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As Good As It Gets

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

From AIP schlockmeister Samuel Z. Arkoff comes a tale of Victorian madman, Vincent Price, with a huge airship taking captives, including a miscast Charles Bronson, on his mission of death and destruction. It's not exactly a high minded Jules Verne adaptation, but it is scripted by the great Richard Matheson. I'll blame the film's mediocrity on journeyman TV and film director William Witney.

Vincent Price is magnificent and convincing as Robur, the American engineer who takes it upon himself to end all wars by making war on them by bombing fleets and adding to battle massacres. This is not really Jules Verne, but nevertheless the script is interesting, pressing Jules Verne's two Robur novels into one and advancing the interesting Robur character, who here is brought to press his argument with pacifistic reason. What makes the film really worth watching, however, is the splendid music by Les Baxter, a full treat for film music nerds. As a whole it is indeed enjoyable from all aspects, the imagination (flattering Jules Verne by adding to it), the visualization, the satisfying tempo and the interesting ideological duel between Vincent Price as Robur and Charles Bronson as Strock, matched against each other as opposites and still having a lot in common, especially a reasoning mind. I find nothing to complain about in the film, although some find it rather queer.Of the two Jules Verne novels the first one is the more interesting, "Robur the Conqueror", which presents all the best qualities of Jules Verne, while the second is less human going morbid in turning Robur to total madness, which wasn't necessary. His beautiful airship "Albatross" is damaged but never ruined, while in the film the wonderful creation is blown to pieces. What a waste! Jules Verne's story is, after all, better.

Vincent Price does his usual great B+ movie acting in this movie. The special effects were pretty lame in this film, obviously painted scenes for a lot of the background. The missiles that shoot down the blimp(?) are so fake that it isn't funny. The acting is generally sub par. The plot is obviously from a much earlier writing, (Jules Verne wrote the book). Charles Bronson may have been the best actor in this film, but not by that much. I will admit that the outside views of the air ship make it look very cool. I do wonder about the physics of the air ship with all the ornate decorations, the weight of all the ordinance, the crew, etc. Seems like a lot of poundage for the vessel, especially if it is made from paper (no matter how tough the paper). Where did Price get the money, the science, and the crew for this contraption? Now how many bombs does the ship carry? Where did they get them and how come so many? This a watchable movie because of Vincent Price and the Jules Verne story line but if not for that it would not be.

Enjoyable low-budget romp based off of the Jules Verne novels Robur the Conqueror and Master of the World, but, oddly, using only the second one's title. Vincent Price stars as self-proclaimed "master of the world" Robur, inventor of a giant flying zeppelin named the Albatross, who abducts Charles Bronson's stoic police inspector and Henry Hull's blustery balloonist and his daughter, played by the fetching and strong-willed Mary Webster. Also along for the ride is Webster's idiotic, cowardly fiancé played by David Frankham who does nothing but whine and be a jerk.The screenplay by Richard Matheson is on the talky side with little in the way of action, but it's intelligently written and has some extremely quotable scenes. Prince really sinks his teeth into the part of the determined and passionate Robur, providing a less manic and composed alternative to James Mason's intense Captain Nemo in Disney's earlier 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.Although Matheson insisted Charles Bronson was "miscast" as John Strock, he does his best in a pretty basic hero role that just calls for him to be square-jawed, stoic and punch henchmen. The stoic and square-jawed Bronson is perfect for punching henchmen, so I'm unsure what Matheson is talking about. His cool, quiet demeanor acts as a nice counterbalance to Price's more animated, over the top (but still enjoyable) performance.Mary Webster's Dorothy is little more than someone for Bronson and Frankham to fight over and for Hull to act protective toward, but nevertheless, she does have an arc, albeit a pretty standard one, wherein she finds the guts to stand up to wimpy heel Frankham's Phillip and choose the manlier Strock. This just leaves Henry Hull. Many viewers complain that he overacts in his role as Dorothy's father, but, frankly, that's what makes his role so enjoyable. He's hilarious and provides much better comic relief than Vito Scotti's horrific performance as the Albatross' resident "French" chef. His dinner table debate with Price as Robur is one of the film's best scenes.Add a few steampunk sci-fi elements like a cool giant airship and "futuristic" flintlock pistols (basically just embellished with some added on silver parts) and you've got yourself a pretty solid, but not great, movie. The only thing that sinks it is its low budget which necessitates the over reliance on stock footage. Beyond this, I found it just as enjoyable as the earlier Verne epics Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Fox's Journey to the Center of the Earth.