I Watch Films: The Mysterious Island (1961)

 

The Mysterious Island (1961)

In the American Civil War some Union prisoners and a war correspondent escape in a balloon, along with a Confederate guard. Caught by a storm they are blown into the Pacific, landing on a mysterious volcanic island. They’re attacked by a giant crab which they defeat, then cook it in a hot geyser. Searching, they discover two shipwrecked English women.

A chest floats ashore with rifles, tools and a copy of Robinson Crusoe. The rifles are marked with the sign of the Nautilus, of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, which apparently was sunk off Mexico 8 years before. They set to trying to survive and build a boat, encountering various over-sized animals. Attacked by a giant flightless bird it’s killed by a bullet none of them fired. Later two of them discover a giant beehive and beyond it a cave with the Nautilus.

A pirate ship turns up and is sunk; Captain Nemo of the Nautilus makes an appearance. Unfortunately the volcano is going to blow up, destroying the island as well as his experiments (big animals in order to feed people*. The boat they’re building won’t be ready and the Nautilus is wrecked, it’s time for some underwater scenes to repair the ship.

Some pretty good stop motion effects, and an old-fashioned slow plot. They spend a lot of time building things and wondering about the mystery of the mysterious island. The youngest soldier romances the younger (niece) English woman; the elder sticks to blouses and skirts but the younger dresses in a tunic that leaves her legs bare. A little something for the dads. For that matter as time goes on the men lose their shirts, so a little something for the ladies. And giant monsters for the kids. It’s got something for everyone!

Watch This: Family-friendly undemanding adventure
Don’t Watch This: Unfocussed and barely touches on the war that kicks off the story, leading to Nemo’s attempts to end war less interesting
More Mystery: On another island

* I am unconvinced. At one point he says “sheep as big as cattle,” well why not just graze more cattle? Bigger animals need more feed, more land area to grow it. He needs better vegetable crops (though then, perhaps, they need more water and nutrients… better is situational, a drought-resistant strain is good for dry areas, a poor choice for wet). Anyway.