uring the siege of Richmond, Virginia in 1865, a group of captured soldiers at the Libby Military Prison attempt a daring escape. Captain Cyrus Harding (Michael Craig), Herbert Brown (Michael Callan), and Corporal Neb Nugent (Dan Jackson), along with newly inducted prisoner, Union war correspondent Gideon Spilitt (Gary Merrill) of the New York Herald, overtake their Confederate guards and bound aboard a hot air balloon. As they lift off, enemy trooper Sergeant Pencroft (Percy Herbert) also climbs onto the escape craft. In exchange for helping pilot and land their transport, they agree to ignore political disunity.

After several days in the observation balloon, steering through an extremely turbulent storm, and after the landing capabilities are compromised, they begin to lose gas and must cut loose the basket. As they cling to the rigging, they crash into the ocean – quite fortunately near a beach where they wash ashore. The following morning, even with the captain missing, civilian Spilitt begins searching for food, uncovering an enormous oyster. Across the coastline, they spy a smoke signal, marking the location of Harding’s unconscious body. The five men, under the command of the captain, travel across the length of the island, noting overgrown plants and vivid scenery – and a giant crab that attacks the unprepared hunters. It quickly becomes evident that this strange land houses some terrifying secrets.

To spice things up, the quintet locates wreckage containing Lady Mary Fairchild (Joan Greenwood) and her niece Elena (Beth Rogan) – who is eventually fashioned with a very short skirt. Their male guide conveniently drowns during the trip. The premise is also brimming with special visual effects by renowned animator Ray Harryhausen, orchestrating combat sequences with gargantuan birds, bees, and sea creatures. Unfortunately, the pacing lags at times, spreading the stop-motion monstrosities too thin.

Suspense and excitement lurks around every perplexing finding (when they arrive), building upon themes found in Jules Verne’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” while isolation and survivalist skills are examined with a nod to “Robinson Crusoe.” The story also incorporates Verne’s previous characters and creations from “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” particularly as Captain Nemo (Herbert Lom) and his Nautilus submarine make a late but integral appearance. Amusingly, human pirates provide grimmer antagonists than the colossal flora and fauna, though a detracting element of the film is an overabundance of players. Since the threat of losing members of the party is practically nonexistent, the extraneous roles add little to the action. Lady Mary imparts nothing but bothersome whining, while narration by Harding is vastly unnecessary. Still, as a loose adaptation of the revered novel of the same name, “The Mysterious Island” is a noteworthy work with unforgettable monster moments that complement the collection of science-fiction and fantasy adventures brought to life by Harryhausen’s visual wizardry.

– Mike Massie