Sadly Over-hyped

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

On October 15, 1971, aeronautical engineer Stephen Boyd (as Hugo Graham), computer expert David Ladd (as Joshua "Josh" Owens), and market analyst Chuck Woolery (as Victor "Vic" Spivak) receive a call from beautiful blonde Cheryl Stoppelmoor (as "Zappy"). She must have asked them to "Jump the Shark!" because they immediately leave San Francisco for more dangerous waters. In Jamaica, they hook up with blond teenager Darby Hinton (imaginatively cast as "Darby") and Rosey Grier (as "Asper"). Then, the team scuba dives for a 200-year-old fortune in sunken gold.Insert plenty of cheesy, sleep-inducing narration with music.It's impossible to believe director Virginia Stone approved of this consistently boring, choppy film, which looks like it was edited by a blind squirrel in a dark room. It's interesting only as a chance to see the cast in swimsuits. Mr. Boyd approaches middle-age in great form. Mr. Ladd looks model perfect (though the camera doesn't really find him much). Mr. Woolery looks thin in scenes with Rosey Greer. And, Mr. Hinton shows why he won a 16 Magazine "Adonis of the Month" page. But, the winner is Ms. Stoppelmoor, who deliciously busts out of her bikini - she and David were an attractive mix.** The Treasure of Jamaica Reef (3/75) Virginia L. Stone ~ Stephen Boyd, Cheryl Ladd, Darby Hinton, David Ladd

I honestly don't get it! How is it possible that this movie was so dreadfully boring in spite of all the indicators of pure 70's entertainment? Look at all the potentially great stuff here: we have a plot about cursed treasures in sunken galleons, the robust macho actor Stephen Boyd, marvelously exotic Granada filming locations, Jordan Ladd's equally astounding mother Cheryl in a tiny bikini, shark attacks and boat explosions! Adventure movies like this are practically a guaranteed success, yet somehow director Virginia L. Stone managed to ruin the formula entirely. How? Through a combination of inexplicably slow pacing, completely inappropriate slapstick elements and a ridiculous Benny Hill-esquire score and the overuse of irritating clichés (like villains with atrocious German accents). At the scene of a crime, homicide inspector Hugo Graham finds an ancient treasure map that supposedly carries a curse with it. All the previous nine owners of the map died violent deaths, regardless of whether they even attempted to track down the treasure or not. Fascinated by the mystery, Graham takes a photocopy of the map and mobilizes four of his friends to go treasure hunting during his annual vacation. As if the film itself isn't boring enough yet, there's also Boyd's completely unnecessary and monotonous narration. The action sequences and stunts are poorly handled, stupid and too obviously fake. All the available budget for this movie clearly went to the waterproof camera equipment and location hunters. Admittedly the underwater photography is impressive and the Jamaica/Granada locations look like postcards, with their crystal blue waters, colorful reefs and tropical sandy beaches.

This has got to be, without a doubt, the worst movie I have ever seen! I tried watching it for a little 70's nostalgia....but it was just too bad (I'll stick to movies from the 40's and 50's thank you!).The soundtrack was nothing but annoying noise...the writing bland; the story was absurd (Yeah...like this group of doofuses could even walk down a street without getting mugged, much less find a treasure!) and the acting made the Brady Bunch seem Shakespearian by comparison! If I had walked in on this movie, I would've thought it was a skit making fun of 70's movies...only it's not funny. I was wishing all the characters would just get a good case of the bends and disappear!

It's a bad movie but It has a couple of really awful scenes:1) Bad man get face grilled on a open bit bar-b-que grill. His face was well done in 3 seconds.2)During a fight, a grenade explodes in the boat. Does anyone die? NO Does anyone get hurt? NO What happens? The shockwave of the explosion throws everyone into the water and the fight continues....