In London in the year 1907, British aristocrat, industrialist and millionaire Sir Anthony Ross hastily arranges an expedition to the Arctic to search for his lost son Donald.

Ultimately, the expedition becomes (temporarily) separated from Captain Brieux, and discovers an uncharted island named Astragard, occupied by a lost civilization of Norsemen, hidden from the rest of the world for centuries.

Sir Anthony, Donald, Freyja, Captain Brieux and Oomiak, are allowed to depart in peace, promising not to tell the outside world about Astragard.

The ship features a highly streamlined crimson or rose colored gas bag (envelope) and an enclosed control gondola suspended from a thin exposed service catwalk.

The press kit for the 1974 release of the film boasts that Goodyear blimp pilots were consulted on the Hyperion's design and deemed it theoretically airworthy.

The artwork features the airship's nose protruding from a large wooden hangar that is perched on the edge of a lagoon where Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is seen parked.

The film, which was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, was released together with the animated featurette Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too in a family-oriented roadshow package.

[4] A sequel was planned, entitled The Lost Ones, based more closely on the original novel, but was abandoned when it became apparent that Island at the Top of the World would not be a box office success.

[5] Nora Sayre of The New York Times wrote, "At moments, the Scandinavian actors seem slightly hampered by having to speak so much old Norse, but their dragon ships are first rate.

"[6] Variety stated, "Turning to live-action fantasy and stunning use of special effects, Disney comes up with a firstrate entry for the general market in this imaginative meller filmed partially in the Arctic.

"[7] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film one-and-a-half stars out of four, calling it a "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ripoff" with David Hartman contributing "one of the year's worst performances by an actor.

A lively, imaginative epic adventure of much charm and wide appeal, it marks a refreshing departure from the studio's all-too-frequent blend of coyness and cut-rate production values and special effects.

"[10] Geoff Brown of The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote that the movie "tells its tale with abundant good humour and is a constant visual delight.

"[11] Nick Pratt reviewed The Island at the Top of the World for Imagine magazine, and stated that "overall there is little to recommend a film which alternates uneasily between the dully predictable and the unintentionally comic.

"[12] Dirk Libbey of CinemaBlend describes that the movie has "no major stars and is seen by some as an attempt to recreate the magic of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, swapping out the submersible for an airship.

The score featured sweeping themes that were tinged with ethnic string and percussion instruments that helped to portray the various cultures represented in the film.

In order to have better balance control over the individual instruments and orchestral sections, the score was recorded on multiple reels of synchronized 35mm magnetic film.

Intrada synchronized the recording elements and remixed the entire film score, resulting in a restored version heard in stereo for the very first time.