The Land That Time Forgot

When I was a young boy of eight years old I saw this at my my local cinema . In those days it cost 15 pence ( A fair amount of money for an eight year old child ) to get in . I actually saw it two or three times which eat up my pocket money bit I certainly thought it was money well spent since in those days I enjoyed war films and monster films . Yesterday morning Channel 4 broadcast it at 6 am which seems a ridiculous time to broadcast anything never mind a fondly remembered fantasy adventure movie but I looked forward to seeing it again if only to see how well it stands up as entertainment today . Would my cherished memories be hurt ? Do I have nice memories about THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT simply down to nostalgia ?

To be honest I think the answer is a resounding no . Right from the opening title sequence where Douglas Gamley's score sums up the downbeat feature of the story we the audience are treated to a fantasy adventure that is a little bit different . You could point out the first half of the movie is somewhat repetitive as the Germans and Brits get one over on one another but in amongst all this is some serious debate on wartime morality , allied civilian ships carrying weapons of war for example which shows no one has a monopoly on self righteousness when the battle lines are drawn and the theories of Nietzsche are also touched upon . What'd you mean this is a childish film ?

No doubt the people who watched this at the cinema on its release where more interested in prehistoric monsters than 19th century philosophy and it's not till half way through that the U-boat reaches the ancient island of Caprona which is inhabited by rubber dinosaurs and troglodytes . Yeah okay the monsters especially the pterodactyls are not very convincing but I've seen worse . It's also interesting to that this part of the movie replaces Nietzsche with Darwinisnm and I don't know if it's deliberate but this concept fits in perfectly well with the sequel THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT . How many times have you seen a sequel that almost contradicts the original movie ? This makes THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT something of a stand out movie alongside the very pessimistic final act

I fail to see how anyone can actively dislike this movie . I agree that the special effects are far from brilliant but look beyond the FX and you'll see a very intelligent piece of fantasy adventure . The very fact that it has a sense of wonder and a truly haunting ending sets it apart from many other movies of its ilk like WARLORDS OF ATLANTIS and AT THE EARTHS CORE and nostalgia or not I certainly enjoyed seeing it again

This adventure flick about the discovery of a country near the Antarctis where evolution works at the individual level (so that each animal and person evolves through the course of its life) is in principle interesting enough. It is mostly well-acted, with Doug McClure (as Bowen Tyler) and John McEnery (as u-boat captain von Schoenvorts - silly name) standing out. From the perspective of plot development, the one female role (Susan Penhaligon as Lisa Clayton) is superfluous. Apart from this, there are two main downsides to 'The Land That Time Forgot': First, the direction by Kevin Connor is distinctly uninspired, with the plot moving so slowly that I was glancing at my watch several times. Bad sign! Second, the dinosaurs play no real role in the plot: most of them don't do anything except roar, for which they are being shot. On the other hand, the Neanderthals are well-made - better than in other films that try to show pre-humans and that I watched. Still, on balance 'The Land That Time Forgot' is pretty forgettable.

I love this movie! It proves that it is not special effects that carry a movie, but a good believable story. That is proved because most of the effects used in the film are not good. However the acting is and so is the story! None of the characters appear "cartoonish" with maybe the exception of the pre historic man. But heck, we don't know what pre historic men were like so it doesn't hamper the story. Doug McClure is a very solid lead with the submarine captain in a superb supporting role. The other German officer makes a great villain. This is one of my favorites of all time! Even it's sequel, "The People Time Forgot" wasn't bad. **** out of 5.

Fun dinosaur movie with a solid British cast headed by suitably lantern-jawed Doug McClure.

Respected SF author Michael Moorcock adds a dash of intelligence to what might have been just another Sunday matinee pot-boiler, and the downbeat ending (slightly different to the book) is a change from the norm. The decision to turn the U-Boat captain from the stereotypical dastardly Hun in the original book to a philosophical man of science is also a good one.

The submarine is suitably claustrophobic and the jungle suitably clammy, just a shame that some of the dinosaurs couldn't have looked a little more than just as if they'd been borrowed from episode of "Doctor Who". Fans of which should be suitably impressed by future 'Master' Anthony Ainley's nasty performance as the treacherous German first officer Dietz.

"Auf weidersehn, Mr Tyler!"

The survivors from a U-boat attack turn the tables on their would be killers and hijack the submarine after it has surfaced to recharge batteries. A gentlemen's agreement between the crews doesn't quite go to plan, and next we know it they are surfacing in a land that is full of dinosaurs and primitive human beings. Will they get home? Well that's down to a rather wooden but entertaining Doug McLure and John McEnery to fathom out. The monsters and other special effects are fine given the budget, though you do glimpse the odd bits of string now and again! Like a few others who have reviewed this, I too saw it at the cinema when I was but a bairn, and I cannot help but look back on this (and "Warlords of Atlantis") with a fondness maybe not quite due to the production. Still, it's a jolly adventure lark and still worth a watch.