THE ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD (1974)
Article 3788 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 12-16-2011
Posting Date: 12-28-2011
Directed by Robert Stevenson
Featuring David Hartman, Donald Sinden, Jacques Marin
Country: USA
What it is: Adventure story

A tycoon from the turn of the century sets out an expedition by airship to find his missing son, who is believed to be in a legendary island in the Arctic regions.

As entertainment, this movie works well enough. It has a nice pace, keeps the action moving, and keeps from being boring. It is, however, just what you’d expect from a Disney adventure movie from the period; it has touches of silly cuteness (such as the comic relief Eskimo character and the French poodle) and a strong degree of predictability; you know, for example, that every time one of the heroes seems to have come to a bad end, that they’re not really dead and will show up to save the day at some point in the story later on. The special effects are usually good enough to pass muster, though they’re probably at their dodgiest during the trek through a volcanic valley. And, of course, there’s that air that this is all just a movie and not to be taken too seriously. There’s a mythical island of Vikings and a whale graveyard for the fantastic content. In short, it’s entertaining, but rather devoid of surprises.