L'isola

This movie should have done better at the boxoffice. Not too many people know about it, but it's an intriguing modern-day pirate tale with plenty of surprises and it's spiked with a healthy dose of black humor. Michael Caine plays a journalist assigned to investigate some mysterious disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle and decides that the trip would be a perfect vacation opportunity for him and his son to reconnect after being somewhat estranged due to divorce. They soon run afoul of a roving band of modern-day pirates who kidnap them and try to turn the son against father via brainwashing. Will Caine and his son escape the clutches of these scurvy scalawags? Finding out will be all the fun!

To go on would definitely spoil some of the many surprises, but be ready for plenty of amusing action, sharp humor and some hair-raising violence (including a finale that would make Sam Peckinpah DAMN proud!) A very entertaining adventure that deserves to be re-discovered. ***stars

Michael Ritchie's telling of Peter Benchley's novel "The Island" is a true study in contrasts. "The Island" stars Michael Caine as Blair Maynard, an investigative reporter from NY in Miami looking into a rash of mysterious disappearances involving pleasure craft near the Caribbean island of Navidad. While on a fishing trip with his son, they are captured by a band of buccaneers directly descended from the fearsome 17th century pirate L'Olonois. The younger Maynard (Jeffrey Frank) is adopted by the murderous clan while Blair is kept alive only long enough for him to act as stud for a widowed pirate wench. Can he escape and rescue his son before he has outlived his usefulness? The contrasts in this film are not so much with the material as with the actors involved. The set-up scenes with the fishermen and the pleasure boaters are acted with the conviction and style of an in-house furniture store commercial. The night scenes are so poorly lit that one might need Braile subtitles to follow the action and the ending is a true letdown. On the other side of the doubloon -- the film is true to Benchley's meticulous research into the habits, tactics, speech and appearance of his piratical villains and Jean David Nau and his crew are well acted by David Warner and others. The pirate colony is an interesting glimpse into how the pirates may have existed in the 1600's and the suspense building up the pirate attacks is heart felt indeed. Not a cinematic masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but for those with a thirst for adventure and an interest in pirates, this movie delivers.

This is one of the most entertaining films I've seen recently. The pirates are believable; I enjoyed their antique English dialogue. I do not understand why the viewer ratings for this film are so low; I would give it an 8 out of 10.

I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs.

Revisited the 115 mins version recently.

I am generous with a 7 cos of the cool n scary poster which had remained on my mind for decades.

Also it is a good action/adventure movie marred by its length n lack of tension.

The muscular arm and hand with a pirate tattoo protruding from the sea clenching a deadly pirate's knife and an island ahead is scary.

Michael Caine's character goes full Rambo mode aft discovering a deck-mounted M2 Machine Gun hidden underneath a tarp. The best part he doesn't show any mercy where even the character Manuel has to take shelter.

His character even gets raped by an island inhabitant and as viewers, we too get to see some boobs.

I've always loved this movie. The first part of the film nicely details the troubled relationship between father and son (played by Michael Caine and Jeffrey Frank respectively)and helps you build a sympathy for them that then makes the final part of the movie all the more intense and gut wrenching as a result. As this is essentially a modern day pirate tale you can rest assured that there is no shortage of crusty pirate talk, filthy bodies (although the pirates wife's body makes for a pleasant exception to the rule)unrelenting carnage and David Warner,all of which add up to make a splendid entertainment! The locales are also lush and pleasing. You really have to love a film that can take such beautiful surroundings and add that edge of real menace and danger. The finale is a whole lotta fun too. Check this one out , it's a work of art!