Review – Mysterious Island

Sort of a sequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, this movie tells the tale of a group of Civil War prison camp escapees and other assorted castaways who end up on an island populated by the erstwhile Captain Nemo and various and sundry giant animals. Unless you’re a big fan of weak scripts or wooden acting, the big draw here is the vintage Ray Harryhausen special effects; who else would you go to back in 1961 when in search of giant animals for a sci-fi movie? Of course, true to form, the monsters are all cute, and most if not all of them end up dead. Still, the delightful if dated effects and the brief appearance by Herbert “Chief Inspector Dreyfus” Lom are almost enough to make the whole mess worthwhile. Mildly amusing