Tierra desconocida

This is a Universal low, low budget sci-fi movie modeled after "The Lost World".

Naval classes are being held before the next expedition to the South Pole. Harold Alan Roberts (Mahoney) will be in command, and reporter Margaret Hathaway (Smith) will be tagging along with two other crew members. They reach the South Pole, but then their helicopter crashes into a subterranean valley, still tropical in climate, with dinosaurs from the Mesozoic Era (according to the film). It follows a predictable path from here. The acting varies from boringly bad (Mahoney) to amusingly bad (Smith).

The movie is full of mistakes. Watch for:

The blown takes that made it into the finished film. Apparently the actors forgetting what mode of transportation they used wasn't deemed important enough to reshoot or the goofs weren't noticed.

There is also the giant iguana's costumes being ripped in their initial fight, the zipper running down the Tyrannosaurus Rex's costume, brooms disguised as oars, and the tiny set disguised as a forest, complete with lagoon. But without all of these mistakes this film would just be a bore.

I first remember seeing 'The Land Unknown' as a kid. It really left a big impression on me and I never forgot that movie. Since that time, I've seen it a few more times, most recently just the other day. Although the special effects, prehistoric dinosaurs and scenery are not up to today's standards, it is still an excellent movie. I believe this film is very under rated and 'The Land Unknown' should be considered as a classic lost land movie of the 50s. If you are a fan of horror/sci-fi movies of the 50s and early 60s, this is a must see movie. There are flaws in this movie but that's how it was back then. The movie has to be watched keeping in mind the context of the times it was shown. You will still find a very enjoyable, exciting, action, sci-fi movie. If you are caught up in the high tech, high budget movies of today, and looking for a flawless film, this might not be for you. This is a fine film, tucked away, waiting to take it's rightful place in the history of cinema. Watch it if you can. You'll be glad you did.

This film is a very good entry in the late '50s sci-fi cycle, about a group of explorers and scientists who discover a lost tropical world below sea level in Antarctica (!) Reynolds (the pilot), Mahoney (the scientist), Smith, and Harvey crash-land and encounter dinosaurs and a survivor from an earlier expedition (Brandon). Great (although obviously indoor) sets, literate script, and good acting are the pluses. The dinosaurs are pretty shaky, especially the Tyrannosaurus (a guy walking around inside a dinosaur suit).

Mahoney seems a little miscast, but Brandon steals the show as the loner...his acting actually conveys the feeling that he's been stuck here alone for years. This is a very good B+/A- sci-fi film that should better known than it is.

Long before I ever knew about the existence of "The Land Unknown", I had already seen clips of its legendary T-Rex in various TV-shows spoofing bad movies and even wannabe funny commercials promoting the strength of cornflakes. It was like THE archetypal bad 'man-in-a-suit' monster that supposedly had to look ferocious but actually couldn't even fright the smallest child. Granted, the T-Rex looks ludicrous and pitiful, but bear in mind the movie remains a product of the 1950's and – in fact – the T-Rex is the only truly weak element in an overall decent and spirited little Sci-Fi effort. "The Land Unknown" also boosts an adequate screenplay, solid performances and direction and a couple of other and far more successful monster designs, including a Pterodactyl and some kind of Dino living underwater. Heck, the imaginative photography even manages to make smaller and "harmless" animals like iguanas and lizards look menacing. The story revolves on a scientific expedition heading for the continent of Antarctica to investigate why it could possibly have warm-watered seas and lakes amidst all the mountains of ice. A four-headed crew, one woman and three men, become trapped in a sudden storm and their helicopter lowers down a crater, far out of reach of all the headquarters' radars and search parties. For nearly 30 days, they are stuck in a subtropical landscape far below sea level and – even more astonishingly – where times didn't evolve and dinosaurs still prowl around. As paranoia amongst them rises and the hope for rescue lingers, the team faces the biggest ordeals in their lives. Okay, so "The Land Unknown" is rather tacky and often tedious, but it's undeniably charming and the opening quarter is even somewhat educational, with actual footage of the historically fundamental Admiral Byrd expeditions. The footage inside the crater and amongst the dinosaurs is obviously very grotesque and implausible, but hey, so was "Jurassic Park" and yet everybody loved that. Worth watching, but probably not for nowadays Sci-fi target audiences.

While in a military expedition to Antarctica by ship, helicopter pilot Lt. Jack Carmen (William Reynolds), mechanic Steve Miller (Phil Harvey) and civilian journalist Margaret "Maggie" Hathaway (Shawn Smith) travel to investigate a mysterious oasis with hot water under the command of Commander Harold Roberts (Jock Mahoney). However a pterodactyl hits the helicopter and they are forced to land below the sea level on a foggy land with dinosaurs and other pre-historical animals and plants. Soon they stumble upon the lonely Dr. Carl Hunter (Henry Brandon), lost in another expedition twelve years ago. He offers a way out to the three military provided they leave Maggie with him. What will they do?

"The Land Unknown" is a dated black-and-white adventure with a group stranded in a pre-historical land with carnivorous plants, dinosaurs and pterodactyls. The film is entertaining and it seems that in 1947 was discovered warm water in Antarctica. The good guys are military, still a reflex of the WWII, and the lead actress has the usual female attitudes of the 50´s, fainting and screaming when in danger. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "No Mundo dos Monstros Pré-Históricos" ("In the World of Pre-Historical Monsters")