Where Time Began (1977 Spain) a.k.a.The Fabulous Journey to the Center of the Earth

Another late adaptation of the famous Jules Verne tale (the big film was the 1959 version with James Mason), this had all the earmarks of being a waste of time, but is surprisingly entertaining. The main character of the impatient Prof. Lindenbrook is played by the older but still energetic Kenneth More, who anchors the whole story. It's 1863 and Lindenbrook gets his hands on a diary in an old books store, thanks to a mysterious, bearded stranger who seems to be an old man but may not be. Lindenbrook gathers his niece and her boyfriend, as well as a sheepherder who agrees to go only for the prospect of getting a large sheep herd. They descend through a dormant volcano in Iceland. On the way down, they run into a 5th member of the party, Olsen, another mysterious but younger character.
 
The film becomes one of those ideal adventures as we wait to see what is the next astounding thing the group encounters. Most of the visuals are not that unexpected - the subterranean sea, the sea serpents (or dinosaurs), the giant foliage, and even the strange giant turtles. But, just when you think you've seen all that they can throw at you, out steps the giant ape - is it King Kong himself? Most perplexing, however, is a reveal near the end involving the late addition to the group: it appears as if a bunch of his clones are set up in a secret installation deep in the earth... what th..?  None of this is explained, just a hint that there is a larger scheme to the whole deal and the audience needs to fill in the blanks. It all ends up back in that old books store.  BoG's Score: 7 out of 10