The Stolen Airship

The 'product description' included for this DVD pretty well sums up the essence of the film's storyline but I would add that I found this to be one of the most all around enjoyable movies produced by Czech fantasy film-maker Karel Zeman that I have seen. People who are familiar with Zeman's work will find all of his trademark stylistic elements well represented in this imaginative tale which celebrates, and brings to life, the writings & visions of Victorian period SciFi author Jules Verne. Live actors are blended with animated artworks to create an atmosphere reminiscent of the fanciful engravings that illustrated the books and magazines of Verne's day. Zeman's artistry makes even the most fantastic inventions appear plausible and the story contains many examples of fabulous machinery... a 'Steampunk' lovers dream!Zeman often injects some sly political satire into his works and I found 'The Stolen Airship' to be one of the most 'amusing' of his pieces that I have viewed. Visual puns abound and the sheer cleverness of some of his mechanical creations caused many a chuckle as the plot unfolded. Zeman uses a subdued color palette that creates the feeling of old 'tinted' photographs and adds to the 'period' feeling of all the imagery. This disk also has 3 additional short subjects included that are of an earlier vintage than Zeman's feature piece but have similar subject matter and show examples of some of the early fantasy film-makers works that influenced Zeman (such as George Melies).Zeman's films may be considered a bit 'quaint' by modern special effects standards but he represents a prime example of the vanishing breed of 'solo' visionaries who hand-crafted his filmic fantasies. The quality of the DVD transfer is very good. The sound is in Czech language with English subtitles. My only 'beef' with the product was that the (sole) 'distributor' would only ship to addresses within the U.S. which created a bit of a hassle in getting the disc to Canada. Otherwise - a great film - highly recommended!

The plot works well enough: sort of a pastiche of pirate, spy, castaway stories and more, with slightly goofy airships of many designs. Some with engines, or oar-like wings, or bicycle propulsion, and a similar look in the aging Captain Nemo's Nautilus - of the era for steam-punk, but not nearly as serious.But really, it's the whole look that makes this special. Backgrounds evoke Edward Gorey's from the PBS "Mystery" show. Animation might have been learned from (or taught to) Terry Gilliam, and general buffoonery oozes from the people most desperate to be taken seriously. And stripes - anything anywhere, clothing, walls, backgrounds, anything - is covered in stripes. It's almost Zeman's trademark, but I find it a bit hard to look at after a while. And the color, or lack: the old-timey look is bolstered by the sepia tones, overlaid with gradient filters. You really see what Sky Captain was trying to emulate.If it's a rainy Saturday (like mine today) and you've already been through your Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, give this a shot. The acting might look more modern, but the visual style won't be far off. Enjoy!-- wiredweird

If you love the films of Karel Zeman then this definitely is worthy of a look-see. Not as spectacular or droll as his “Invention of Destruction” or “Baron Munhausen” (still my favorite) films, “The Stolen Airship” is in the same vein (was this perhaps around the time of the Soviet crackdown, and financing became more difficult), I would liken it story-wise to Zeman’s “Journey to the Beginning of Time,” featuring a band of boys on a grand adventure. Great fun, lovingly visualized in a 19th-century (some would call, “steampunk”) storybook fashion.

I'm not rating the delivery, or quality of the product...Just wasn't a very good movie. I was very disappointed since I enjoyed the Fantastic World of Jules Verne so much

It's different but not bad.

the faster the actors talk the less I read. Picture was fair and color was so so.I would not give it the thumbs up .

This film comes with English subtitles and the transfer is very good. Zeman's extensive use of miniatures, mattes and stop motion animation are a joy to behold.

Poor video quality.