The Place For The Latest Movie Reviews
Cast: Pruitt Taylor-Vince, Gina Holden, Lochlyn Munro, W Morgan Sheppard, Susie Arbromeit
A cinematic adaptation of Jules Verne's 1874 novel "The Mysterious Island", the story begins during the American Civil War, as famine and death ravage the city of Richmond, Virginia. Five northern POWs make the decision to escape the war by hijacking a hot air balloon! Drifting through the night, they wake to find themselves marooned on a desert island, but they aren't alone... Littered with wreckage, the island is home to cast of survivors who have been lost in space and time, including Jules and Abby Fogg, two young women from modern times who become stranded while flying over the Bermuda Triangle. Faced with defending themselves against vicious pirates, terrifying creatures, and an active volcano that's ready to blow, they must find a way to survive and escape the island. Hope only comes when they encounter the island's oldest resident, Captain Nemo himself. With his help, they set to work crafting an escape... but will they make it in time before the island claims them forever?
As a Critic I cannot help stressing the obvious every time I do a review for a film that originally aired on the Syfy Channel. The obvious is that you cannot expect big Hollywood productions from these made for TV movies. So you have to know what you're getting before even watching these.
Loosely based on the Jules Verne's classic which isn't a bad thing since there has been so many adaptions made from his original story that it was kinda nice seeing something a bit different. The effects in the film were pretty decent over-all considering the budget here. I liked the different characters and the conversions between the women from modern times and the civil war soldiers, the cultural differences were very interesting to say the least.
I am not going to go into details about the plot since the above synopsis is about all you really need to know before watching the movie. As far as the acting goes it was pretty good for the most part and I found a number of the characters to be interesting and fun.
You have to take these Syfy movies for what they are and not over-think them, their made to be a fun way to escape the problems of everyday life and that's exactly what this one is. I have seen better films made by the channel but I have seen worse as well. I had an enjoyable time watching this and was never bored because there was always something going on to keep my interest. So if you like Jules Verne or just like a good adventure/sci-fi once in awhile then I suggest checking this one out.
Released by Green Apple Entertainment
^^ 1/2 Out Of *****