L'Île aux pirates

Paradoxically, one of the most fatal financial disasters ever seen in the film world. The career of ambitious Geena went downhill like the leakiest schooner, not to mention the entire Carolco company. And yet, this Island is a harmless and easily digestible pirate movie with everything that belongs to it - treasure, action, a sailing ship, betrayal, and a beautiful heroine. It simply came eight years too early. (20/04/2006)

Cutthroat Island isn't as bad as rumor has it. Geena Davis is very likable, Frank Langella superbly negative, the production design spectacular, Debney's music without a single false note, the action scenes often literally explosive and the pace continuous. It is a great pity, however, that the story is not very interesting and unoriginal, the runtime is long and above all the attempts at humor are almost 100% ineffective (the violinist in the final battle is an honorable exception). Three and a bit. (10/10/2015)

Arguably the best modern pirate film. Likeable, compact, with plenty of humor and self-parody, it definitely does not bring shame to the genre and easily surpasses the highly acclaimed Pirates of the Caribbean in practically every aspect. Perhaps Renny Harlin softened a bit and Cutthroat Island is not as striking and bloody as his previous films, but this does not change the fact that the action scenes are still solid, perfectly staged, and appropriately dynamic. Geena Davis is fine, and Frank Langella is absolutely brilliant, his lines are unforgettable. The final part is made up of a unique musical score, definitely one of the gems of film music. If you have a sense of perspective, a good mood, and aren’t critical, you can thoroughly enjoy this film. (22/11/2003)

A movie that became a synonym for lack of success and quality. Which it well deserves. But it isn’t absolutely boring. It’s just so terribly mediocre in all respects. All it needed was a director with a surer hand and less over-combination, and it could have been an outstanding pirate movie. Cutthroat Island is an adventure movie that, had it been made ten years earlier, wouldn’t have had nearly such bad repute. (16/04/2005)

An old-fashioned swashbuckler in the style of Errol Flynn adventure movies, except that the main character who swings on chandeliers, jumps through windows and kicks ass is a woman, played by Geena Davis. Matthew Modine, who kind of resembles Flynn here, on the other hand plays her funny sidekick, whom the heroine often has to rescue. Unfortunately, the film doesn't work with this role reversal very subtly, and it's basically mindless entertainment that has only made its mark on the audience's consciousness by entering the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest flop of all time. But from today's perspective, it features so many incredibly bombastic practical effects that it makes mouth drop. When the actors are hanging off a 100-metre cliff, they are really hanging off a 100-metre cliff. When there's a big pirate ship exploding at sea, there's a big pirate ship actually exploding at sea. Everything here looks very lifelike and authentic, which is not very common in this day and age of overused digital effects (with the exception of Nolan and Cruise films), and that makes this a spectacular show today, especially in the new 4K edition with top-notch visuals. (28/06/2024)