Lighten up, folks. Those viewers intent on lecturing the world over the portrayal of non-white characters in films of the era should just shut the hell up and spend their time elsewhere. It's a late 19th-century period adventure as recreated in 1962. Deal with it.
It has to be Irwin Allen's best film of this period, with his typical "all-star", impressive cast of excellent performers, young and old and, in this case, an inventive, well-structured and enjoyable script, which brings the characters to life in a very appealing way. Allen's direction is generally good to very good, and the frequent balloon-flying sequences, using impressive miniatures, rear-screen, and full size props..sailing, drifting, swooping upward, then descending among mountains, jungles, desert, etc are eye-catching and keep the action moving along nicely. I especially like the frequent establishing or transitional shots of the balloon superimposed with maps, shots of African wildlife, etc...all accompanied by the catchy title tune (based on a very recognizable Italian folk tune), which in its soaring, wistful version is ideally suited to these panoramic shots.
Bottom line: I'm not claiming this is great film-making, but it's often darn' entertaining. There are plentiful action/escape scenes, each one well-designed and staged, as the intrepid band of adventurers press on in a race against time to thwart the plans of the West-African slavers.
AND, I MIGHT POINT OUT...to those elitist purveyors of "wokeness" that decry this film's lack of modernist sensitivity, the serious side of the plot does indeed focus on the fight against the slave trade, a topic of some currency in 1962, as the centennial of the American Civil War was being observed.
Both Cedric Hardwicke (for whom the rigors of his role must have been quite taxing at his age) and the great Herbert Marshall sport some pretty fancy wigs, and the fine actor Richard Haydn is once again required to do his silly-ass, adenoidal British prig portrayal. Red Buttons has great presence and energy in his role, the girls are lovely (sorry, wokies), Billy Gilbert and Henry Daniell are great bonuses in the cast, as is Peter Lorre at his wry, witty and lovable best.
UNFORTUNATELY...for all its strengths, the film almost completely falls apart during the final climatic moments. The destruction of the rope bridge is very well designed and staged, but once the balloon and it occupants hit the river, the pace and direction really lose energy and pace. And WHY didn't we see a closer shot of Peter Lorre during his unexpected moment of heroism, as he dispatches slave-trader chief Mike Mazurki?? It's pretty sensational as it is, but it should have been prepared and highlighted MUCH better; that's basic Film Direction 101 stuff.
The final scene is really bad: flat, lethargic, un-funny and predictable (complete with Chimpanzee hi-jinks), that totally lacks conclusive "punch" that could have given the film the sort of ending that it deserved. LR.
It has to be Irwin Allen's best film of this period, with his typical "all-star", impressive cast of excellent performers, young and old and, in this case, an inventive, well-structured and enjoyable script, which brings the characters to life in a very appealing way. Allen's direction is generally good to very good, and the frequent balloon-flying sequences, using impressive miniatures, rear-screen, and full size props..sailing, drifting, swooping upward, then descending among mountains, jungles, desert, etc are eye-catching and keep the action moving along nicely. I especially like the frequent establishing or transitional shots of the balloon superimposed with maps, shots of African wildlife, etc...all accompanied by the catchy title tune (based on a very recognizable Italian folk tune), which in its soaring, wistful version is ideally suited to these panoramic shots.
Bottom line: I'm not claiming this is great film-making, but it's often darn' entertaining. There are plentiful action/escape scenes, each one well-designed and staged, as the intrepid band of adventurers press on in a race against time to thwart the plans of the West-African slavers.
AND, I MIGHT POINT OUT...to those elitist purveyors of "wokeness" that decry this film's lack of modernist sensitivity, the serious side of the plot does indeed focus on the fight against the slave trade, a topic of some currency in 1962, as the centennial of the American Civil War was being observed.
Both Cedric Hardwicke (for whom the rigors of his role must have been quite taxing at his age) and the great Herbert Marshall sport some pretty fancy wigs, and the fine actor Richard Haydn is once again required to do his silly-ass, adenoidal British prig portrayal. Red Buttons has great presence and energy in his role, the girls are lovely (sorry, wokies), Billy Gilbert and Henry Daniell are great bonuses in the cast, as is Peter Lorre at his wry, witty and lovable best.
UNFORTUNATELY...for all its strengths, the film almost completely falls apart during the final climatic moments. The destruction of the rope bridge is very well designed and staged, but once the balloon and it occupants hit the river, the pace and direction really lose energy and pace. And WHY didn't we see a closer shot of Peter Lorre during his unexpected moment of heroism, as he dispatches slave-trader chief Mike Mazurki?? It's pretty sensational as it is, but it should have been prepared and highlighted MUCH better; that's basic Film Direction 101 stuff.
The final scene is really bad: flat, lethargic, un-funny and predictable (complete with Chimpanzee hi-jinks), that totally lacks conclusive "punch" that could have given the film the sort of ending that it deserved. LR.