Master of the World

In the late 19th century, an arms manufacturer, his daughter, her fiancé, and a government agent (Charles Bronson) find themselves prisoners aboard a futuristic air ship helmed by the enigmatic Robur (Vincent Price).

Master of the World is American International’s low budget remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, only instead of being under the sea, it’s above the ground.

Richard Matheson’s script is superior to the Disney effort however, as it paints all the characters in various shades of grey. This isn’t a story of heroes and villains, but rather a story of misguided idealists, and the dangers of tunnel vision.

Vincent Price does a good job in James Mason’s role, and Bronson plays a more enjoyable tough-guy than Kirk Douglas, but they, along with Matheson’s script, are all undone by the low production values and awful special effects.

Seriously, the opening has some of the worst matte effects I’ve ever seen, and the rest of the special effects are comparable to the “Batman” television series of the 1960’s. These aren’t indicative of the times though, as the effects in Disney’s effort seven years prior hold up even to this day.