L'Île magique

I originally saw this little gem on cable tv back in the 90's when it first came out. This was one of Full Moon Pictures' efforts into making movies aimed towards kids. Magic Island borrows an awful lot from The Never Ending Story (which is far superior) but it still manages to bring some of its own creative ideas to the table.

Most of the actors are really over the top but in a fun and goofy sort of way. The pirates are less like villains and more like a band of Three Stooges wannabees. Zachery Ty Bryan is about as engaging as he was on Home Improvement but he still shines above the rest of this cast of no-names. The cinematography is pretty cheesy compared to other Full Moon flicks but it's a pretty rare movie and it might just be a poor video transfer that I watched.

One of the movie's biggest highlights is the weird special effects like the stop-motion stone giant and the sand shark puppet which honestly gave me nightmares as a kid but unfortunately the goofy 90's special effects are too far and few in between. Maybe if they had something else like the giant crab from Ray Harryhausen's Mysterious Island then I would've given it a much higher rating.

The concept is still pretty inventive and there are a lot of silly moments to keep children entertained and I guess that's technically who the movie was made for. I might not have the same appreciation for it as an adult but I loved it as a kid so the movie does its job.

I had forgotten about this movie over several years (by several I mean about 10), until recently.

A couple of days ago, I began to let my mind wander in class and I kept getting hit with these images of exotic beaches, a runaway boy throwing pizza at a sand shark, a pirate and a mermaid, and for the life of me I could not remember where these pictures were coming from. Since I hadn't read a book or seen a movie with a runaway kid and pirates for over 10 years. Once I started thinking about it though, I couldn't get the movie out of my head, so I searched IMDb and found "Magic Island." This was one of my favorite movies when I was younger. While some of the lines are admittedly a little cheesy and the plot is definitely for a younger audience, I can't help but fall in love with it all over again.

It is most definitely a feel good movie. There is no person, child or adult, that hasn't at one point in time wanted to run away and escape the life they are unfortunately stuck in. Magic Island makes you realize that it's okay to be a kid sometimes.

Not to mention that the idea of getting swept onto an island in the Caribbean every time you're upset isn't a bad concept either.

This is definitely a nostalgia movie. One that I'm going to buy for my kids. Definitely a classic.

This is one of the most gimmicky films I've ever seen come out of the 90's, let alone any decade. I can just picture the producers thinking of every 90's cliche they could add to the mix and putting it in: pizza, pirates, swashbuckling heroes, dated and less-than-decent special effects, really unfitting mullets, you name it. Don't forget the whole stampede of wacky sound effects that fit perfectly- much in the same way a square peg fits in a round hole. With all it's flaws though, and obvious low budget, it's a film I think deserves a good watch- even if just for how ridiculous it is. It is definitely in the "so bad it's good" category of films, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, it does some things really well. The visuals are actually quite nice, and allow for some good cinematography, even if those opportunities are missed, sometimes. The film does a good job of telling a fun, engaging story, even if it does get really cheesy sometimes (and I mean REALLY cheesy). Settle down with some pizza, prepare to cringe a bit, and take a trip back into the nineties.

Not really much I can say. I laughed a lot, but not the way I was meant to. I almost died when the mermaid saved Jack

I'm happy to say, I got to watch this again a few days ago, on the streamer, filmrise. And I joyfully remembered it exactly as it was. It is the most enjoyable cheesy, silly & fun, straight to video masterpiece ever! Truthfully, I haven't seen magic island in a long time. It was one of the few movies I've obsessively rented from blockbusters. Truthfully, I believe I almost made them mad for almost warning out the tape!. Anyway, i am still so happy to watch it again. Bring back great memories. And I love lily the mermaid, she's my most favorite of the bunch. Always Brings positivity in the movie. I give magic island 8/10. I Just love the movie!