Although based on a novel courtesy of "Tarzan" creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, there are plenty of echoes of Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues under the Sea" in this fantasy/adventure story. And since yours truly is a giant admirer of Verne's masterful oeuvre, as well as of imaginative and grotesque kitsch-tales, I tremendously enjoyed this typically 70s pastiche produced by the Amicus Studios (on quite a large budget for a change). The eventful and non-stop flamboyant screenplay is divided into two main chapters. At first, there's the slightly more realistic battle between the crew of a German U-boat and the handful of surviving British Navy soldiers they shipwrecked. There's also a neutral adventurer on board, Bowen Tyler, and he seems to more about submarines and attacking strategies than all the other military men combined. Eventually, the U-boat drifts off so far south that they end up between icebergs and unmapped territory without fuel or supplies. When they navigate into a narrow cave, they come out the other side in a subtropical world inhabited by all known species of dinosaurs that have been extinct for millions of years. The Germans and the Brits agree to a truce now, as they'll have to fight for survival together. There clearly aren't any scientists on board of this journey, because they torpedo various kinds of dinosaurs without too much remorse, and things even get more complicated when they discover there are savage tribes living on the island in various phases of evolution. There are a lot of appropriate terms to describe "The Land that Time Forgot", like silly or far-fetched or implausible, but boring certainly isn't one of them. The script is chock-full of twists and sub-plots, but it's always compelling. There are a handful of moments that deliver good suspense and there's also a surprisingly large amount of bloody carnage, including people getting devoured by giant creatures or killed off by the tribes' primitive weapons. The special effects and especially the creatures are professionally crafted, a lot better than during the previous wave of dinosaurs movies that included for instance "The Valley of Gwangi" and "When Dinosaurs ruled the Earth". The climax is terrific and far more nihilistic and harsh than I expected it to be. Good acting performances are an asset as well. Even though Doug McClure is the only reasonably famous name in the cast, there are several other adequate actors involved, notably John McEnery as the unreliable German sea captain and Anthony Ainley as the vicious Major Dietz.

As you know, I love dinosaurs. I love the trope of creatures from lost worlds and mankind running into their lands. I saw a clip of it on a commercial when I was watching the live-action 70's SPIDERMAN show that starred Nicholas Hammond. The dinosaurs looked believable. A few years later, when I saw it, I was stricken with awe and wonder by the special effects. The dinosaurs looked real, but what I knew that they were puppets. What I didn't know that how the puppets worked. They looked realistic, but they moved in a stiff manner. If this can only be updated then there would be fluid movements. Originally they wanted to use Jim Danforth and his stop-motion skills, but they said it was too expensive and time-consuming. Special effects aside, they story is great and has that Edgar Rice Burroughs adventure-like feel to it. It is incredible and I will never forget the caveman Bo-lu! I keep quoting him until this day. When this movie came out, The New York Times recommended this movie in case JAWS was too scary. If you enjoy DUCKTALES (I know, a reboot is coming out in 2017), then you will enjoy this movie. Bottom line: A must for the dinosaur/monster movie/special effects fan. Even though it got out-shined by JAWS. Rated PG for violence, gore, peril, and some scary scenes.

In 1916, during the World War II, a British passenger ship is torpedoed by the German U-boat commanded by Captain Von Schoenvorts (John McEnery) and sinks. The survivors Bowen Tyler (Doug McClure) and Lisa Clayton (Susan Penhaligon) join a few crew members that has also survived and Bowen convinces them to take over the submarine that has come to the surface. They sail together but they end lost in the middle of the ocean. After many incidents between Germans and British, the two groups team-up to survive and arrive in Caprona, a land that is not charted in the maps. Soon they realize that the land has dinosaurs, pterodactyls and Neanderthals. They capture a native, Ahm (Bobby Parr), and they learn that there is oil on the land. They see the chance to refine it and leave Caprona. Will they succeed in their intent? "The Land That Time Forgot" is an unforgettable adventure based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel with the same title. The plot is delightfully naive and is funny to see how we could buy a story of a land forgotten by time forty years ago. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "A Terra Que o Tempo Esqueceu" ("The Land That Time Forgot")

In 1916, Germans destroy a ship off the English Channel, leaving two survivors adrift in a lifeboat. Then, dauntless Doug McClure (as Bowen Tyler) and pretty Susan Penhaligon (as Lisa Clayton) are rescued by British seamen. They go after a German submarine and take control. After additional fighting, the mixed crew is carried along the Atlantic Ocean, into uncharted waters. Finally, the lost group arrives at "The Land That Time Forgot" which they identify as the lost continent of "Caprona". There, they encounter not only prehistoric people, but also living, breathing dinosaurs! This Edgar Rice Burroughs adaptation is fondly remembered by youngsters from the 1970s. In the ensuing years, the special effects have aged poorly, and the once intriguing plot has evolved into absurdity.**** The Land That Time Forgot (8/13/75) Kevin Connor ~ Doug McClure, Susan Penhaligon, John McEnery, Keith Barron