The acting in this movie is really good.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Journalist Blair Maynard (an admirably since performance by Michael Caine) and his bratty son Justin (the supremely annoying and unlikable Jeffrey Frank) stumble across a vicious gang of inbred modern-day pirates led by the ruthless John David Nau (David Warner in fine sinister form) living on a remote Caribbean island.Director Michael Ritchie, working from an absurd script by Peter Benchley, treats the delightfully bonkers and preposterous premise with general misguided seriousness while also delivering several jolting bits of nasty gore and inspired moments of dark humor (the sidesplitting highlight occurs when one guy on a schooner tries to fend off the pirates by using karate against them!). The cast play the loopy material with commendable conviction: Angela Punch McGregor keeps her dignity as feisty token fertile female Beth, Frank Middlemass contributes a witty turn as sarcastic and misanthropic anthropologist Windsor, Dudley Sutton has a ball as the unhinged Dr. Brazil, and Brad Sullivan pops up in a funny small part as low-rent airplane pilot Stark. Henri Decae's lush widescreen cinematography provides an impressive sumptuous look. Ennio Morricone's jaunty and rousing score hits the stirring spot. A gloriously ludicrous pip.

Blair Maynard, seeking to reconnect with his young son Justin, takes him on a Caribbean cruise to research Bermuda Triangle disappearances. Unfortunately, they discover an explanation - a lost band of descendants of 17th century pirates who take Blair into slavery as a breeding source of fresh genes, while Justin is brainwashed into becoming the "son" of the pirate leader.After Jaws became a massive-selling book and then a box office movie smash, Peter Benchley was flavour of the month for a while. The Deep followed, less successfully, and then The Island, which more or less put paid to Benchley's career as a source of movie ideas.It's not entirely clear why. The idea is not a bad one and, in Michael Caine as Blair and David Warner as the pirate leader, it has two potentially good leads (albeit Caine was going through his phase of taking any part as long as there was a decent pay cheque attached to it).Although the film is a fairly good adaptation of the book, it is no fun at all. It is very violent and purports to be adult (as was the book) but doesn't feel credible. Had it been played as a family-oriented adventure rather than almost-horror, it might have worked better.

A journalist (Michael Caine) and his son embark on a trip to investigate a series of strange disappearances in the Caribbean. Turns out the ships have been hijacked by a colony of inbred pirates (led by David Warner). Our heroes get captured and are tortured by the insane bunch, and even get to witness first hand their ruthless battle for greed and survival.After a jumbled and woefully written opening, the late Michael Ritchie's pirate thriller finds its feet when it arrives on the titular location. From there, some well staged, almost tongue in cheek set pieces involving violent pirate raids on various ships, set to a Ennio Morricone score that goes from Williams-like whimsical, akin to an old Hollywood swashbuckling score. We also have decent performances from its adequate cast, especially the supporting cast who get into the wacky & surreal mix of roles as the mad pirates, as well as a rather imposing Warner as their bloodthirsty leader. Caine and the kid actor are fine, but this was sadly during his 'paycheck' era so it falls short of some of his finer hours.Indeed, this is a project that was not the finest hour of many; aside from Caine, the opening is very poorly paced, directed and written, with incredibly stiff, obvious dialogue that sags so much it becomes nigh-unbearable, and it feels like it takes an eternity for the pirates to make a show after the little teaser at the very start. Seriously, it's a slog and I imagine would be enough to turn off less generous viewers. However, that second, more satirical half (playing to Ritchie's strengths) did give me enough smiles to come out satisfied. Genre enthusiasts only, really.

It is hard to believe "The Island" did not do well when it came out three decades ago. You would think that audiences would have clamored to see it after the huge successes of "Jaws" and "The Deep," which was author Peter Benchley's other big screen adaptations.Investigative reporter Blair Maynard (Michael Caine) heads to the Caribbean with his son (Jeff Frank) to solve the mystery of disappearing boats, their crews, and passengers. He is obsessed with debunking the myths surrounding what many call "the Bermuda Triangle." During his search for the truth, Blair and his son are apprehended by marauding pirates. They take the two to their island where they are still living life as centuries-old buccaneers. Blair must find a way to escape the island and save his brainwashed son from the pirates and their leader (David Warner).I imagine the movie version of "The Island" can be trusted as what Peter Benchley wanted viewers to see since he wrote the screenplay. The film moves along at a nice pace and establishes its characters strongly. It does a good job of building up to its climax even if the ending does feel abrupt.Director Michael Ritchie did a great job capturing the beautiful locations used to make the film. Everything from the tattered clothing of the pirates to the natural settings evokes a sense of authenticity. His knack for timing shines through in particular scenes with suspenseful build-ups. Richard A. Harris's editing gives viewers just enough of shockingly brutal scenes to induce a queasy feeling in the stomach of viewers who aren't regular watchers of gory genre films.Michael Caine does his usual wonderful job portraying Blair Maynard. He keeps Maynard balancing desperately between calm and frenzy as he sees how the pirates live and what they plan to do to his son. Jeff Frank is convincing in his role of Caine's son, Justin Maynard. He might possibly have the toughest role in the film. He has to convince the audience he is a true convert and has become a buccaneer. David Warner is perfect as the reserved-yet-volatile leader of the pirates."The Island" is an unnerving suspense thriller which holds just enough violence and gore to please horror and slasher fans. I recommend it for viewers who enjoyed "The Wicker Tree" and Benchley's "The Deep." Although it is not perfect, this is a film that deserves more recognition than it received in its initial release.