Island, The (1980)

This isn’t so much a comedown as a plunge to the depths for Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws  (1975) and The Deep (1977), who adapted the script for this quite ridiculous picture from his own novel.

It beggars belief that legendary composer Ennio Morricone, the usually dependable Michael Caine and more-than-capable director Michael Ritchie frittered away their talents on this tale of a British journalist (Caine) and his son discovering a lost colony of 17th-century pirates caught in the Bermuda Triangle.

Caine is kept alive to perform “husbandly” duties for the wife of a man he killed, while his boy is selected by the pirate leader (David Warner) to be his son – and continue the bloodline.

Though not quite bad enough to be a bona fide turkey, this is still pretty awful and only the presence of Caine and respected co-star Warner makes it worth watching.

Blair Maynard
Michael Caine
Jean-David Nau
David Warner
Beth
Angela Punch McGregor
Dr Windsor
Frank Middlemass
Rollo
Don Henderson
Justin Maynard/Tue-Barbe
Jeffrey Frank
Dr Brazil
Dudley Sutton
Hizzoner
Colin Jeavons
Westcott
Zakes Mokae
Stark
Brad Sullivan

Director
Michael Ritchie

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