Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Mysterious Island'

Written by Scott Edwards

Technology has come such a long way, even in my lifetime. I mean if you would have told me that we would be watching movies on discs, I would have told you that you were crazy when I was a kid. I have been privy to see so many changes over the years and hopefully several more are not that far off the horizon. I am still looking for the first flying car, (not a hover car, but one that actually flies) and a food replicator like they had in Star Trek, since I really do not like to cook.

Captain Cyrus Harding and his men have been captured and are being led to their cells by the Confederates when Harding sees something that might lead to an escape. A hot air balloon is in the camp and ready to lift off, and even though none of the men know how to fly it, they are willing to give it a try. Being able to break free of their shackles, the men over take their captors and make it to the balloon, but the south is not ready to let them go so easily. Lieutenant Pencroft is very determined not to let any Yankee escape under his watch. Hanging on by a thread, Pencroft is pulled into the balloon and joins his born enemies on a trip that will change their lives forever.

As the weather suddenly turns nasty, the group sees something strange open up in the clouds and before they can get the balloon to turn, they are sucked in.  Waking up on a deserted beach, the group has been pulled to someplace they do not know. The men quickly find out that they are not alone on the island when they start hearing some sort of monsters growling in the woods. Since Captain Harding has gone missing, the men split up and try to locate their leader when an airplane comes into view, and crashes. Not knowing what this flying locomotive is, they follow it for fear that there is someone inside.  Upon finding the wreckage, they locate Harding as well as he is trying to fight off the beasts that only seem to come out at night. Getting the two women on board to safety is their primary concern and when the sun comes up again, they scour the island to find a house that Harding has found in his travels.

Julia and her sister Abby feel out of place with the strange men that they have been saved by, but when Julia starts to talk about where she is from, she starts to understand that it is more about when they are from. Flying into the Bermuda Triangle, she and Captain Harding come to the conclusion that they are not just lost on an island, but lost in time as well. Wanting to get off the island as soon as possible becomes a problem with a giant octopus patrolling the sea and there are no means of air travel. They are to be stuck on the unstable island until they die from either the attacks of the monsters in the woods, or until the volcano erupts. But all is not lost when the face of an old man of the sea comes to try to help them. Captain Nemo has been marooned on the island for many years and has given up on his attempts to leave, that is until he finds out that Captain Harding can bring scientific know how to the table as well.

This version Mysterious Island may not be the best telling of the story, but it sure is very entertaining.  With plenty of secrets that the island has in store, along with characters from the past being put in the same place at the same time, it is fun to say the least. I must admit I am a sucker for movies like this since the story is out there and there is no way that something like this could happen…or could it. Having a military captain team up with one of the greatest scientific minds in literature, Captain Nemo, who knows what they could create is just a blast. With monsters running around the island and the fact they find ways to fend them off for a little while, it is hard to imagine that there could be something worse on the horizon for these travelers, but there always is. Happy Viewing.

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