jvaldeztoo

One of the best films of the 80's that somehow showed up in the 90's. Cutthroat Island was a great movie at the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a type of story and directing that was no longer popular in the mainstream and that was underscored by Movies at the time which were popular at the time like Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction, Pretty Woman, Silence of the Lambs, Forrest Gump and so on. Audiences had moved on to a certain dark, seriousness in their movie choices which promoted more original themes that were thought provoking. The story for Cutthroat Island wasn't that kind of movie- it focuses on suspension of disbelief to take the audience on a "what if" adventure of pirating through what seems like a child's view of pirating. The most original and genuine genius of the film is a female pirate with Geena Davis at the helm. Other than that, we know the story is about finding treasure, which is so fully played out by the 1990's that it has completely lost its luster. Audiences had just come off the last Indiana Jones movies about six years prior with their popularity still in VHS and DVD for years to come. I'm certain that Carolco thought this was the perfect movie to launch a series off the absence of their Jones movies, but audiences had moved on. This was part of the reason that new stories introduced in the 90's were doing so well...people wanted to watch something they hadn't seen before. And while it can be argued that a female pirate was a new idea, the story wasn't a NEW pirate story per se, it was the same wonderful swash-buckling storytelling we loved as kids. Essentially, the trend was over, and while the costumes, production sets and the ships were positively as awesome as the locations, it comes down to being a pirate story. That tongue in cheek, event driven action was played out before the mid 1990's and people were looking for some humanity in their stories. They wanted to see people eaten by dinosaurs, shot by bad guys, eaten by psychopaths and the underdogs get rich. Cutthroat Island was always destined to be a cult classic as it fits (out of time) and on the shelf with Jewel of the Nile, The Indiana Jones epic, The Goonies, Romancing the Stone, King Solomon's Mines and so on. For me, Cutthroat Island worked for me in the theater because I wasn't done with all the great movies that came out in the 80's and every time I watch a movie like Cutthroat Island it takes me back to that time when movies allowed your imagination to join the fun.

First off, I would most likely categorize this movie as more of a fantasy than a work of science fiction, and rightly so, because of its vehicle for time travel and setting. I watched this movie in the original Russian without sub-titles. I do not speak Russian, and I cannot say I am familiar with the country or its history. When I started to view it, I found the directing and cinematography to be interesting, so I continued, expecting to shut it off and go to bed. Instead, I was captivated by the story, and could tell from the acting and foreshadowing what the story was about, without understanding the language. In addition, I fully understood the concepts and experiences portrayed at the point of climax and the message the film intended. I enjoyed this film because of its elements, the love story intertwined with the wake up call to the younger generation known for forgetting the past, confounded with unexpected twists that led them on an adventure of inner growth and a closer examination of the meaning of life, nationality and sacrifice. I felt a greater interest in the Russian people after viewing this movie, and it left that kind of lump in my throat, wanting more, sad for their loss, and glad for what was gained. I did not expect such a melancholy feeling but I also felt after watching the movie that I needed it. I think this movie is a brilliant example of how a newer generation, regardless of culture, can romanticize the past even to the point of translating a gross, evil invader into something cool or popular without even realizing what it means. This is a great movie for young adults--thoughtful, yet entertaining, sending its message directly to your heart.

I would have liked to have given this a lengthy drawn out technical review like many other reviewers here did. I'm sure that would help me psychologically after what I just saw, but I must admit that I truly feel enlightened and more appreciative of other movies that I have severely criticized. This piece of trash goes above and beyond bad script, bad acting, bad props, bad directing, bad casting, bad editing, bad continuity, bad effects, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad...and the list goes on. If someone told me this was directed by a high school class, I would believe them. If someone told me this movie was meant to be an example of how NOT TO MAKE A MOVIE, I would believe them. I've seen amateur footage on YouTube more entertaining in spirit. It encompasses everything that you hate about the 80's, while still managing to incorporate everything that you would hate in a very low, rock bottom basement budget home movie. I simply couldn't believe that I was seeing Cameron Mitchell wearing a fake beard in this bit of eye dung, playing the cloned part of Lorene Greene from Battlestar Galactica. Clearly, this was the result of the following homework: watch Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. Believe in your hallucination that you are the guru of science fiction and know everything any 12 year old knows. Waste rolls of expensive professional film on worthless scenes that your talking dog dreams up. Viola! Space Mutiny is born! If I had a smart gun, I'd hunt down everyone involved and shoot them until they were intelligent enough understand what they've done. I had to ask myself the questions whether anyone involved in the film had even seen the movie? If they got paid? If they were they drugged? Or, did an entire group of actors lost a bet? I would only suggest watching this junk if you are a video masochist.