Review of The Island of Dr. Moreau

A lifeboat drifts aimless in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Englishman Andrew Braddock (Micheal York) and his mate Charlie have been adrift for 17 days before they reach land. They wash up on a beautiful exotic island. Charlie is in a bad state and Braddock leaves him behind to search for food and water. While Braddock is gone Charlie is attacked by someone, or something. Braddock hears strange noises in the dense thick jungle. Braddock starts to run and promptly falls into a pit. When Braddock comes round he is lying in bed in a mansion that belongs to genetic scientist Dr. Paul Moreau (Burt Lancaster). Braddock has landed on the island of Dr. Moreau who has created a safe isolated hideaway from the rest of the world to conduct his experiments. Moreau lives on the island with his adopted daughter Maria (Barbara Carrera), a mercenary for protection named Montgomery (Nigel Davenport) and a servant called M'Ling (Nick Cravat). After Braddock has been introduced to everyone he begins to question Moreau about his motives for being on the island. Moreau claims that he is able to alter the human gene and control it, making it become what he wishes instead of what nature intended. At night Braddock hears strange animal like howls and screams. Braddock eventually finds Dr. Moreau's laboratory and proof of Moreau's hideous genetic experiments! As Braddock discovers more and more about Moreau and the creatures he has created he wants to leave. Unfortunately Dr. Moreau informs Braddock the next supply ship isn't due for another two years. Moreau soon decides that Braddock is a liability and uses him in one of his experiments, just as the freakish manimals turn on their creator and all those associated with him in a fiery climactic confrontation! Directed by Don Taylor I thought this was average at best. The script by Al Ramrus and John Herman Shaner based on the novel by H.G. Wells is a little on the slow and uneventful side. Braddock arrives on island, finds Moreau and his experiments, develops a conscience, gets the girl and escapes the island as the tables are turned on Moreau by his genetic creations. That really is the whole film. Nothing really happens to push the story or characters forward to the next level. The ending of the film also disappoints as it comes across as rather flat, dull & predictable. The film never leaves the island and there are only four human characters in the entire film, and Carrera is only there to look good. The acting is OK but both York and Lancaster are miscast and just don't fit their roles that well. The prosthetic special make up effects on Moreau's genetic creations are good, even if you can tell it's just people under a few layers of latex and glued on hair. The Island of Dr. Moreau as a whole is generally well made, the lush jungle greenery & golden sandy beaches of the sunny Virgin Island locations look stunning throughout & the cinematography by Gerry Fisher captures it nicely enough. The production is also good with impressive looking sets. Overall the Island of Dr. Moreau is an OK time-waster but ultimately it's not a film that really sticks in the memory because of it's somewhat sedate pace.Worth watching, just don't go to too much trouble to do so. Nothing particularly bad, but at the same time nothing particularly good.