Mysterious Island is a 95-page adventure/sci-fi script written by Don Thompson and inspired by the homonymous novel by Jules Verne.
Middle-aged archeology professor Dr. Peabody doesn’t answer anyone. He isn’t appreciated by either his colleagues at university or the CIA which whom he occasionally collaborates. In fact, ever since his wife died and left him alone to take care of their college-aged daughter, he seems to be lost in his grumpiness, his irreverence, and his research.
His daughter Laura, a Ph.D. student attending the same faculty his dad teaches at, stumbles upon an incredible discovery: Jules Verne’s “Mysterious Island” is real, and has been kept a secret ever since the beginning. “By whom”, and “why” are two questions the father and daughter duo will ask themselves in the journey that will lead them to land on that very island.
The script doesn’t lack plot twists and unexpected moments, with new elements and characters appearing towards the end, keeping the reader engaged up to the very last page.
The pace is quite fast, and the dialogues and the characters are comedic and witty. The structure is linear, the first act introduces not only the characters and their relationship but the whole world they live in — an academic world where research mixes with government mysteries. The second act introduces their quest and their companions, and the last act brings part of a resolution, yet leaves the reader with many more questions.
The script is engaging and very well written, and would be perfectly suited to become a series of films or have at least a sequel.
As a clumsy and comedic version of Indiana Jones — with the addition of science fiction and a heartfelt family story — Mysterious Island will transport the reader to the jungle of the Philippines, in an exciting inter-dimensional time travel!