Mysterious Island

Long before computer animation, Ray Harryhausen perfected the technique of stop motion animation that was invented by his mentor Willis O'Brien. This film shows just how far the technique progressed since O'Brien's work on King Kong. The plot is good, but not great. However, the special effects more than make up for it. This film will always hold a special place in the heart of Harryhausen fans and in some ways, it puts the computer animated films to shame.

My favorite Harryhausen film, and for that matter, one of my favorite movies ever. Even when the excellent stop-motion monsters aren't on screen, the film is fun to watch and well-paced. And when they ARE on screen... whoa! The giant bird is the best. And the Herrmann score is absolutely one of the finest adventure movie soundtracks ever written. "Contact with my own species has always disappointed me. Solitude gives me a freedom of mind and an independence of action." -Captain Nemo