Genres

Visitors Review

martin_humble 2013-06-16 23:38:53

What could had been a great adventure

In this 1980 adventure we follow Michael Caine as reporter Blair Maynardsearching for the answer of the missing boats in the Bermuda triangle. Withhim he has his son, Justin, who he plans to take to Disneyworld. Blair hasto get on with his work before he can spend time with his son, what wasplanned to be a day trip to an Island is the beginning of the adventure. Aplain carrying Blair and his son crash-lands on an island and they areforced to stay a couple of days. One day they rent a boat and goes on afishingtrip but gets kidnaped by pirates who have survived from the 1600century. This could have been a a great adventure for children but the movie istrying to reach out for adults´. We see closeups of killings and massacres.Michael Caine acts somewhat reserved and the film does not get out of badmanuscript, acting and direction. Only recommended for adults with a senseof humour and the child within.

GroovyDoom 2013-06-16 04:44:58

Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth

I think I was about ten years old the first time I saw "The Island". Itwas one of those movies that made the rounds on HBO in the late70s/early 80s, back when they were still new and only had what seemedlike 5 movies they showed constantly. I can't imagine that manymoviegoers were prepared for what they got when they bought a ticket tothis movie in 1980.Michael Caine plays a New York reporter who smells a story when hebecomes aware of a particular area of the Caribbean where hundreds ofboats and passengers disappear. In a particularly contrived andillogical plot twist, he winds up taking along his young son when hetakes off for Florida to investigate. Naturally this places both himand his son in danger when they head off to the Caribbean and run smackdab into the culprits: a band of inbred, marauding pirates who havedescended from the Buccaneers of Hispaniola.The gore factor is surprisingly high here, and right from the get-go weare treated (?) to some bodily dismemberment by axe (including a nastyhead-splitting). There are a couple of well-filmed action sequences,like a small jet that lands without any landing gear. The fight scenes,while implausible, are extremely exciting in most cases. At one pointthe director even manages to shift the viewer's sentiments to thepirates, delivering a very strangely affecting sequence where thebuccaneers set out to pillage a passing yacht that is carrying a groupof obviously wealthy passengers on a pleasure cruise, as well as agreat deal of cocaine. The pirates (with a chained Caine in tow) boardthe boat, slaughter the passengers in cold blood, loot the vessel, andthen set it on fire--all accompanied by orchestral swells on thesoundtrack that indicate something heartwarming is taking place!Uncanny.There are more than a few lapses in logic, not the least of which iswhen the pirates get ahold of Michael Caine and the first thing thatcomes to their mind is...."STUD!!" They also make brainwashing appeardevastatingly easy, with Caine's son suddenly forgetting everything andadopting a pirate persona (with the ridiculous name of "Tu-Barb", noless). Upping the silliness factor, Caine's character uses up his luckychances early on in the film, making the rest of his spectacularaccomplishments just plain unbelievable.But the camp factor is through the roof on this one, and it belongssquarely in the realm of exploitation films. The material is exciting,but very silly, and the filmmakers seem to know this. Most of theirjokes are good-natured (if gory), although I was a little weary of theembarrassing plot device they used when this goofy, stereotypically gayguy (he's wearing a blousy shirt tied in a knot at thewaist---hello???) surfaces to take on the pirates with some sillykung-fu moves before being impaled on a sword. But the rest of themovie isn't meant to be taken very seriously, either, like the scenewhere a bunch of the scraggly, filthy pirates run out onto the beachafter being roused in the middle of the night, some of them completelynude (with their prows a-wagging out in front) and David Warner himselfin a gray jock strap (haw haw). All in all it's good, gory fun, andyes--it bears repeated viewings. I see a DVD rediscovery in this film'snear future.

Leofwine_draca 2013-06-09 23:42:57

What were they thinking?

Michael Caine has made a lot of dross during his lengthy career, butTHE ISLAND has to tie with JAWS: THE REVENGE as his biggest turkey.This adaptation of the Peter Benchley novel sees Caine playing aninvestigative journalist who goes off to track down some missing yachtsin the Caribbean. Eventually he discovers that modern-day pirates arethe culprits.Admittedly, the film starts off on a decent enough footing. Things kickoff with massacre featuring some outrageous gore effects (theaxe-in-the-head is an unforgettable cheesy moment). The stuff showingCaine travelling to the island had me intrigued. Once the pirates arefully introduced, it falls apart completely, and for the rest of thefilm we're stuck with a sorry rabble of overactors and a script thatforgets to be suspenseful or interesting in any way. For an hour wewatch repetitive situations over and over again until things pick upfor the brief, OTT climax which might well have inspired Stallone'srecent RAMBO.Caine tries to bury his head in the sand throughout and who can blamehim? He must have known this was a sorry state of affairs duringproduction. David Warner shows up in his most miscast role ever, whilevillain duties are mainly lent by LOVEJOY's lovable Tinker, DudleySutton! Zakes Mokae is the only one who comes out of this with anycredit and that's because he bags what is essentially a cameo role. Ifthe film had kept the same level of bloodshed as we saw in that cheesyopening it might have been a so-bad-it's-good piece of filmmaking; asit stands it's just so-bad-it's-bad.

FATLOSER 2013-06-09 09:22:28

All in all, it's a fun slaughterfest.

This is one of those movies that people either enjoy immensely or hatecompletely. I happen to fall into the first category on this one.I saw thisfilm on cable around the age of 12 or 13 (back in the early eighties whenparents weren't censoring this type of material -- the phenomenon of massmurder as an adolescent vocation hadn't yet become big money for the newsmedia) and it really captured my imagination from the get-go. Forget aboutthe plausibility of the story, this is adult (I was a MATURE 12 year old)oriented escapism. The plot is rather silly but the action is fast pacedandthe guignol is served up in large, realistic looking doses (The first sceneof the film was amazing, kind of like "The Fog" only without the fog andwith well lighted on screen murders). I recommend this film to anysplatter,action, or David Warner fans.

Michael_Elliott 2013-06-05 23:32:48

Not As Horrid as its Reputation

Island, The (1980) ** (out of 4) Peter Benchley (JAWS) adapted his own novel for this notorious dud thatthirty-years after its release still doesn't make any sense. MichaelCaine plays a big-shot NYC writer who grows curious as to why overthree-hundred ships a year go missing in the Caribbean each year. Hetakes his young son down there and soon learns that an evil group ofSpanish pirates are behind all the missing ships and soon the writersfinds himself held hostage by the leader (David Warner) who wants himto impregnate one of the female pirates. The leader also plans to turnthe writer's own son against him so that he can lead future clans. Theposter for this adventure/horror flick is without question the bestthing about the movie. This film is considered one of the worst evermade but I certainly wouldn't go that far. It's certainly a very badmovie but at the same time it features some stuff that is just so campythat you can't help but be somewhat entertained. As bad as thereputation is I think the worst thing about the film is that there'sclearly a good movie somewhere here but sadly the screenplay byBenchley just comes off extremely bland and lifeless. For the life ofme I can't figure out exactly what the writer was wanting to do becausehe gives us an interesting idea of pirates in today's culture but hedoes nothing with it. Caine and his son are kidnapped around thetwenty-five minute mark and for the next hour Caine pretty much staystied up with the exception of every once in a while he tries to escape.Just having him sit around for an hour just brings the film to acrashing halt and you can't help but wish that the writer had came upwith something else. There are a few good moments here including thescene where Caine and his son are taken hostage. The opening attackscenes are extremely graphic and bloody but they're effective. There'seven an attack in the middle of the film, which contains some campymoments but it too at least gives us something to look at. Even thesubplot involving the son turning into a pirate is just downright sillyand it's a shame so much time is wasted with this. Caine doesn't givemuch of a performance as he's clearly just picking up a paycheck.Warner isn't too bad but I thought the character was way too laid backfor his own good. The rest of the cast members fit their roles nicelybut none of them really jump off the screen. THE ISLAND will always beconsidered a notorious flop and it's a real shame because somethingmuch better could have been done with the setting and original idea.I'm not exactly sure what the writer was trying to do but he has prettymuch delivered a rather bland movie but also a very frustrating onebecause you can see that there's something here but whatever greatnesswas possible is certainly never reached.

2013-06-05 17:03:58

Michael Caine Rides Again

Yes, folks, its time for Michael Caine to do yet another movie. With the likes of him and Kevin Bacon around, where do other actors go to find work? India? True, India is a country of backward cow-worshipping wierdos, but hey, actors gotta make dough like anybody. By the way, unless they sit down at some neutral table, and I mean soon, Pakistan and India are probably one insult or border infringement away from nuking each other. Actually, that does kind of end up settling many of the world's problems.

Tsquare55 2013-06-01 20:05:20

Pirates Rule...

This movie should already be out on DVD, capitalizing on the piratefranchise and available for the home theater... The story line is solidand the plot line just twisted enough. In this day of the GPS andsatellite imaging it would be a tough premise, but having spent time inthe Caribbean and sailing the waters it not that big a stretch thatsome one could have pulled off this type of social engineering. Think"Lord of the Flies" as grown up pirates. It has been so long since Ihave seen this I cannot comment on the production value of the film,but I still carry several scenes in my head all these years later, andthe richness of the scenes are great, at least on the far reaches of MySpace.

2013-06-01 08:12:57

The Island, starring Michael Caine et al

Make no mistake: this is a good movie.It highlights the effect of sleep deprivation accurately (in my experience) and the effectiveness of surprise in attacking opponents or the unsuspecting, as well as the identification of such techniques with piracy. The plot may seem farfetched, but who's to say it couldn't happen ? The Bahamas extend over 400 miles and number around 700 islands, many of which are uninhabited.Michael Caine and the rest of the cast turn in very fine performances.

2013-05-30 10:22:38

Great Movie

This review is from: The Island (1980) (Amazon Instant Video) I am in it!!! It was tremendous to act and then to be assistant director on this movie. We filmed most of it on the isalnd of Antigua and finished in Abaccao with voice over's in Miami. I originally started by suppling Universal boats and local nowledge of the area and everything developed from there.

2013-05-30 05:03:32

This is an excellent film with lots of action and suspense. I have not seen it done before or since, if you are a fan of Michael Caine this one is a must!

This is an excellent movie before the days of CG characters when actorsreally could act. If you like pirates and drama and are a fan of M.Caine then this film is a must! A tale of intrigue and history thatspans into modern times. I have not seen this done before or since andI hoped the new film of the same name would pick up where this left offor be a re-make but alas it was not to be. In this version a man andhis son take a boat ride and end up meeting the modern versions ofBlackbeard! The story continues as they try to escape and the piratesdo what they are known for! Its realistic and believable. In short agood film with action and suspense. I love the ending! Be careful nexttime you are out boating!

2013-05-27 21:22:05

Amazing

Simply stated...the finest film ever made. You'll find yourself immediately drawn in by the richly textured characters, eloquently written dialogue, and breathtaking cinematography. Perfection, thy name is "The Island". Ok, honestly? It was a piece of crap. What can I say, it was "free" on prime, and I had 2 hours to burn. If you like retro gore, a cheesy storyline, and/or Michael Caine, watch it.

TruPretender 2013-05-27 08:35:32

Rushed film adaptation of an excruciating novel bears both Pros and Cons

I made darn sure to read the novel first, before pursuing the filmitself. A real Benchley fan, I was curious about this film, as "Jaws"and "The Deep" had both left great impressions on film, as as thenovels were packed with constant suspense. Well, I ended up reading thenovel "The Island" only knowing one thing about it: Pirates. The bookitself is a real piece of literature. This may be a single opinion bymyself, but I was in utter shock, and at the edge of my nerves whiledigesting a novel filled with compelling action and suspense. It was mysmart decision to first read the book, that ultimately set me with acertain understanding, which could have been a real misunderstandingotherwise.The story has a man, Blair Maynard (Michael Caine), who, upon workingfor a magazine, eyes a news story about mysterious disappearances in aparticular area off the coast of Florida. Against the wishes of hisemployer, Blair finds a way to put the story to good use, and decidesto investigate the nearby locations surrounding the events. He does,however, have one problem: He has custody of his son for the timebeing. Swamped with this incredible story, Blair has no choice but totake his son along the expedition. Maynard also uses this trip as"bonding time" with his son. After numerous events (most of which areunseen in the film) lead them to a small resort island, a fishing tripon the side turns into a nightmare beyond words as Blair and his sonare taken hostage, and held captive by a community of rough, grittypirates. Blair is then used as a tool for petty survival tactics, whilehis son is brainwashed by the menacing beasts.The book is, as I said, very hard to digest, as Benchley endures uswith sordid, if not explicit details. A lot of people claim to despisethe film, with various reasons counting. Some say it suffers from alack in character development, or a rushed plot, or anything else thathas been stated. Truth, a lot of complaints are made with good reason.The film is seemingly rushed, as most moments concerning the expositionof the story are missing in the film. Benchley wrote the script, so Ifind it hard to believe that a finalized print as it was, could be theresult of his script. Either the film ran much longer, and was cutdrastically by imposition of the studio, OR, Benchley kept straight tothe book, without explaining certain elements that should have beenlooked over. In the full picture of things, this film is both loathedand adored. I personally had no problem with it. Seeing as I read thebook prior to watching the film, I can attest to the fact that it does,in fact, go directly by the book, except for some segment thatobviously didn't work.This film also marks the rumor that Caine walkedon the set, and snubbed a check. Knowing the character development, andspecific thoughts on marked incidents, I could read into the reality,and depth to which all the characters are representing. I guess what Iam saying, is that if we all read the book, then watched the film, itwould certainly be more acceptable and entertaining a film. For all Iknow, the film could actually be seen much friendlier if edited theright way. There could easily be a totally different film sitting in avault somewhere such as Richard Donners version of "Superman II". Idoubt we will ever know about it, or if that is even an accuratespeculation. Even so, the film is interesting enough, if just a littlerushed in the opening. It eventually slows it's pace, and makes for agood action film. My final stand is that it deserves at least a goodwatch. You might like it.

2013-05-22 02:27:53

Surprise yourself with a 'Real' pirate movie

This review is from: The Island (Universal Vault Series) (DVD) Highly entertaining, this film is not well known to most. For movie buffs who like the 'Out on a boat' horror genre as exemplified by movies like 'Dead Calm' or 'Survival Island', this is must see material. In the story, based on Peter Benchley's novel with the same title, Caine plays Maynard, an American based reporter who unexpectedly ends up having custody of his son for a weekend while his ex wife goes off on an unannounced junket. The palpable tension between the father and son, obviously based on a tradition of broken promises to share adventures, becomes evident right away as Caine asks the boy what he'd like to do and is somewhat rudely and sarcastically answered with 'I'd like to go see the Museum of Crap'. As a divorcee, if one of my children answered me in that way, there would have been no adventure at all, but then again, I never promised them things that I didn't follow up on. So the stage is set , and true to form, Caine, who had just moments before seeing his son, been granted a journalistic assignment to investigate and write about the mysterious disappearance of numerous watercraft and their occupants in Bahamian waters,does not deviate from that plan. Instead of being truthful to his son, he promises a trip to Florida's Disneyland. They do fly to Florida but go to Miami, the son not realizing, at first, that they weren't even close to the promised destination. Caine makes up an excuse for the detour and, to make up for breaking another promise, follows his son's commands for things like stopping in a Miami gun shop, even buying him a pistol. Caine makes contact with local charter fishing boat captains and coast guard personnel, and learns that his investigation will require a trip to a remote, somewhat destitute island called Navidad. They find a pilot and charter his rickety DC 3 and off they go into what will become the adventure of a lifetime, one that brings father and son more closely together than even a thousand trips to Disney Land would have. I won't divulge information on the early scenes in the movie not involving Maynard and his son...much better that you watch this movie without knowing anything else about the content. But you will enjoy the suspense, the unexpected twists and turns the movie takes you through, and the shocking and brutal ending. I have watched this film at least 50 times and never tire of it. As is usually the case, Caine is convincing and effective in his role and the cinematography has you feeling the tradewinds, smelling the salt air, and wondering how the film became so obscure. I give this movie a 5 star rating not because it rivals Brando's 'Mutiny on the Bounty' or Cameron's 'Titanic', but because it is so highly entertaining and because I am a Michael Caine fan. And for those of you who are big on the Johnny Depp 'Pirates of the Caribbean' (I am not) this is must see material because you'll see the real thing here(hint,hint).

ahmed elshikh 2013-05-21 16:26:12

They Killed The Mind (and I Mean The Movie's Evil Guys And The Movie's Makers Too !)

The novel got it all. The good idea and the good action. The problem isthat the movie loved just one side of it; the hot superficial one.I loved the idea of presenting a world which's build on the standstilland the extremism. Both would lead to nothing but violence which ruinsthe civilization, transforming its youth into savages, ending thefuture (ask yourself why all the tribe's men are sterile, or have noliving children ?!). Also, look at the way the civilized people (Theold British man) exploit the underdevelopment of the others. Or anotion like how refusing the development ends life. All of thesebrilliant meanings is, supposedly, here with the right atmosphere foraction adventure movie as well ; the story of the one man who has beencaptured along with his son by pirates and he must run from them,destroy them, and deter them from brainwashing his son or let's saywiping off his brain. I loved this, but the movie just loved thethrilling part of the story, and the deep intellectual side haddelayed, so the whole matter has been abbreviated into : one man vs.evil ones, and that's it !Very few of the original high points were fulfilled in here. One wasthe son's character. He doesn't own any cultural background but theviolent American and British movies (Bond, Star Wars, Dirty Harry.. Asthe dialog refers all the time) which makes him so easy prey for madlybarbarians like those, to forget this too trivial past of his andmerging into their absolute fierceness. He is devoid of any solidfaith, any sublime civilized value, because he didn't meet unless themost cheap, diverting, inconsiderable faces of his culture. As if thisgeneration is exposed to a perfect preparation, from their civilizationitself, that aims at making them by all means an "inane" ones. So, likethe son here, any fresh young man will be so all-set to be filled withanything, even if it was savage thinking, founded on the cancellationof thinking already and turning into animalism.Maybe (Peter Benchley) meant that any civilization ruled by materialismand consumerism will be someday this separate island which'sdomineering by violence, emptied of any spiritual values, where thereis no science or rather human, just animalistic consumer with no brainor whatsoever. So the inhumanity will rule, the present will bedeformed by the immoderation, the immoderation will make the peoplejust a separate islands themselves. Hence, the future will be infectedwith brain's barrenness, and all the life will stop at one dead pointwhere understanding the truth will be too late. But unfortunately atthe movie's end we didn't see any of that, just a hollow surrender fromthe boy to his father without much logic or meaning but to end themovie anyway !In fact, it lacked just the explosive volcano at the end to be thetypical formulaic "adventure-movie-on-island-with- barbarians" that hasbeen done tritely hundreds of times before ! I only loved the scene inwhich (Michael Caine) shoots them up all. Despite being somewhat aneasy solution, it unloaded a lot of suppressed emotions I can tell youthat.(Michael Caine) is a great actor and one charismatic star. You cansimply notice what a chain of flops he did at this phase : The Swarm(1978), Ashanti (1979), and Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979).Though, he could've been the right choice to portray the purports of(The Island) but sorry, I think the movie somehow acceded to thisinfamous chain eventually ! He even crowned this juncture by gettingnominated for the Razzie as the worst actor in 1980 for both (Dressedto Kill) and (The Island). Although, fortunately, he didn't win butthat doesn't deny that this was one low point of his career if not thelowest.After the massive success of (Benchley)'s novel (Jaws) as a moviedirected by (Steven Spielberg) in 1975, there was a marathon I think toremake whatever Benchley wrote into cinematic or TV movies. ThisBenchley's craze produced lousy movies like The Deep (1977), but herethe bitter irony is bigger because it's obvious how a good work thathas something to say else the action got treated so unfairly to nearlysay nothing at all at the end !As a whole it's not dreadfully bad, but it's the case where I must feelbad because of making just a B-movie out of material like this, so howabout being not good B-movie as well. The intellectual side was so outof the deal. They had to shut the story's mind. Tells you somethingabout near to savage, or let's say mindless, movie-making indeed !

2013-05-19 08:55:26

THE ISLAND

This review is from: The Island (1980) (Amazon Instant Video) THOUGHT THIS BOOK WAS A BOOK WITH A NICE AMOUNT OF SUSPENSE/ MYSTERY THROUGHOUT. IT WAS QUITE FAST READING. WOULD RECOMMEND.

2013-05-18 20:31:40

A Passable, Waterlogged Adventure/Thriller

Back in 1980, long before Johnny Depp & Co. brought us the never-ending 'Pirates of the Caribbean' fare, novelist Peter Benchley and producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown sought to capitalize on the success of 'Jaws' and 'The Deep' as well as reenergize the pirate-movie genre with this follow-up film adaptation of Benchley's book, but the results were mixed and not always entirely successful. The novel and film offer up a whole new explanation for the lore of the 'Bermuda Triangle' and all its unexplained vanishings over in the years in that, in fact, they are the work of pirates. Yes, pirates. The ever-stalwart Michael Caine stars investigative journalist Blair Maynard on assignment in the Caribbean islands near the Bahamas with his gun-aficionado, sharp-shooting twelve year old son, Justin, in tow. He's there tracking down a hot lead on a story involving the mysterious disappearances of several commercial and pleasure-craft boaters in the area. Through a series of events, Maynard and his son get closer to the story than either of them bargained for when they are both captured and taken prisoner by the culprits behind the disappearances --------- the real, authentic descendants of late 17th-century buccaneers (led by David Warner) living sequestered from civilization on one of the nearby uncharted islands for nearly 300 years. This roving band of modern-day buccaneers ------ still living in the 1700's ------ continue their marauding pratices into the 20th century by raiding ships and boats passing through their territory, killing the occupants and living off the stolen goods pillaged from the vessels. (Think of it as 'The Hills Have Eyes', but on the water.) Life is good for these buccaneers except for one minor problem: their gene pool is deteriorating from decades of inbreeding so they enlist the involuntary services of the now captured Maynard to help improve their breeding by impregnating one of the women of the clan (Angela Punch McGregor). Maynard must now try to stay alive while somehow finding a means of escape from the island and warn the local authorities (which seems to consist of one, lone, bicycle-riding policeman) but also faces a dilemna, too, as he must also find a way to rescue Justin, who has now fallen in among the buccaneers and joined their ranks, where his sharp-shooting gun skills are of use ..... This movie is not without its flaws, but it is still enjoyable and entertaining in many ways. Director Michael Ritchie (Prime Cut, Fletch) does manage to create a few suspensful sequences and some of the attacks on the hapless, unsuspecting victims were surprisingly gory. (I'll admit it ; I did jump once or twice) Caine even has few memorable lines as well. (When asked by one of the film's baddies if he feels privilged to be witnessing what he's seeing, Caine replies, "What's that, a bunch of assh*les playing Long John-f*cking-Silver?!") You get to see all the prerequisite colorful characters one might expect in a pirate movie, a plane crash, a brief sex scene, a jellyfish attack (now what the hell other movie has one of those?!?...), and even a decent action sequence where the bucs actually overwhelm and overtake a Coast Guard cutter. No, really. Overall, it's a decent little 80's action thriller, even if it does have its sagging moments from time to time. Still worth seeing, although bring the sunscreen and dramamine. It's not great, but not bad, either.

Jay Nix 2013-05-11 12:06:36

Terror on the High C+

Michael Ritchie's telling of Peter Benchley's novel "The Island" is atrue study in contrasts. "The Island" stars Michael Caine as BlairMaynard, an investigative reporter from NY in Miami looking into a rashof mysterious disappearances involving pleasure craft near theCaribbean island of Navidad. While on a fishing trip with his son, theyare captured by a band of buccaneers directly descended from thefearsome 17th century pirate L'Olonois. The younger Maynard (JeffreyFrank) is adopted by the murderous clan while Blair is kept alive onlylong enough for him to act as stud for a widowed pirate wench. Can heescape and rescue his son before he has outlived his usefulness? Thecontrasts in this film are not so much with the material as with theactors involved. The set-up scenes with the fishermen and the pleasureboaters are acted with the conviction and style of an in-housefurniture store commercial. The night scenes are so poorly lit that onemight need Braile subtitles to follow the action and the ending is atrue letdown. On the other side of the doubloon -- the film is true toBenchley's meticulous research into the habits, tactics, speech andappearance of his piratical villains and Jean David Nau and his creware well acted by David Warner and others. The pirate colony is aninteresting glimpse into how the pirates may have existed in the 1600'sand the suspense building up the pirate attacks is heart felt indeed.Not a cinematic masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but forthose with a thirst for adventure and an interest in pirates, thismovie delivers.

Nichole Clay 2013-05-11 05:24:24

"The Island" is the besthorror/suspense/adventure pirate movieever made.The modern daypirates,bloodshed,voodoo,all-in-between! Ilove that movie especially the head pirateplayed by cult favorite British actorDavid Warner is very excellent in thatmovie,exposing a lot of skin as the headpirate turns me on! I like the part whenhim and his terrorizing trio start havinga pirate boat war and doing pirate stuffI really recommend this movie better thansame-old-boring pirate movies,"The Island"got everything you really want to see!

2013-04-28 12:09:43

Enjoyable thriller

Blair Maynard (Michael Caine) who is your typical Miami investigative writer is a divorced man who is spending some quality time with his son Justin (Jeffrey Frank). He decides to take his son with him to investigate the mysteries of disappearing yachts and sail-boats on the Caribbean, however him and Justin are kidnapped by modern pirates lead by John David Nu (David Warner) who live on an island where they all live and have the old ways for three hundred years. They've been raiding boats of sorts including steal some stuff and even kidnap women to have as wives yet have brainwashed the boy to make them one of the pirates, Blair must try to get his boy back to normal and try to escape from the island.A highly enjoyable action-adventure/suspense/horror/thriller written by author Peter Benchley of "Jaws" and "The Deep" fame which is based on his book and directed by Michael Ritchie. It has your typical "Hills Have Eyes" kind of idea only with pirates who have been living on an island for 300 years with each generation as if they were still living in the past. However there is one ridiculous scene involving a sail-boat owner trying to do kung fu on the pirates yet feels out of place, however the film is still enjoyable with bloody action sequences and a nice score by Ennico Morricone with good performances by some of the cast emmebers especially Caine. This movie has been highly requested on DVD and blu-ray for a long time and now has it's overdue release, i always liked this since i saw it on TV when i was 5 and thought it was thrilling.Scream Factory/Shout Factory has done a nice job with a beautiful picture and sound quality in their impressive line especially bringing this movie for the first time on blu-ray and DVD in a combo pack. The only extra it has is the theatrical trailer but that's ok, what matters is that it's FINALLY on DVD and blu-ray especially with such beautiful quality.

jnoblewright 2013-04-27 21:32:32

Poor. As in bottom of the dung-heap poor.

How does any script this absurdly construed actually get produced, letalone released to the theatres? Really, I want to know. I suppose c.1980 Peter Benchley's name was enough to attract the funds. But some atpoint during the production an actor like Michael Caine should haverealized that any honest, considered effort he put into this moviewould be totally upstaged the tragic circus that is "The Island".Watching this movie is like reliving a terrible, terrible dream. Maybeone day I will be able to vanquish the mental image of Michael Cainepumping rounds through a .50 cal machine gun at scores of pirates (yes,pirates) dressed in discount bondage gear... Thanks to digital cable Ididn't pay for it, which is good. But someone did.