Above all Cutthroat Island is a fun high-seas adventure. And I think that's what director Renny Harlin wanted it to be. Being very athletic Geena Davis is wonderful as a female pirate because she fits the part. It's much more convincing than having some Hollywood queen who is completely foreign to a little dirt, grime and action.
The fact that there isn't a wealth of recent pirate movies sits Cutthroat Island near the top of the heap, but I don't think it's unjustified. It really is a fun movie, and that's what a pirate movie should be. How can you have a completely serious pirate movie? It wouldn't be any fun. You have to have a guy with a wooden leg, some kind of pet-be it a parrot or a monkey, and guys that say "aye" and "arg".
The ship to ship cannon fight is amazing. The simple reminder that seaborne warfare was like that once is amazing enough. Just pull up and start blowing the trash out of each other at close range. A far cry from today, where we just fire missiles at targets dozens of miles away. Flintlock pistols and sword fights are always cool, and Cutthroat Island has its fair share of them.
I enjoyed Matthew Modine's character, but I admit at times his lines seemed an uncomfortable fit, as though they were shoehorned in. The rest of the supporting cast is effective, and Frank Langella as Morgan's despicable uncle is the typical bad pirate, but enjoyable none the less.
Pirates of the Carribean is coming out a few months from the time I am writing this, and it will be interesting to see if and how the two movies are compared. If you haven't seen Cutthroat Island, rent it and sit back and enjoy the action. As I've mentioned several times, it's a movie meant to be fun, and I believe it is.
The fact that there isn't a wealth of recent pirate movies sits Cutthroat Island near the top of the heap, but I don't think it's unjustified. It really is a fun movie, and that's what a pirate movie should be. How can you have a completely serious pirate movie? It wouldn't be any fun. You have to have a guy with a wooden leg, some kind of pet-be it a parrot or a monkey, and guys that say "aye" and "arg".
The ship to ship cannon fight is amazing. The simple reminder that seaborne warfare was like that once is amazing enough. Just pull up and start blowing the trash out of each other at close range. A far cry from today, where we just fire missiles at targets dozens of miles away. Flintlock pistols and sword fights are always cool, and Cutthroat Island has its fair share of them.
I enjoyed Matthew Modine's character, but I admit at times his lines seemed an uncomfortable fit, as though they were shoehorned in. The rest of the supporting cast is effective, and Frank Langella as Morgan's despicable uncle is the typical bad pirate, but enjoyable none the less.
Pirates of the Carribean is coming out a few months from the time I am writing this, and it will be interesting to see if and how the two movies are compared. If you haven't seen Cutthroat Island, rent it and sit back and enjoy the action. As I've mentioned several times, it's a movie meant to be fun, and I believe it is.