Danger Island

The movie was cute. I caught it on the Family Channel at the end of July. Most of the actors were familiar. I like Sci-Fi and I always enjoy watching a Joe Lara show or movie. Check this one out.

I first watched this movie back in 1998, in a late night slot on the UK's Channel 5. I had never heard of the movie or read about it and just happened to start watching it. In the first few minutes, I assumed it would be a romantic drama on a tropical island. Swiss Family Robinson meets Blue Lagoon, maybe? Oh, how I was wrong.

After they arrive safely upon the island we get the view from under the water and the eerie music comes on. So its not a modern day Swiss Family Robinson after all. More like Demon Seed. I become even more intrigued in to what mysteries the island possesses, with references to the mutated fruit, 'fish like people' and hallucinations that Vic (Graham) has. I had to keep watching this movie, even though some of the acting was cringe worthy.

In to the latter part of the movie when they move in to the ''Habitat'', the group start to discover what truths there are behind the islands military past. A lot of the action takes place around this part of the movie, some it quite entertaining and exiting. When it came to an end I was shocked, I wanted more. Looking back though, there are painful reminders that Danger Island was not meant to end like this, but made to pave the way for a TV series, which never took off unfortunately (unless you can count Lost).

A good and entertaining film, with a relatively unknown cast and poor scripting, but good acting from Gary Graham and June Lockhart. In all though very intriguing characters and all work well together as a group. Would have been great to found out the answers that were never given especially if they were ever rescued. Oh well, a worthy 7/10

I agree with the comments made by other users, but have to disagree with the trivia section..

This film did become a very successful TV series, however they changed the name from "Danger Island" to "Lost" and just spent a bit more money on the special effects (and threw in the odd polar bear..) :-)

Here in the UK this film is either shown at 3pm or 3am (which should tell you a lot!) Very much like the ATeam in its production values and storyline, so if you used to enjoy the Ateam in the 80's, you will find this film a very easy watch for a couple of hours on a rainy afternoon.

Having just seen the film again (seen it a few times now over the years) I think it would make the basis of a very good computer game. (everything seems to be level based - probably due to the limited budget)

It also has the Human from the "Alien Nation" TV series in it (Gary Graham - most recently seen as Vulcan Ambassador Soval in "Enterprise"), and also one of the very first uses of computer generated "morphing".

Yet another guilty pleasure. If you're looking for state-of-the-art special effects, snappy dialogue, or a plot that's original or logical, you'll have to look elsewhere. Otherwise, Danger Island is a best watched for its lush locations, a little suspense and leggy lovelies Kathy Ireland and Beth Toussaint. Future sex kitten Nikki Cox is also here, but won't reach her potential for another three years. There are worse ways to kill two hours, as long as you turn your brain off.

Danger Island follows in the grand tradition of campy shows with a group of people marooned on a isolated tropical island. Sort of like Gilligan's Island meets Lost In Space. As if to reinforce the analogy, here's June Lockhart reprising her sweet, motherly role from Lost In Space. With Kathy Ireland as a Gingeresque supermodel who presumably would never run out of cosmetics even after years on the island. Lisa Banes is a female "Professor." Vic the Marine stands in for Major Don West. Christopher Pettiet is the Will Robinson replacement. And Richard Beymer's oily, enigmatic Ben is reminiscent of the early, not very cowardly Dr. Smith. Irwin Allen would have been proud. Or he would have sued for plagiarism.

Interestingly, the music is quite similar to the original score for "Nightmare Cafe." What makes it uncanny is that this was written by Peter Manning Robinson while that was written by J. Peter Robinson. (No relation as far as I can tell.)

This was made by NBC as a pilot for a series that never materialized. Danger Island bears more than a passing resemblance to the 1951 movie Mysterious Island, from the motley crew thrown together by circumstance to the fateful flight through a violent storm to the abandoned habitat they find and make their own and the monsters they have to fight. During the 1992 TV season, NBC seemed to like sci-fi groaners, as four months later they showed Journey to the Center of the Earth, a remake of another movie based on a Jules Verne story. That also never found a spot on NBC's regular schedule.

As a failed pilot, Danger Island laid out numerous loose ends meant to be tied up in later episodes. What tentacled menace attacked Rick and Frank? What was done to the island's natives? Who was watching them when they first made it to the beach? What does Ben know about the MK-Naomi project? The secrets of Danger Island were limitless. Perhaps it's best that they remain hidden. This way, the MK-Naomi research station will be forever shrouded in mystery, as it should be.

Whenever you rent or buy what you know to be a low-budget sci-fi movie, which you've never heard of, you always expect to get a little ripped off. Surprisingly, and gladly, that did not happen in this case.

The acting was good, the location was well chosen, it was well filmed, a decent amount of action, the plot was stretchy but feasible, tension was maintained, and it was nice to see June Lockhart doing what she does best, being a mom.

It would have made a good TV series.

My only question is: Where was the electricity coming from?

5 out of 10 stars.