Midnight Crossing (1988) User Reviews

A modern pirate movie

[HunterDK · 5/10 · 5 July 2000]

When Fidel Castro took over Cuba (about 1961), all the Casino owners from Cuba escaped to USA, but they didn't take all their money with them. Some men from the US NAVY hid some money on an Island near Cuba, and they would get back to the Island later. A return happens 30 years later, and then they have to deal with modern pirates in the search for the old treasure. But the movie isn't perfect at all, I will give it 5/10 as a movie you just watch.

Not bad

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 6 June 2019]

MIDNIGHT CROSSING is a psychological thriller set entirely on a yacht. It's a little similar to the excellent DEAD CALM, made around the same time, although nowhere near the same quality. A small cast go through the motions in a story about a treasure hunt, with the usual twists and betrayal you expect from the outset. The cast is fairly interesting, with the highlight being Faye Dunaway as the blind matriarch; Kim Cattrall and, to a lesser degree, Ned Beatty also appear. I found it quite predictable with a TV movie feel, but you could do worse.

A very tangled web. Far too tangled.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 29 March 2022]

This was one of the messiest thrillers I've ever seen, a very convoluted and complicated action film where there are far too many pieces of the puzzle floating around that never somehow fit right. It's about a search for hidden cash somewhere between Florida and Cuba, and not somewhere where a blind woman (Faye Dunaway) should be. There's no reason in the plot for Dunaway to be blind other than the fact that it gives her sonething juicy to work with, and while her character is sympathetic, she's far too involved in the shadiness of the plot involving husband Daniel J. Travianti (looking very bizarre in gheri curls and a mustache) to be completely innocent of the knowledge of it. The other couple aboard the so called pleasure cruise (Kim Cattrall, John Laughlin) get deeply involved too, and there's also the creepy Ned Beatty as the smarmy villain, marking a reunion for Dunaway and Beatty from the much better "Network".

The film is filled with explosions and ridiculous twists, sudden gunshots going off and ridiculous conspiracies that just gets the film deeper into trouble as it continuously makes less sense. As this is set mainly in the dark, it's a difficult film to light, and becomes more depressing and tedious as it goes on. I thought the years would make this easier to get into, but it's just another thriller that thinks it's smarter than its audience, giving it a pretentious feel. Being a bit too long too for something so ridiculous doesn't help. My rating hasn't changed for this since I first saw it in its early days on VHS, but considering how low my rating is, that isn't a good thing. A few random moments of cleverness doesn't hide the fact of how ugly a movie this is overall.

So Bad It Was Good

[ccray9 · 1/10 · 2 April 2002]

The dialogue is so bad that one has to give the actors credit for somehow getting through this movie...only this one movie to the director's credit....hmmmm I wonder why! Was Faye Dunaway so desperate? The first few minutes are a stong indication of the absurdity to follow and one does get a perverse twinge of anticipation, can this movie carry on to be so bad? Yes it can...LOL...It is so bad it is good....by all means rent it, I may even buy it now..

So bad we left before it was over

[fake0001 · 1/10 · 1 August 2003]

I went to see this movie with several co-workers when it first came out in 1988. It was so bad that we were entertaining ourselves poking fun at it and decided to leave before it was over rather than waste our time any further. Ned Beatty's "performance" was especially comical. The manager of the theater was aware of the unintended humor we found in it and when our whole group got up to leave at once, he offered us all free passes to a future movie to entice us to return to his theater.

Because I'm a Faye Dunaway fan....

[tlcarpenter · 7/10 · 8 August 2008]

....I watch every film she makes. I was intrigued by her playing a blind woman, thus I waited and waited for this to come to my local theater....it never did. When it was released on VHS, I ran to get it.

I don't think it deserves the critical drubbing it received. Yes it has some major flaws, but all of the four principal actors, especially Dunaway, give it their all. I was 22 when this came out, and Faye was no longer a sought after leading lady, so I treasured this leading role the year after her "comeback" in Barfly. Her character arc and the twist it involves, her ending up with the younger guy, and the last shot of the film haunt me to this day.

Yes, if I didn't love Faye I probably wouldn't love this film, but I do love Faye, and this film deserves better than it got. Watching it twenty years later, it gives me that weird feeling of what I hoped for Faye in the future - those hopes that came true for her, and those that didn't. I'm reminded how fast time flies by. It seems like yesterday that this was her latest project and I couldn't wait to see what would come next for both us.

Give it a chance, it's better than much of the dreck that is released today. It may fall way short of it's aspirations, but at least it strives for more than many films even try to attempt today.

An excellent movie with non-stop suspense and beautiful scenery.

[LPowell161 · 10/10 · 29 May 2006]

This is a great suspense movie with lots of twists and turns in the story line. It will hold your attention within the first 20 minutes. The hauntingly beautiful music pulls you in and out of the story with a mix of Caribbean instruments and American vocals singing about faraway places and beckoning to all. The mystery interwoven throughout this thriller holds your attention during the entire movie. It also includes numerous historical facts regarding Castro's era in Cuba and hidden casino money which many soldiers knew about while stationed there in the service. The cast of characters were well-balanced and credible. The scenery and action scenes in the water were exciting to watch. This movie has it all, including mystery, action, suspense, and love. I wish there would be a sequel to it! I enjoy watching this over and over, even though it was made years ago!

Wish there were more movies like this one!

[skynest-837-245429 · 10/10 · 6 November 2013]

This is a great thriller and very nice soundtrack. One nice tidbit is that you will not easily guess the ending. Very plausible story. If you like movies at sea you will love this one. The acting, although not great is competent and professional. Filming was at times very good and at other times OK. One of the things I would have changed is to have a little more character development in 1959 as well as when most of the story takes place. The characters are very much just dropped on the viewer with little of what transpired in their lives to put them in the context of the story. This can be forgiven because the suspense is very real anyway. One thing the movie could have used is another half hour of filming. Regardless, I am giving this a ten.

hold onto your life preservers as, Kim Cattrall proves slippery when wet!

[Weirdling_Wolf · 8/10 · 16 June 2023]

A group of old friends charter a boat for a leisurely Caribbean cruise, but, instead of experiencing exotic, sun-slaked frolics, their somewhat mercenary agendas fatefully get the better of them, greed, deceit and increasing paranoia erupting in an especially boisterous climax! While this enjoyably trashy Vestron Pictures thriller is cheesier than a 4-day fondue festival, the clunky, Danielle steel dialogue, and palpably hysterical tone merely increases the film's not inconsiderable entertainment value! A mendacious, Daniel J. Traventi racily sports a pair of questionably snug budgie smugglers, the ravishing, Kim Cattrall is hotter than a freshly popped pop tart, sweaty horndog, John Laughlin is, er, sweaty horndog, John Laughlin, and, as ever, powerhouse diva, Faye Dunaway is compelling as the sultry schemer, Helen Barton! With a fervid narrative about as subtle as a, Jackie Collins bonk-fest, myriad highlights of this trashmongous 80s thriller include, Ned Beatty's amusingly salty pseudo quint sea dog Ellis, the rad uber-80s score, and, Cattrall's boffably bodacious bod is so smoking hot that it would make a man-size vindaloo cry! This turbulent Midnight Crossing isn't so much Dead Calm, as Dead Hectic, so hold onto your life preservers as, Kim Cattrall proves slippery when wet!

Fun film fact,sweaty horndog, John Laughlin also appears as an Imperial Stormtrooper in the Star Wars Holiday special!