I've always been a big fan of Jules Verne, but this was one of his lesser known classics, at least when it comes to books. On film, you can't be quite as imaginative, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I love the fact that the...well, I won't spoil it, but lets just say you'll be surprised when you learn who actually inhabits the island, and why the animals here have gotten to such massive sizes. The stop motion animation of Ray Harryhausen spices things up as well, and makes it all the more nostalgic. It's definitely a wonderful film, and one I wouldn't mind watching again.

One of the finest sci-fi films ever made, "Mysterious Island" combines an adventurous Jules Verne story with terrific visual effects. Several men escape from a Civil War battle in a balloon and drift away to a remote island, whereupon they encounter all kinds of adventures. Using miniatures, matte paintings, and stop-motion animation, the film's visuals alone make the film worth watching, especially on the island. Story themes include the romance of faraway places; the natural world as both benefactor of, and source of danger for, humans; and efforts to survive, a la Robinson Crusoe.I like the geographic scale of the visuals, where humans are dwarfed by large island features and by an expansive physical environment. Island wildlife that includes a giant crab, among others, look realistic, and make for entertaining story elements. Unlike modern films wherein CGI effects become the story, the visual effects in "Mysterious Island" enhance an already interesting and coherent story. The segment with the bird is funny. And then we get the humorous line of dialogue: "I wonder how many minutes it would take to cook in a slow oven".Sound effects are almost as impressive as the visuals. The ambient wildlife sounds seem realistic. And the narrative voice-over is spoken in an echo chamber, which amplifies the story's mystery. Bernard Herrmann's score is effective, if perhaps a bit overbearing in some scenes. At times the background music is soothing and calming; at other times it is appropriately ominous.Cinematography projects images that are a tad grainy, but do not interfere with viewing. There are lots of long shots, which is good for visual perspective. Ray Harryhausen's special effects blend well into the overall photography. Ensemble casting is excellent. Acting is acceptable, given that this is an outdoor adventure film not requiring a lot of acting skills.If the film has a weakness it might be the first ten minutes wherein the setting is a Civil War battle, somewhat arbitrary maybe, and a bit lengthy; also the lighting in this segment is a bit too dark."Mysterious Island" gives us a simple, easy-to-follow story packed with adventure and visual delights. It would almost certainly be in my top ten sci-fi films of all time.

I may have been only 8 years old when I first saw Mysterious Island and there were some scenes in the movie that gave me nightmares for years to come but more than 50 years later I maintain great memories of my first Ray Harryhausen film. This was also the very first film that I ever saw in the movie theaters and it turned me in to a movie junkie for the rest of my life. I did realize it was only a movie and through the passing of time, the nightmares vanished and some wonderful memories are what I have still retained. Movie makers like Ray Harryhausen are worth their weight in gold. By gold I mean Academy Award gold. With the sad passing of Ray Harryhausen in May 2013 at the age of 92, I sincerely hope the Academy honors him with a special tribute to his body of work and his vast contributions to the evolution of the special effects technique.Ray Harryhausen's creatures were the work of a true innovator. There is one scene in Mysterious Island where Michael Callan and Joan Greenwood are out exploring in the caves on the island and get caught when the giant bees return home to their honey comb hive. The bees try and devour the two explorers but they hide behind the honey combs until the bees fly out of the hive. One of the truly suspenseful scenes of all time.This is a great family film that provides full value for ones entertainment dollar. More than fifty years later I still watch this original adventure movie and I am still in awe of how well done this film was made. It contains superb special effects (without any of today's boring (CGI) computer graphic interface), adventure, heroism, action, romance, and based on a storyline from Jules Verne that was first published in 1874.Mysterious Island is a classic adventure film story that has been remade several times over the past five decades by many other production companies. Don't be fooled by the subsequent imitations, they may be good, but the 1961 Mysterious Island is "THE ORIGINAL" classic and I am hoping to see a clip of it in this years Academy Award ceremony as part of a special tribute to the late and great innovator of the special visual effects, the great Ray Harryhausen.A perfect 10 out of 10 rating!

Michael Craig (Captain Harding) organizes an escape from a Confederate prison during the US Civil War in the 1800s with fellow inmates Michael Callan (Herbert) and Dan Jackson (Neb). During some intense fighting and poor weather conditions they make it into a hot air balloon and cast off. They take with them Unionist Percy Herbert (Sergeant Pencroft) and journalist Gary Merrill (Spilitt). As they drift up into the sky, their adventures are about to begin.....The bulk of the story takes place on the mysterious island that the group land on which they need to exit before the volcano erupts. While they battle for survival, the group is joined by 2 castaways from a sunken ship - Joan Greenwood (Lady Fairchild) and Beth Rogan (Elena). Herbert Lom (Captain Nemo) is also lurking around on the island with what is left of his submarine "The Nautilus".The group have some interesting hurdles to overcome - treacherous weather, a giant crab, a giant chicken, some giant bees, pirates, a giant octopus and an erupting volcano - but more excitement could have been delivered from each of these situations. The best of the cast are Gary Merrill and Herbert Lom, and the film screams out for Gregory Peck and Tony Curtis in the roles taken by Michael Craig and Michael Callan respectively. Greenwood can be irritating - her voice is good (think Fenella Fielding) but her stage-like delivery is comical. Almost as comical as the giant chicken.A mention must be made about this giant chicken as the author (Jules Verne) has predicted the future of a great food source, namely Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Colonel Sanders must have seen this film and then started his business as today, as we all know, KFC chickens are bred in secret and grow to enormous heights, not to mention the abnormalities they are mutated into like having 7 wings, 12 legs and 3 heads as they are processed for human consumption. Tasty, though.Overall verdict - it's all rather pointless and certainly doesn't leave you with anything to think about once the film has finished. It's lightweight, forgettable fluff that's OK as being just that.