Island At The Top Of The World [HD]

"So there is a place where whales go to die."
Visit the lost Nordic island paradise known as Astragard, located in the midst of the icy, artic tundra...see Vikings as they existed a thousand years ago...but take care not to anger Godin or the old gods, or you may find yourself taking part in the lesser known tradition of being strapped to a wooden raft as it's lit afire, and set adrift to sea...

The Island at the Top of the World (1974), released by the good folks at Disney, encompasses many different elements. It's science fiction, drama, high adventure, fantasy, but most of all it's just plain fun. Directed by Robert Stevenson, who directed a slew of Disney films from the early 60's and into the 70's, most notably The Absent Minded Professor (1961), Mary Poppins (1964), The Love Bug (1968), and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), The Island at the Top of the World stars the toothsome David Hartman (Good Morning America), and Donald Sinden (The Day of the Jackal). Also appearing is a very youthful looking Mako (Conan...

ONE OF DISNEYs LAST GREAT ADVENTURES
Sir Anthony Ross (Donald Sinden) goes on a quest for his missing son (David Gwillim) that leads him to the ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD via airship with the aid of Professor Ivarsson (David Hartman), Captain Brieux (Jacques Marin) and Oomiak (Mako). Director Robert Stevenson directed this film based on a novel by Ian Cameron, which treads on Jules Verne territory. Director Stevenson here makes one last attempt at the grandeur of the genre emulating earlier Disney productions such as 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954) and IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS (1962). Thanks to this DVD on Anchor Bay Entertainment this film looks even better than it did in the theatre and on earlier VHS editions. The esoteric and enigmatic images are sharp, crisp, and richly colorful and lushly textured giving this film a new dimension. Maurice Jarre composed an adventurous and melodic score giving this underrated film the prestige it deserved. I really enjoy this film and have watched it many times over.

Viking Paradise
In 1954 Disney made 20,000 leagues under the sea and the films popularity created a classis sci-fi phase that led to many different companies trying to adapt Jules Verne and H.G. Wells' books to film over the next seven or eight years. This film came out years after that phas was over, but it is easily as good as many of those films. The plot concerns a rich man who hires a French captain and his zeppelin and an American explorer to help him find his missing son. They set off for an uncharted area way out in the North Atlantic and find a tribe of Vikings who have established their own colony. This is a kid's film, fairly fast moving, but very little violence. The cast is overall good except for David Hartman who always seemed like Fred Gwynn, only without any personality. Director Robert Stevenson was a veteren by this time, having done such Disney greats as Old Yeller and Mary Poppins and his skills shine through in this film. This film is sharp and the visuals are very good for...

Click to Editorial Reviews