A number of Caribbean pleasure craft are attacked by mysterious people who brutally murder the occupants. Reporter Blaire Maynard (Michael Caine), goes to investigate. During the investigation, Maynard and his son, Justin are taken prisoner by this strange and savage cult, who turn out to be the descendants of pirates, and living on a remote island just as their ancestors did in the 17th century. They do not kill Maynard or Justin as they want them for breeding purposes - their own cult having become weakened through centuries of inbreeding. They brainwash Justin to kill his father, Maynard must be killed as soon as he has produced some offspring from the only fertile female in the colony.
For some inexplicable reason the pirates attack a U.S. Navy battleship, where Maynard seizes his chance to dispatch the whole band with the aid of a heavy calibre machine gun. Only the pirates leader (David Warner) and Justin remain - has the brainwashing been successful?
Yo-Ho-Ho and a bucket of blood - Universal are still cashing in on the marine horror boom they started in 1975 with JAWS, but this film, adapted for the screen by Peter Benchley from his own novel, is nowhere near as effective as his first screen blockbuster, no doubt ,.he talent of Steven Spielberg helped with that one but Michael Ritchic, who proved himself to be a good director with Downhill Racer has gone about a million miles over the top with The Island. It's like a strange amalgam of Apocalypse Now and The Wild Bunch but with little of the finesse, and the slightly erratic editing of this version doesn't help. You definitely feel that bits are missing. However, the plot is quite easy to follow and provides fairly gripping albeit gruesome viewing for aficionados of horror/exploitation movies.
Print and sound quality are very good although the sound level was a little variable. Henri Decae's photography and Enio Morricone's score are worth looking and listening for.
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Distributed by: US Universal
UK Derann
Films. |
The above review was printed in Super Eight Film Review issue 3 also in issue 38. |
