On a lark, five young boys steal an airship from the Prague Centenary Exhibition of 1891 and journey to a far-distant island, where they encounter the legendary Captain Nemo himself. "With his rich insight into the psychology of children and his almost tongue-in-cheek malicious stabs at their elders, Zeman has again fabricated a charming, inventive feature that handsomely combines live action, animation, and lots of brilliant trick photography.Certainly the filmmaker's marvelous miniatures originate from Jules Verne, but the majority of the characters and situations are invented by Zeman himself." (Variety)