my opinion it brings the film to another level. Mysterious Island is based on the work of Jules Verne and considered to be the sequel to 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. While Jules Verne's novel didn't include any gigantic creatures this film took some liberties and allowed Ray Harryhausen to give us wonderful creatures such as giant oysters, bees, Phororhacos , undersea cephalopod and a giant crab.

What is a Prehistoric Phororhacos? A giant chicken like bird! you'll have to see it to believe it. Only the legendary special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen could come up with such an imaginative and colorful creature. Once again Harryhausen's incredible imagination and stop-motion dynamation process brings to life creatures we could never ourselves imagine. They used to show this movie every so often on Saturday afternoons, it was always a fun filled journey into escapism and a treat to watch.

Fill up the popcorn bowl, close the blinds and turn out the lights. Now sit back and take a journey to the "Mysterious Island". Fans of Ray Harryhausen won't be disappointed with this movie. Thanks to Columbia Pictures for putting "Mysterious Island" on DVD. Its solid entertainment and pure fun for the whole family!

DVD Features Include:
-Digitally mastered audio & anamorphic video
-Remastered in high definition
-Photo gallery
-The making of Mysterious Island
-The Harryhausen chronicles
-This is "Dynamation" featurette
-Widescreen presentation
-English audio
-English, French, and Spanish subtitles
-Theatrical trailers
-Interactive menus
-Scene selections