If you are looking for a movie that combines World War I, dinosaurs, neanderthals, and Doug McClure, look no further than The Land That Time Forgot (1974), a British-American adventure fantasy film based on the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Directed by Kevin Connor and written by Michael Moorcock and James Cawthorn, this film is a cheesy but charming romp through an uncharted subcontinent called Caprona, where time stands still and evolution goes backwards.
The plot is simple: Bowen Tyler (McClure) and Lisa Clayton (Susan Penhaligon) are passengers on a British ship that is torpedoed by a German U-boat captained by Friedrich Von Schoenvorts (John McEnery). Along with some surviving British officers, they manage to take over the submarine and force the Germans to cooperate. However, due to sabotage and navigation errors, they end up in Caprona, a land of lush vegetation where dinosaurs still roam and coexist with primitive humans. There they find crude oil deposits that could help them escape, but they also face dangers from hostile natives, volcanic eruptions, and mutiny.
The film is not exactly a masterpiece of cinema. The special effects are dated and laughable by today's standards. The dinosaurs are mostly rubber puppets or men in suits that move awkwardly and make funny noises. The acting is wooden and hammy at times. The dialogue is full of clichés and exposition. The characters are one-dimensional and stereotypical. The romance between Tyler and Clayton is forced and bland.
But despite its flaws, or maybe because of them, the film has a certain charm and appeal that makes it fun to watch. It has a sense of adventure and wonder that captures the spirit of Burroughs' novel. It has some exciting scenes of action and peril involving dinosaur attacks, submarine battles, cave explorations, etc. It has some humorous moments of culture clash between the British, the Germans, and the natives. It has some interesting themes of cooperation versus conflict, survival versus civilization, and evolution versus devolution.
The film also has some memorable moments that stick with you after watching it. For example:
- - The opening scene where Tyler throws a bottle with his manuscript into the sea
- - The scene where Tyler discovers that Caprona's creatures evolve by migrating northward across the island
- - The scene where Tyler fights a pterodactyl to save Clayton
- - The scene where Von Schoenvorts sacrifices himself to stop Dietz (Anthony Ainley), his treacherous officer who tries to escape with the submarine
- - The ending scene where Tyler and Clayton are stranded in Caprona as the island sinks into the sea
The Land That Time Forgot may not be a great film by any means, but it is an entertaining one for fans of adventure fantasy genre. It may not have Jurassic Park's realism or King Kong's spectacle, but it has its own charm and nostalgia.
It may not make you think or feel deeply, but it will make you smile or chuckle at its silliness. So if you are looking for a movie that will take you back to simpler times, when dinosaurs ruled the earth, and Doug McClure ruled the screen, check out The Land That Time Forgot. You won't regret it.
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