Mysterious Island
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Movie Reviews of Mysterious Island
Movie Review: Why do so many people give this film such bad reviews?
Summary: 5 Stars
This was not that bad of a movie at all. Sure you do not see much of Captain Nemo (Played by Patrick Stewart), but the effects were great (for a television movie), and the plot was excellent.
I am not sure why so many people gave this movie bad reviews that it did not deserve. It may not have close captioning or any bonus features but the movie itself is great, and definitely worth the low price. Of course I have not seen that many echo Bridge produced DVDs that were not good (Unlike many of the Mill creek products.) And to those who complain about the special effects of these type of movies, why are you complaining? I have seen special effects shots in Buffy The Vampire Slayer that was much worser than anything that these films contain. In the end I would take a chance on any of the films sold by echo Bridge (That is unless they raise the price to $10.00 or more.) Sure they are cheaply made, but in the end many are actually good movies.
Movie Review: Decent TV remake of the 1961 version with Patrick Stewart as Capt. Nemo
Summary: 4 Stars
Being a big fan of the original 1961 version of "Mysterious Island," I HAD to see this 2005 TV remake. Despite the somewhat lackluster reviews, a few things perked my interest, like Patrick Stewart (aka Star Trek's Captain Picard) as Captain Nemo, Gabrielle Anwar and the long runtime of 170 minutes, just ten minutes shy of 3 hours (!). What compelled me to seek out this DVD more than anything is the simple fact that I'm a sucker for lost-in-the-wilderness type adventures.
THE PLOT: A handful of people, including a nurse and her daughter, escape in a balloon from a Confederate prison in Virginia. Storm winds ludicrously take them West into the South Pacific where they land on an uncharted island. There they discover numerous huge animals and two men living as recluses, the master being the mad genius Captain Nemo, who hates war so much he's trying to invent the atomic bomb in order to stop it altogether. Add to this mix a ship of pirates seeking a chest of treasure hidden somewhere on the island.
Despite the film's full title "Jules Verne's Mysterious Island," the story is based on the 1961 movie rather than Jules Verne's book. All the elements of the 1961 version are here with a few notable changes: The story is switched around so that Captain Nemo is revealed right away rather than near the end and the castaways don't search the island and make their home in the cliff until the second half of the story. Also, there are way more gigantic creatures -- a mantis, rat, scorpian, ant, eagle, spiders, octopuss, etc.
WHAT WORKS: The Thailand locations are incredibly scenic; the cast is decent -- characters you don't like at the beginning you'll probably start liking by the end; the score is excellent throughout; the story maintains a vibe of realism despite the absurdities (for instance, it's never goofy or campy like, say, "Pirates of the Caribbean"); the CGI special effects for the various creatures are pretty good; the pirates look & act like real pirates (the captain is particularly impressive) with a good mix of races and an accurate Eastern-styled ship; and the second half of the story is much more captivating than the first half (so if you're bored with the first half, stick around -- it gets better).
During the first half of the story you'll note a growing attraction between the castaway leader (Kyle MacLachlan) and Gabrielle Anwar's character. In the second half, this culminates in a seriously passionate kiss. I'm usually not into kissing scenes, but this is one smoking hot kiss!! If you think the greatest cinematic kiss is in "Jerry McGuire" or "The Whole Wide World" (which indeed have famous kiss scenes), check this out.
After hearing the criticism leveled at the black castaway Neb (Omar Gooding), I was prepared for the worst. Upon seeing the film, however, I don't get the beef. Not one bit. Neb, as portrayed, is far from an "1860's gansta rapper with an attitude." When they first land on the island he shows a bit of angst toward the unlikable character Pencroff in response to the criticism, "You're just a slave anyway." Neb rightly responds that they're far from the Confederacy and slavery doesn't exist on deserted islands. Isn't it realistic that Neb would revel in a new-found sense of freedom now that he's far from the social constrictions of the Confederacy and America in general? Besides, his "attitude" is short-lived. He's actually a likable character as the rest of the film bears out. Interestingly, even though Pencroff is an irritating weasel throughout most of the story he redeems himself near the end and even reveals his love and respect for Neb (and vice versa). I wasn't expecting this.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Captain Nemo isn't remotely likable here -- he's basically just a grumpy recluse who happens to be brilliant; there are probably TOO MANY monsters -- sometimes less is more; the explanation for the numerous large creatures is lame (why didn't they just chalk it up to Nemo's experiments like the original film?); I found it hard to believe that the handful of male castaways could prevail against an entire ship of pirates during the onboard battle in the second half (but this is larger-than-life fantasy, right? And the fight is thrilling); and the CGI effects at the very end depicting lava and an erupting volcano aren't very impressive (although they get the job done).
One of the highlights of the original film was cutie Beth Rogan and her skimpy cavegirl outfit. Unfortunately neither female cast member in this remake dons such an outfit. I suppose it's more realistic, of course. Anyway, Danielle Calvert certainly possesses a undeniable cuteness as Helen, but Beth Rogan blows her out of the water.
FINAL ANALYSIS: The critics are a bit too hard on this 2005 remake. It's a respectable TV updating of the story. If you love awe-inspiring island locations, a great score, island adventure, gigantic creatures, convincing pirates, lost treasure, Captain Nemo and insightful moralizing about the evils of war, you'll want to catch this remake. The original 1961 version is a nigh-masterpiece and I admit that I can't say that about this version. It's somewhat flawed and doesn't have the mystery-build-up of the original, but it has numerous positive aspects the first one lacks, and it'll likely grow on me in years to come.
This is a must if you appreciate adventure/fantasy films like the original 1961 version, Sinbad, Conan, Jurassic Park and Pirates of the Caribbean (not that I'm a big fan of the latter two franchises, but this newer version of "Mysterious Isand" is strongly reminiscent of those films in certain areas).
Movie Review: Big bugs!!! Pirate thugs!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Well, look, it's a very silly movie. If that isn't what you want, then make another choice. But if you yearn for some light adventure fare, then pop the popcorn and pull up a chair!
Parents have little to fear. The monsters might be scary to very young children, but the violence here is 50's-style. One of the big mysteries of Mysterious Island is how a man can be shot or devoured by an insect the size of a house without shedding a drop of blood.
The computer graphics special effects are pretty fake-looking, but so was the Harryhausen stop-motion animation used in the 1961 version Mysterious Island (Widescreen), and people still love watching that. The bogus CGI does make the film less frightening, so that's more good news for parents.
It's not exactly an educational film. One feels compelled to point out that pirate ships don't come equipped with back doors, and that spiders, even giant ones, aren't filled with pistachio pudding. But all that isn't enough to spoil an afternoon of good clean fun.
Scan the bargain bins of your local discount store. You might be able to find this film packaged with a copy of Journey to the Center of the Earth (Journey to the Center of the Earth with Bonus DVD: Mysterious Island). I got both together for five bucks! That's $2.50 for Mysterious Island, which is actually a two-part mini-series. So if you're like me you'll jump at the chance to get a cheap cheesy monster movie! Such a bargain!
Movie Review: Mysterious Island......
Summary: 4 Stars
Directed by Russell Mulcahy, the movie stars: Kyle Maclachlan, Patrick Stewart, Gabrielle Anwar, Danielle Calvert, Omar Gooding, Jason Durr, Vinnie Jones and Tom Mison. Filmed in Thailand, the film itself is based loosely on the novel of the same name by Jules Verne. It tells the story of escapees from a civil war camp that hijack a balloon and set sail to the skies only to have their balloon fly to a 'mysterious island' in the Pacific. There, they try to find refuge but end up facing all manner of giant animals and insects. Deep in the island lives Captain Nemo who is a recluse that is working on a bomb that could destroy an entire city. He offers aid to them all providing they help him with his cause. Sadly, they refuse and are sent out into the island. Yet, once they arrive, other dangers await them as there are pirates there in search of treasure. Nemo dislikes the pirates being there but refuses to help the escapees. In the finale, though, he ends up helping them and things work out but there is one last danger. Without giving that away, all I can say is watch this movie. For it to be what is, it is a decent movie. I liked it myself. Honestly, I watched it for Patrick Stewart's performance alone and, lol, the fact that it came in a bargain bin two-movie pack.
It is a fun movie to watch and entertaining throughout, most definitely. I really wish Hallmark Entertainment would make more movies like these.
Movie Review: LOTS OF BIG BUGS
Summary: 4 Stars
The original film of this Jules Verne classic featured the wondrous stop motion animation of Ray Harryhausen and the brilliant music of Bernard Hermmann. While this made for TV miniseries doesn't match the genius of the original, it's still an entertaining, if a little overblown, adaptation. The creatures for the most part are above average, with the exception of a few shots of the giant rat and ant. But the others are pretty effective. The story's pretty much the same, with some modifications of course. Kyle MacLachlan stars as the stalwart Union captain who arranges an escape from Rebel prison via a hot air balloon. He takes along the lovely nurse and her daughter (Gabrielle Anwar and Rosanne Calvet), his loyal slave (Omar Gooding, Cuba's son), a fellow prisoner (Jason Burr) and a confederate pirate, who meets an early doom. This island is the home for a notorious anti-war protester, the brilliant Captain Nemo. Nemo is played with usual flair and relish by Patrick Stewart, looking like an Indian swami in his various turbans. Added treachery comes in Vinnie Jones, the bloodthirty pirate who wants the Isabella's gold which is hidden on the island, and protected by some very big spiders. It's popcorn entertainment and should please fans of this type of film.