There is an adequate amount of romance to conclude the story neatly, but the big thing in this engrossing movie is the sight and the sound and the wondering what's going to happen next. The incredible was never more vivid.

| Mar 16, 2023

With this group, there are always opportunities for tea, moments for carrying a tune, terribly annoying sound effects, and unexplainable conveniences for survival.

| Original Score: 5/10 | Aug 23, 2020

The best value in nonsense for a very long time.

| Jul 19, 2018

It can't help but delight fans of the genre, and Mason and Dahl's wonderful rapport provides the finishing touch.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 15, 2017

It may well be second to KING KONG (1933) as the film I have seen the greatest number of times.

| Original Score: 9/10 | Oct 3, 2016

There's a rolling-boulder scene that almost certainly inspired Spielberg and Lucas when they initially dreamed up Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Peter Ronson's lovable lunk Hans seems like a live-action template of Frozen's Kristoff.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 4, 2015

Enjoyable hokum sci-fi tale that's based on an 1864 Jules Verne story.

| Original Score: B+ | Oct 11, 2012

Fun for the whole family, and—instead of the 2008 3-D version's Brendan Fraser—offers James freakin' Mason, who can pull off urbane and befuddled at the same time. [Blu-ray]

| Original Score: 3/4 | May 22, 2012

A fanciful sci-fi tale for the whole family.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 2, 2011

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 18, 2008

well paced film entertains

| Original Score: B- | Jul 10, 2008

By standards of the time, the special effects of Hollywood's first (but not the only) version of Jules Verne's sci-fi classic were good and nominated for Oscars; they lost out to Ben-Hur, which swept all the awards.

| Original Score: B+ | Jun 29, 2008

Twentieth Century Fox pulled out all the stops - and the giant mushrooms - for this silly spectacle...

| Original Score: 1.5/4 | Jun 23, 2008

Still captivating despite the obviously dated effects.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 6, 2007

Mason is charming, caustic and debonair, and the whole affair is captivating, silly fun.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jun 5, 2007

It's one of the very best Hollywood adventure movies, with lots of monsters, underground oceans, sinister villains, and touches which would have delighted Jules Verne himself.

| Jun 24, 2006

...distinguished by its curious casting mix of Mason and pop croonster Pat Boone, some striking CinemaScope vistas, and Bernard Herrmann's orchestral score with cathedral-sized pipe organs.

| Apr 6, 2006

It's really not very striking make-believe, when all is said and done.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 25, 2006

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 28, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 23, 2004