Pretty Good

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

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.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

I can think of only three demographics that "The Treasure Of Jamaica Reef" might possibly appeal to:1) Cheryl Ladd completists. It is indeed one of her earliest screen roles, and she already has some of the qualities she brought to her most famous role, Kris Munroe: she is cute, adventurous and infectiously enthusiastic. However, she is off screen for large sections of this movie.2) Fanatics of extended underwater sequences. They sure will get their fill here.3) Insomniacs. This movie will solve their persistent problem! Other than that, "Treasure Of Jamaica Reef" is a curio at best. Maybe the "Evil In The Deep" version (with sharks added!) is an improvement, but I doubt it. *1/2 out of 4.

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.

OK, well, not really, but I DID enjoy it. Yes, I did. And I even watched it online, streaming, so the copy was even worse than the poor quality VHS hinted at in other comments. But, heck, I loved it. Sure it's clunky, silly, and ridiculous, but it's fun! So, count me in!Cheryl Ladd, Stephen Boyd, Chuck Woolery, Rosie Grier and that hugely awkward wood barrel van! They all put a smile on my face. And maybe yours too! Don't take life so seriously. When it comes to movies, music and art, relax, take it in, and don't take anybody's word for anything. Experience them all yourself. Would you trust another person, a stranger, to tell you what music to listen to? I didn't think so. So, you shouldn't do it with any film and not with this film, either. So, like I said, check it out. You may find yourself smiling before you know it.