bkoganbing There are many who will miss the fire and malevolence of Charles Laughton's Dr. Moreau from the Island Of Lost Souls. But this version of the H.G. Wells novel The Island Of Dr. Moreau has an awful lot to recommend it. For one thing it is closer in plot to the story that Wells actually wrote. And unlike the Laughton version which came out in 1932 and was set in that year, this one is set at the turn of the last century when the book actually came out.Still there's Burt Lancaster as the scientist banned like Dr. Frankenstein for his fiendish experiments now confined on an island with Nigel Davenport another disgraced medico and trying to study what is the actual cause of evolution. Like in the other two versions he's getting all kinds of animals to experiment and ratchet up evolution, creating these freaks of nature whom as he says always seem to revert.His most successful experiment is with Barbara Carrera and newly arrived marooned sailor Michael York gets her mojo going. It's one of the reasons that York is kept alive as he soon discovers. But there's more in store for him.Laughton's classic was completely created on the back lot of Paramount Studios. This one has the advantage of some really lush location shooting on the Virgin Islands in the real tropics where Wells set his story. And I also think Michael York in his prime is far more the sex object the character was supposed to be than Richard Arlen in the Laughton version.This is a good version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau and miles better than the version Marlon Brando did in the 90s.

gavin6942 A shipwrecked survivor (Michael York) discovers a remote island with a mad scientist (Burt Lancaster).Some people argue there has never been a good adaptation of "The Island of Dr. Moreau". Maybe it is because I never read the book, but I think those people are wrong. "The Island of Lost Souls" is excellent, and I believe it is now part of the Criterion Collection (as it should be). And the 1990s version has its charms, despite its many faults.And this one is quite good, clearly the inspiration for Devo and House and Pain, probably even more so than "Lost Souls". Michael York is a brilliant actor and adds weight to science fiction. Burt Lancaster is pretty decent, too, and makes a good villain.

ma-cortes On a desolate island a man (Michael York) discovers that its inhabitants are experimental animals being turned into strange looking humans, all of it the work of a visionary doctor (Burt Lancaster) , as he's horrified to uncover experiment transforming beasts into humans , Humanimals . The mad doctor isolated on the remote island has spent years creating half-men , half-animals , some real abominations . Acceptable adaptation based on H.G. Wells' novel realized by and with remarkable makeup by John Chambers . It's an excitingly produced remake of 1933's ¨Island of the lost souls¨ with Lancaster heading a solid casting as a nutty doctor who develops a process of transforming animals into half-humans at an desolated tropical island . Through experimentation Moreau-Burt has upset the balance of nature . It starts when Michael York is shipwrecked at sea and arrives in a strange island where he's terrified to discover the terrible genetic experiments realized by Dr. Moreau .Passable horror-fantasy chiller that is developed up and down with some grotesque moments and in other side contains eerie and thrilling scenes. It results to be a strong rendition of H.G. Wells' novel about an isolated scientific who has spent several years creating half-animals turning beasts into half-human . Cast is frankly well. Lancaster's sturdy acting and good secondary casting as Richard Bashehart displaying a magnificent portrayal of one of the beasts ,the law-sayer , Nigel Davenport and a gorgeous Barbara Carrera . Watchable by excellent makeup by the late John Chambers . Colorful cinematography by the classic cameraman Gerry Fisher and thrilling musical score by Laurence Rosenthal. The motion picture is well directed by Don Taylor . He was an actor and director as TV as cinema , he played one of the leads in the Army-Air Force production of Hart's play, "Winged Victory¨ . Returning to civilian life, Taylor resumed his work in pictures with a top role in the trend-setting crime drama ¨The naked city (1948)¨ and played successful films as ¨Destination Gobi , Battleground and Stalag 17¨. In later years Taylor became a film and TV director, being nominated for an Emmy for his direction of an episode of "Night Gallery" (1969). Don met his wife Hazel Court when he directed her in a 1958 episode of "Alfred Hitchcock presents" (1955). Taylor was an expert filmmaker on adventures genre as ¨Adventures of Tom Sawyer¨ , Terror as ¨Damien : Omen 2¨ and science fiction as ¨Island of Dr. Moreau¨, ¨Escape from Planet of Apes¨, and ¨The final of countdown¨. Rating : Good . Acceptable and passable fantasy-terror fare although better viewed in big screen . The movie will appeal to Burt Lancaster devotees who will want to check out his excessive performance . Other adaptation based on H.G. Wells' known novel are the following : The classic of 1933 titled ¨The island of lost souls¨ by Erle C. Kenton with Charles Laughton , Kathleen Burke , Bela Lugosi and Richard Arlen ; and remade in 1996 , retelling by John Frankenheimer with Marlon Brando -who hams it up a bit- , David Twellis ,Ron Perlman , Fauriza Balk , William Hootkins and Temuera Morrison

HelloTexas11 'The Island of Dr. Moreau,' a retelling of the H.G. Wells' classic, plays like a '70's TV movie. It isn't awful, but neither is it very convincing or scary. Certain elements are fine; the dialogue is literate and the performances by Burt Lancaster, Michael York, Barbara Carrera, and Nigel Davenport are all good. The island locations are beautiful. But the essential creepiness of Wells' story is missing completely. One mistake is very apparent- far too many of the scenes take place during the day when they obviously cry out to be shot at night. The make-up of the 'humanoids' is too neat and tidy as well; they mostly look like variations of Lon Chaney Jr.'s Wolf Man or the aliens in 'Star Trek,' animal faces and perfectly-coiffed hair. Whenever they go on a rampage, you feel like you're watching some half-ass, low-budget zombie flick. Lancaster might not seem like the perfect choice to play the eccentric, mad Dr. Moreau but he does an admirable job, at times lifting the film above its pedestrian level to something closer to what Wells intended, and York's portrayal of the stranded seaman Braddock is fine too. (Behind the make-up of the 'Sayer of the Law' is none other than Richard Basehart, of all people. You know, Admiral Nelson from 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.' Talk about casting against type!) Here and there, 'The Island of Dr. Moreau' threatens to become genuinely frightening but it never manages to adequately bring to life the horrific ideas of Wells' novel, which are monstrously disturbing, as anyone who's read it can attest. The living nightmare the creatures must endure, not knowing who or what they are, is barely hinted at and represented in a way that resembles more a Saturday morning kid's show like 'Land of the Lost' or one of Irwin Allen's numerous TV shows, such as 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.' (Hmm...) Moreau's attempt to reverse his experiment by turning Braddock from man to animal is promising; it's too little, too late though and the idea is never fully explored. Some of the final shots of Moreau's camp burning to the ground while the now-dead doctor himself hangs from a railing in the foreground are impressive too, but the movie hasn't really earned them. The brutal truth is that 'The Island of Dr. Moreau' isn't gruesome enough. It's hard to imagine H.G. Wells being pleased with this take on his brilliant novel.