The Island at the Top of the World is directed by Robert Stevenson and adapted to screenplay by John Whedon from the novel The Lost Ones written by Ian Cameron. It stars Donald Sinden, David Hartman, Jacques Marin, Mako and Agneta Eckemyr. Music is by Maurice Jarre and cinematography by Frank Phillips.Out of Walt Disney productions, this is a pic that finds the house of the mouse desperately trying to keep their live action fantasy flame ablaze. Unfortunately, in spite of some appealing production shunts, it's really rather dull and performed in the same manner.Plot has Sinden as an aristo type who has arranged an expedition to search the Arctic wastes for his lost son, Donald, who disappeared two years previously. Gathering up archaeologist Hartman and a dirigible piloted by Marin, they set off to the fabled place at the top of the world, a place where whales are said to go and die in peace. Will they make it? If so what will they find there?There's an old fashioned feel to proceedings, of adventure movies from decades before, but with that also comes the familiarity of knowing what will happen in the story. The characters are one dimensional stereotypes, completed by a comedy canine. The effects veer from poor to even poorer, though not lacking in imagination and always colourful via Phillips' lens filters.Ultimately it's one for kiddies and nostalgists, a noticed served of a mighty studio cutting corners and running out of ideas for the format to hand, thus the film suffers greatly for it. 5/10

I cannot recall ever seeing this Disney movie in my youth but I caught up with it recently on DVD. Its certainly great to look at with some splendid effects and at times it is really quite exciting. Some effects such as the volcano look a little contrived by todays standards but there are moments that are simply splendid. Highlight is the opening moments in the air ship as well as the splendid scenery. THe look of the Viking Village is splendid. The acting of the leads is pretty awful. Donald Sinden is quite irritating. You feel like pushing the old fool out of the air ship. The character is annoying and he plays it as though he is auditioning for My Fair Lady. As for David Hartman as the Professor it is like watching a block of wood. It is so wooden that he delivers his lines as though he is reading the news. He gives a flat lifeless performance, its really dreadful. David Gwilliam as the lost son sounds like a first term drama student. He delivers lines as though he is taking elocution lessons. Mako normally is superb but in this its little more than a carricature. Its quite incongruous actually. In the first half of the film Mako plays the eskimo as a native who speaks no English but a few reels later he speaks English and there is no explanation as to why. Fortunately Mako went on to other things and was always a dignified presence on the screen. This was not his best performance. I think its due to poor direction and story structure. Best performance comes from Jacques Marin as the Captain who steals the acting honours from everyone. Of course being Disney there is an incredibly cute dog. That little poodle acts better than poor David Hartman. Still its a fun film. If you forgive the acting and enjoy the look of the movie its pleasant viewing.

Island At The Top of The World OK I have no nostalgia, memory or knowledge of this mid 70s Disney flick-This is an attempt to make a Jules Verne type adventure film- that fails- the special effects are lacking- most of the scenery in the movie is obviously matte paintings and stock footage- think Land of The Lost effects on a Disney movie-and then add in Good Morning America host David Hartman as an explorer , a crazy French airship captain with a poodle named Josephine( the wacky camera cuts to the dog elicited no laughter here),a shanghaied Eskimo and an eccentric inventor trying to find his lost son.The plot is very typical for an adventure epic-add a predictable plot with a subpar cast and lame effects and you have a pretty disappointing use of time.

My dad took me to see this one in the theater back in 1974 when I was 7 years old. It blew me away and helped fuel a lifelong love for adventure/fantasy. Hey, who doesn't like a cool adventure? The story is set in the early 1900's and concerns a rich Englishman who leads a rescue party deep into the Arctic in search of his missing explorer son. They track him to a mysterious lost colony of Vikings that has been cut off from the outside world for centuries. The plot is a fairly typical "Lost World" format: 1/3rd of the movie is spent searching for the lost world, 1/3rd is spent exploring the lost world, 1/3rd is spent being chased around/from the lost world. It's all fairly exciting, but not deep enough to impress an adult viewer. (However, with some deft tweaking this could be GREAT remake material for Disney.) I bought the DVD recently to take a trip down memory lane and I wasn't disappointed. It held up well to my memory. Yes, the effects are dated and some of them are downright terrible, but others are surprisingly good, and overall the film has a wonderful pre-CGI charm. You'll also get vibrant outdoor shots and some of the best matte work you'll find in ANY movie. It's not a bad choice for adventure/fantasy fans looking for family-friendly fare. Probably your only chance to see this film anymore is on DVD. Be sure to get the 30th anniversary edition as it has the extras.