Kattiera Nana I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Delight Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

JLRVancouver The film is based more on Verne's vision of the future world than on a particular Verne story. There are pedal powered aerial-bicycles, aeronefs (including Robur's "Clipper of the Clouds"), formidable steam locomotives, massive canons, and, of course, submersibles. The plot follows the kidnaping of a scientist on the verge of a breakthrough in explosive technology (hint: it involves heavy water), who is taken to an aristocratic pirate's secret volcanic lair, and the attempts by his heroic assistant to escape, or at least to warn the outside world of the pirates' infamous plans. The film is a fascinating and surreal mélange of live action and animation, with much of the imagery based on the 19th century engravings that illustrated the original books. At times the animation resembles Georges Méliès' pioneering science fiction shorts (such as "Conquest of the Pole", 1912) and likely inspired the iconic Terry Gilliam images seen a decade later in "Monty Python's Flying Circus" (1969). "The Fabulous World of Jules Verne" is well worth viewing, both for its imaginative self as well as for its cinematographic novelty. I watched a fairly low-res version on You-tube but there may be a digital version available that would do justice to the intricate imagery.

Phil Hubbs This black and white film is based on several books by Jules Verne but primarily his 1896 book 'Facing the Flag'. The basic hook of this film being the unique approach to the special effects by director Karel Zeman.The plot sees a gang of pirates kidnapping a professor so they can get their hands on his new invention. Said invention being a powerful new weapon combined with special liquid which they want to use for their piracy. The pirates manage to kidnap the professor and one of his assistants and take them to their hidden base (inside a large remote hollow island). There the pirates provide everything the professor needs to build his weapon. In the meantime the assistant manages to get word to the outside world eventually leading to a British fleet arriving to deal with the pirates.The combination of live action and various forms of animation and effects were the way Zeman created his vision. Although this was not the first time he had taken this approach for his work. Zeman's 1955 film 'Journey to the Beginning of Time' also used a combination of live action, animation and hand drawn elements. The animation and effects in question for this film were stop motion animation, matte painting, miniatures, three-dimensional props and texture superimposition. Indeed the visuals in this film are quite astounding to say the least. I reckon most would be amazed to know this film was made back in 1958 as it could easily be a modern movie. Its not too hard to imagine Tim Burton being the director behind this feature with its steampunk imagery. Yes that's right I did say steampunk, this film could well be the first introduction of the popular Victorian steampunk/Gothic subgenre (inspired by 19th century industrialism). If you take the visuals from Disney's 1954 movie '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea', put them in black and white, and then add the artistic style of using parallel lines (almost like cross-hatching with ink) across all props and sets, you have an idea if what to expect here.The stark parallel line imagery was in fact Zeman's attempt at recreating the old Victorian line engravings that were featured in the original Verne novels. This style actually works wonders in giving everything a very detailed and used appearance. The whole world we see in the film looks worn and weather beaten, as opposed to looking shiny and new. A technique we all know has been used effectively by a few directors and their movies in years since. The technique also gives the imagery depth and a grand old fashioned vibe which admittedly predominantly comes from when the film was made. Altogether it makes the whole affair look like a living comicbook or moving picture book.To be honest the film does come across as more of a living comicbook than a movie really. All you get is basically one scene after another showcasing a piece of machinery, or a vehicle, or a landscape etc...Its literally like watching panels in a comicbook one after another. There is very little dialog, sometimes narration, and sometimes nothing other than the moving imagery and the noise it makes. At times its almost like a silent picture but with fantastic visuals. I really can't stress enough how stunning this film looks at times. Sure some of the shots look a bit shaky, some look almost too much like an illustration, and in some the stop motion is pretty jerky. On the flip side some shots with live action elements are remarkable because you can't see the joins! The blend of the actors against moving three-dimensional props and background/foreground mattes, or drawings, is flawless. Overall considering the age of this movie what they achieved is incredible.Of course being a film based on Jules Verne you can't not have underwater sequences with the inevitable attacking giant squid. Its these sequences which mainly make up the most impressive and fantastical visual elements of the film. The imagination shown in these sequences is spectacular and have clearly helped inspire other filmmakers. Watching the various oddly shaped submarines (some with flipper-like paddles) and personal underwater pedal bike things, which the deep sea divers use, is glorious. I could feel my mind being cracked open...letting my imagination escape and run free. Apart from the slightly dated stop motion animation these sequences also highlighted some little errors which were amusing. Such as the divers moving perfectly normally underwater using their weapons normally. Also one sequence where a sub manages to find and pick up the hero from the seabed seemed a bit fortuitous and ludicrous. All in all its still impressive how they managed to convey the deep sea with mere sets, hand drawn props and a slightly wavy blur effect across the whole image.With a story based around pirates, mysterious islands, nautical swashbuckling, Nemo-like machinery and dashing Victorians in uniform, what more could anyone want? Beautifully lavish visuals that have clearly been given tonnes of attention; Zeman seems to have been a perfectionist for sure. The final results are clear to see. The plot may be thin on the ground but for anyone who appreciates the art form of stop motion animation along with ingenious high fantasy imagery, then this is for you. 9/10

GManfred My fault. The promotional ads on the website were in color, so I just assumed...But lack of color is not the only drawback in this Czech version of family entertainment. I disagree with just about all the other contributors and felt that this was a dull, boring movie based on the work of a very exciting storyteller. Perhaps I have been spoiled over the years and was expecting too much. I had seen "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" when it first came out in 1954, and then "Around The World In 80 Days" in 1956, and was familiar with Verne's unique storytelling ability. This picture falls far short of those two masterpieces in all major categories.I appreciated the animation, later borrowed, as everyone has mentioned, by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame, but the story lacked the aforementioned excitement of a Jules Verne tale as well as the cohesion and continuity. It was like watching someone making oatmeal. The actors were unattractive and the print I watched needed to be restored, as it was dull and scratchy. A poor production from start to finish."The Fabulous World Of Jules Verne" was shown at MOMA, NYC, and it was a rip-off, probably for the museum as well as myself. Several people at the show I attended got up and left at various points in time. Not having better sense, I stayed until the end.

horrorfilmx Few films have ever captured the feel of a fantasy world better than this one. The opening sequence alone (no, I'm not talking about the Hugh Downes intro) is absolutely masterful, presenting us with a seemingly unending series of striking images done using a technique (described at length by other reviewers) I don't think has ever been used again in a feature. Fantastic planes, trains, and airships soar past evoking a sort of "steam-punk" atmosphere of retro technology before that term was ever coined. Film fans, Verne fans, fans of pure hand-crafted cinema artistry and imagination must do themselves a favor and check this movie out.