Directed by:
Michael RitchieScreenplay:
Peter BenchleyCinematography:
Henri DecaëComposer:
Ennio MorriconeCast:
Michael Caine, David Warner, Angela Punch McGregor, Don Henderson, Dudley Sutton, Colin Jeavons, Zakes Mokae, Jeffrey Frank, William G. Schilling, Reg Evans (more)Plots(1)
Michael Caine plays a British reporter investigating a series of mysterious ocean disappearances in the Caribbean. When his airplane crashes into the ocean, Caine and his son are stranded on an isolated island and are soon captured by a group of pirates who have wreaked havoc in these waters for centuries. Caine is kept alive to perform "husbandly duties" for the wife of a man he killed in the initial attack, while his boy is selected by the pirate leader, Nau (David Warner), to be his son - and continue the bloodline, but soon engage in an epic battle with the buccaneers to escape their island purgatory. (Umbrella Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (1)
Four bright stars. Why, you ask? I haven't read Benchley's book (yet), but his writing literally breathes from every minute of the film (which makes sense, since he wrote the script). That's the first reason. Reason two - Michael Caine, of course. I know, it's pointless to go on and on about his acting, but still. Cain's character changes remarkably step by step from a dry, boring journalist to a man fighting for his life and his son during the 114 minutes of the film. It should be noted that as a veteran of Korea, he is understandably not afraid to let nothing and no one stand in one's way. And that’s exactly what he does. The ending was absolutely delicious (the eighties were indeed good for such scenes). Positive number three - the film is not afraid of naturalism and whenever it can, it shows us a throat being cut, an axe wound, a strangulation with a string. But none of this looks like cheap nastiness. And the last really big plus - Ennio Morricone's music. It made the schooner ambush one of the best scenes. Bottom line, it really does deserve the four stars.
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