Mysterious Island

Name: Mysterious Island
Genre: International, Other Supernatural, Supernatural, Cute Kid, Complete Strangers
Released: 2005-01-01
Duration: 2 h 52 min
Rating: 4.7
Cast: Kyle MacLachlan, Danielle Calvert, Gabrielle Anwar, Patrick Stewart, Jason Durr

4.7/10 · 2,464 ratings20052h 52mWeirdness 5/10Bingo card

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The premise

To escape evils of the Civil War, Cyrus removes his small family and random war prisoners by way of hot air balloon. Once landing on an island, the group finds they are surrounded by danger from giant insects and gold-craving pirates. Turned away by the only safe haven on the island, owned by Captain Nemo, played by Sir Patrick Stewart, the group is forced to find shelter and survive.

Themes:Scientific ethics Survival against all odds The destructive nature of war Unlikely alliances

How unusual is it?

Middle of the road, with a twist — supernatural twists and a historical setting keep it from being totally by-the-book.

Rare specifics

Tap to find the other Hallmark movies that share it.

Who’s in it

Our Guy

Kyle MacLachlan

as Cyrus

Our Girl

Gabrielle Anwar

as Jane

Alongside them

Show all 10 cast

Behind the camera

Show

Directed by

Russell Mulcahy

Written by

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

Giant 20-foot praying mantis
Rats the size of small horses
Thorium-induced gigantism
A Civil War balloon escape to a monster island
Captain Nemo building a nuclear-style bomb in 1865

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 20 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

Forget cozy romance entirely: this is a Jules Verne monster-island adventure, and it is wild. Civil War escapees flee a prison camp by hot air balloon and crash-land on an uncharted island crawling with giant mutated creatures, where the reclusive Captain Nemo, played by Patrick Stewart, has built a high-tech fortress. Kyle MacLachlan leads the survivors. The set pieces are something: a 20-foot praying mantis, rats the size of small horses, and Nemo assembling a nuclear-style bomb in 1865. At a 4.4 and a hefty 172 minutes, it is rough and overlong, the clearest reminder that this catalog stretches far past small-town Christmas. Perfect for a so-bad-it's-fun night.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)

The film opens with a group of treasure hunters being slaughtered by unseen monsters on a remote island. In 1865, Union Captain Cyrus Smith and his friend Neb plan an escape from a Confederate prison camp in Richmond. They are joined by a disgraced Confederate soldier named Pencroff and a mother and daughter, Jane and Helen, who were searching for Jane's husband. The group steals a Confederate scouting balloon during a violent storm and is blown thousands of miles across the ocean. When the balloon begins to leak, Cyrus jumps into the sea to lighten the load, allowing the others to reach the shore of a mysterious island. While the survivors encounter giant insects—including a massive praying mantis that kills a soldier named Lemay—Cyrus is rescued by Joseph, the servant of Captain Nemo. Nemo lives in a technologically advanced compound powered by seawater-derived electricity. He reveals that the island's fauna has grown to monstrous proportions due to 'thorium,' a radioactive substance he uses for his experiments. Nemo eventually rescues the rest of the group from giant ants and brings them to his home, the Nautilus. However, tension rises when Nemo reveals his ultimate goal: to build a thorium bomb so powerful it will end all war through the threat of total destruction. Cyrus, an engineer, refuses to help Nemo create the weapon on moral grounds. Angered by the refusal, Nemo casts the group out of his compound. The survivors are forced to brave the jungle again, narrowly escaping a giant bird attack, while a band of pirates led by Bob Harvey arrives on the island seeking 'Isabella's gold.' The film concludes with the survivors realizing they must work together to find a way off the island while caught between Nemo's cold idealism and the deadly wildlife.

Beat by beat

Opening
A group of Union and Confederate prisoners escape Richmond in a hot air balloon during a storm.
Inciting Incident
The balloon crashes on a mysterious island; Cyrus Smith is separated from the group and rescued by Captain Nemo.
Midpoint
The survivors encounter giant monsters, including a 20-foot praying mantis and giant rats, before being reunited at Nemo's compound.
Rising Action
Nemo reveals his plan to build a thorium bomb to end all wars and demands Cyrus's help as an engineer.
Climax
Cyrus refuses to help Nemo; Nemo casts the group out into the monster-infested jungle to fend for themselves.
Resolution
The survivors find a rotten boat and resolve to work together to escape the island despite the monsters and pirates.

Did you know?

A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.

It's the only Hallmark movie in the catalog where the lead is a war refugee.
At 2h 52m it's a genuine epic by Hallmark standards — only about 58 of their movies run two hours or longer.

20 tropes in one movie

We counted 20 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

The backstory

Based on The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne.

Mysterious Island is a 2005 television film made for Hallmark Channel that is very loosely based on Jules Verne's 1875 novel of the same name. It was filmed in Thailand and directed by Russell Mulcahy.

From Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Among the lower-rated Hallmark movies — the median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Mysterious Island belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

BINGOA reclusive captain rules a hidden fortressTechnology runs on power drawn from seawaterA misunderstanding nearly ruins everythingA scene-stealing cute kidA single parentA shared errand turns into bondingSomething magical or supernatural happensA meaningful look held a beat too longSomeone races to catch the other before they leaveA quiet moment under string lightsGold-hungry pirates land on the islandA first impression that turns out completely wrong★A class or family reunionA best friend who has all the answersSomeone’s guard finally comes downPrisoners flee in a stolen war balloonA pep talk that changes everythingThe two leads are forced to work togetherA classic Hallmark meet-cuteA widow or widowerSomeone decorates a Christmas treeA radioactive substance is blamed for the gigantismA charming local cafe or dinerPlans get derailed by the weather

Hallmark Bingo

Your Mysterious Island card is dealt.

Twenty-four squares pulled from this movie’s own quirks — the cosy classics, a few only-in-this-one curveballs, and a couple of decoys. Mark them as you watch.

Open your card

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

“I, for one, assure you that all of it is true. And it is the reason I call this island... Home.”
— Captain NemoOpening narration describing the island's terrors.
“There's a rat the size of a small horse staring at us. And I for one do not want to be next on the...”
— PencroffWhen the group encounters a giant rodent in the jungle.
“I am developing a weapon so powerful, it could obliterate an entire city.”
— Captain NemoExplaining his thorium bomb to Cyrus.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

Cyrus Smith
Lead
Union Captain and Engineer
principledbraveintelligent
Jane
Love interest
Nurse/Mother
Fellow survivor and potential romantic interest
protectiveresilient
Captain Nemo
Antagonist
Scientist and Inventor
Captor and reluctant savior
reclusivecynicalbrilliantembittered
Pencroff
Supporting
Confederate Soldier
Reluctant ally
greedycowardlycomic relief
Neb
Supporting
Former Slave/Soldier
Cyrus's closest friend
loyalstrong